Black Carpenter ants?

[Galapoheros]

I went down country roads coming back from a relatives place 100 miles away, stopped off at a wooden cemetery. Don't know why I do that sometimes, I'll be settled in at one soon enough for a long time. Was just taking a break from the road, there was an old church there falling apart, I lifted a board and saw the beginnings of an ant colony, after researching around, I'm thinking Camponotus pennsylvanicus(?) I've read about what they eat but was wondering if anybody here has real-time experience with watching and feeding them, what's the food they seem to like best? I don't mess with ants much but I understand the interest, so organized and a lot of things going on there.

 

[The Snark]

The ones that I have observed act just like paper wasps. Munch the wood and pack it on home. Interestingly, they don't mind munching old growth redwood though the prefer soft woods like pine.

 

[Malhavoc's]

Offer a dark container for the nest, with limited space ( they like to be confined) a tube to another container for your " outworld" in the outworld place a cap full of 1/2 sugar (or honey) 1/2 water, and occasionaly place in dead (or smaller live) insects, and they will grow grow grow!

 

[Galapoheros]

OK thanks, I did offer a drop on honey on the edge of the container a couple of days ago and threw in a cricket leg. The drop of honey slowly disappeared and the cricket leg is torn up an hollow. I remember seeing these at camp when I was around 11(a few decades ago) and imagined them in an ant-farm of some kind. I didn't like camp, I just kept wandering off from everybody else to look for frogs and other things, hadn't changed much lol.

 

[ballpythonteen]

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Common name(s): Black Carpenter Ant

Level: Easy

Queen: Fully claustral *(At the founding stage the queen seals herself off until her eggs hatch, grow and turn into her first workers), Monogynous (Single Queen)

Nuptial Flight: April, May, June.

Habitat: Nests in and around dead wood.

Ideal nest moisture level: 10-30%.

Diet: Insects, honey water.

Nest Temperature: 20-25 degrees C

Outside Temperature: 20-30 degrees C

Hibernating: Yes. (Mid-October to February)

Note: In the wild, Camponotus pennsylvanicus scavenge and hunt for insects and small prey. They benefit their environment by keeping insect pests to a minimum.


i have 5 females right now in test tubes with eggs pupa and cocoons