|
Ants.
Jun 18, 2009 22:46:25 GMT
Post by turkeypig on Jun 18, 2009 22:46:25 GMT
Ok here's the story:
I was up late (2:30) a few nights ago and i was inspecting the pots in my indoor collection. I had not watered them in a few days. I had noticed that there was an unusual abundance of sugar ants around the pots, particularly the pygmy drosera bowl. Upon lifting the bowl and removing it form the tray, i found a considerable amount of ant larvae, as well as premature ants and many workers. I recognized no queen. The entire colony (easily around a thousand) immediately started a messy evacuation operation that would last for quite some time. The next day, i gave them bread, only to realize that the rendezvous point was the digestive tract of a particular N. Kohala! Three fourths of the colony destroyed, including larvae, i moved the nepenthes out of range, which caused a change in plans. They moved into an abandoned pot where my N. Ephippiata used to reside. Today, i moved all other pots off of the tray and transported the tray and pot of Ephippiata containing the colony outside onto my covered porch. They have since started another evacuation process. What an epic journey for the survivors! Just thought i'd post. Any similar experiences?
|
|
spark
Full Member
Posts: 34
|
Ants.
Jun 18, 2009 22:55:07 GMT
Post by spark on Jun 18, 2009 22:55:07 GMT
There's an ant colony somewhere in the walls of our house (not carpenter ants, thankfully) that drinks from my drosera trays. And occasionally loses one to my neps, but mostly they stay off the plants.
|
|
|
Ants.
Jun 19, 2009 0:21:56 GMT
Post by brokken on Jun 19, 2009 0:21:56 GMT
I often get nests of ants forming in my bog gardens where it's nice, cool and moist. I have even had one form inside the pot of my D. aliciae and in my truncata x maxima. Though they may seen innocent, they can sometimes dig up the roots and cover plants with their refuse. For the most part, I think that your exoduses are a good thing. They should be okay to forage in your CPs, but I would draw the line when they start nesting in your pots.
|
|
|
Ants.
Jul 8, 2009 2:12:37 GMT
Post by jj1109 on Jul 8, 2009 2:12:37 GMT
I had a regular path of ants visiting my S purpurea purpurea during the hottest part of our summer this year - vast numbers were being lost in his cavernous maw...
All for a good cause!
|
|
DrWurm
Full Member
Hello.
Posts: 12
|
Ants.
Jul 8, 2009 3:37:19 GMT
Post by DrWurm on Jul 8, 2009 3:37:19 GMT
Right now ants are constantly going down into my sarracenia pitchers trying to get the delicious dead flies inside. They typically end up trapped themselves, but can last for days inside. A month or two ago I unpotted 3 judith hindles to ship and found 100s of ants pouring out of the pitchers when I laid them sideways.
Jason
|
|
|
Ants.
Jul 15, 2009 12:32:42 GMT
Post by peterhewitt on Jul 15, 2009 12:32:42 GMT
Just a word of caution here. Ants are considered the "farmers" of the insect world and they will readily set up aphid colonies on susceptible plants. the Aphids eat soft tissue and exude sugars which the ants then feed off. ants will also "farm" fungi on your plants for their own nutritional needs.
|
|