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Wow. Yesterday was INSANE. Srsly.
On Fridays, I usually feed and water all of my ant colonies--there are about 150 of them, not counting the new farms that I just started (there are 160 of those--no, wait--157 of them--three died). Feeding the leafcutters involves going on leaf-collecting reconnaisance missions around campus, because I feed them cornmeal, oatmeal, and palo verde leaves, and the colonies have gotten large and voraciously hungry. Last week I happened upon a patch of baby palo verde trees, growing in a semi-abandoned part of campus by one of the parking structures. This is a good find because I've been starting to feel a bit guilty about all of the leaves I'm stripping off of trees. I try to keep the damage to a minimum, so I usually have to do quite a bit of running around to find trees.
Anyhoo. For some reason the leafcutters were all a bit riled up (maybe it was the increase in temperature in our rearing room?), and it seems like more ants escaped than usual. Fortunately, leafcutters don't sting, but yesterday one managed to bite me on the belly, which was an unpleasant and startling surprise.
After all of that, I fed the seed-harvester queens that I have been watching intently over the past several days (only two more days to go, though--thank goodness) and I then proceeded to watch them for a good seven hours. Oh, and when that was done, I counted ant eggs. Just be glad if you never have to count ant eggs. They are tiny, of course, so I count them under a dissecting microscope, and the queens are pretty protective of their babies, so often when I'm in the middle of counting they will pick up the eggs and carry them to a safer spot. Needless to say, that makes counting more difficult. Although I have a fondness for tiny things, I think my eyes will be happy when I am finished watching ants.
I took some pictures of the whole business that I might try and upload in the next day or so--I know my mother will enjoy seeing all of it.
When all of that was finished, I went over to Four Peaks with the boys and met up with C, D, and E, who had been at the climbing gym (now we need to add someone with a first initial of F--I guess I could take B). When Four Peaks got old, we went back to my place (bouncy bouncy) and played Balderdash for a while. And the rest is history.
On Fridays, I usually feed and water all of my ant colonies--there are about 150 of them, not counting the new farms that I just started (there are 160 of those--no, wait--157 of them--three died). Feeding the leafcutters involves going on leaf-collecting reconnaisance missions around campus, because I feed them cornmeal, oatmeal, and palo verde leaves, and the colonies have gotten large and voraciously hungry. Last week I happened upon a patch of baby palo verde trees, growing in a semi-abandoned part of campus by one of the parking structures. This is a good find because I've been starting to feel a bit guilty about all of the leaves I'm stripping off of trees. I try to keep the damage to a minimum, so I usually have to do quite a bit of running around to find trees.
Anyhoo. For some reason the leafcutters were all a bit riled up (maybe it was the increase in temperature in our rearing room?), and it seems like more ants escaped than usual. Fortunately, leafcutters don't sting, but yesterday one managed to bite me on the belly, which was an unpleasant and startling surprise.
After all of that, I fed the seed-harvester queens that I have been watching intently over the past several days (only two more days to go, though--thank goodness) and I then proceeded to watch them for a good seven hours. Oh, and when that was done, I counted ant eggs. Just be glad if you never have to count ant eggs. They are tiny, of course, so I count them under a dissecting microscope, and the queens are pretty protective of their babies, so often when I'm in the middle of counting they will pick up the eggs and carry them to a safer spot. Needless to say, that makes counting more difficult. Although I have a fondness for tiny things, I think my eyes will be happy when I am finished watching ants.
I took some pictures of the whole business that I might try and upload in the next day or so--I know my mother will enjoy seeing all of it.
When all of that was finished, I went over to Four Peaks with the boys and met up with C, D, and E, who had been at the climbing gym (now we need to add someone with a first initial of F--I guess I could take B). When Four Peaks got old, we went back to my place (bouncy bouncy) and played Balderdash for a while. And the rest is history.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-08 04:30 pm (UTC)Sound crazy but also awesome.
I love that you do this stuff.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-08 10:34 pm (UTC)My cousin studies creepy crawly things but his studies involve things of the slithering nature.