There's something about ant keeping that really feels like having a God's eye perspective.
An ant keeper has the unique opportunity to watch and nurture a contained world from its
humble beginnings, and grow that world into something magnificent, fruitful, and abundant
over time.
This has been my experience as keeper of the Hacienda Del Dorado, the home of our Golden
Empire, our epic colony of Yellow Crazy Ants, and my, has this world evolved!
Today we take a look at what was once just a terrarium for an ant colony and see how
it has completely progressed into a crazy new world of various creatures and vegetation,
previously unseen, which have all become amazingly interdependent on one another.
You will be shocked to meet some of our new inhabitants!
We will also watch what happens when we create a mini storm inside this world.
How will they deal with this natural event?
And finally, I have some exciting news about the Golden Empire, so keep on watching until
the end!
AC Family, let's revisit these lush Golden Empire territories as we explore the Hacienda
Del Dorado like we've never seen it before, in this episode of the AntsCanada Ant Channel.
Please SUBSCRIBE to my channel, and hit the bell icon.
Welcome to the AC Family!
Enjoy!
Remember what it looked like when we first constructed the Hacienda Del Dorado, this
75 gallon terrarium designed to house our Golden Empire?
It was pristine, aesthetically pleasing to the human eye, and orderly.
Well, almost 2 and a half months later this pristine ant estate, has developed quite interestingly
into a lush, untamed world of thriving plants and animals.
Let's take a look at the Hacienda Del Dorado today.
First, the plants that were planted have all grown and changed.
The Airplants are still in tact but have shifted positions slightly.
The bonzai trees have killed off some branches, perhaps due to the growing aphid colonies
that have seemed to spring out of nowhere.
I plan on planting new bonzai trees if these bonzai trees ever come close to completely
dying out.
The ants still don't seem to be farming and milking the aphids but as seen in a previous
video, the ants have learned to lick the leaves of the sweet honeydew the aphids excrete and
leave behind.
This makes the aphids and the ants allies, as the aphids produce food for the ants, and
the ants provide the aphids with protection from their predators.
What predators you ask?
Well, take a look here.
This ant is carrying the carcass of a lady beetle.
Surprisingly, every now and then I will find lady beetles like this inside the Hacienda
Del Dorado, which I assume try to grab some of the Golden Empire's livestock like prowling
hungry wolves.
I don't know how they get in, but they are no match for our Golden Empire who protect
their livestock aggressively.
And I was thinking: Shall we name this aphid colony that the Golden Empire protect and
cherish?
Leave your name suggestions for these aphid allies in the comments section!
Our ficus plant has grown so much and has completely taken over the back and center
of the Hacienda Del Dorado, creating a dense forest blanketing all driftwood, rocks and
decorations in its vicinity.
I love the colours of the leaves and the way in which the vines crawl over everything!
The ficus forest creates an awesome shelter for the Golden Empire.
But as far as plants go, I think the most successful plant in the Hacienda Del Dorado
is our blue fern.
As mentioned in a previous video, ferns generally are amazing terrarium plants because they
easily thrive under a variety of conditions, especially in terrariums.
This blue fern has crept its fingers and tendrils to unoccupied areas of the Hacienda Del Dorado,
growing happily in soils which are unfavourable for most other plants.
But let's meet our very first new comer!
This mysterious plant here, an apro plant, has sprouted seemingly out of nowhere.
On the night of the Hacienda Del Dorado's creation, I originally tried to insert an
apro plant but later decided the plant created too much vegetation density in the setup,
so I ended up removing it from the estate.
In doing so, however, a few little twigs must have fallen off, and these little twigs went
on to grow into a forest of their own, which now tower high along the back and eastern
part of the Hacienda Del Dorado.
And also, this thriving Apro forest is so fast growing, I need to cut it back every
7 days to keep it from growing up past the baby powder barrier, which poses an escape
hazzard if the Golden Empire ever decides to use it as a bridge out of the Haceinda
Del Dorado.
I feel it adds a cool dimension to the Hacienda Del Dorado, and the Golden Empire seems to
like it, so I welcome the Apro Forest's sudden appearance.
Now AC Family, are you ready to see something really cool?
Let's have a look at some other welcome and interesting newcomers to these barbaric lands!
If we take a look at the Golden Empire's garbage site, which as you can see is littered still
with Fire Nation alates which still manage to get trapped into the Hacienda Del Dorado,
you will notice tiny little creatures.
These creatures are called Springtails, organisms belonging to the subclass Collembola, which
are not considered insects but they are hexapods.
But what is amazing is that these springtails work together with the Golden Empire cooperatively.
The Golden Empire provides the Springtails with garbage which decays and provides food
for the Springtails.
Additionally, Various molds and fungi grow on the Golden Empire's garbage which the Springtails
also love.
In return, the Springtails act as the Golden Empire's clean up crews, eating up all the
bad stuff that can endanger the ant colony.
These springtails move freely above and below the soil, eating all that decaying and molding
material.
I have no idea where these springtails came from, but I am assuming their ancestors came
with some of the soil or the decor that was used for the Hacienda Del Dorado.
I love that these Springtails are here!
Shall we name them, too AC Family?
Leave your suggestions in the comments section for a name for this clean up crew!
It is amazing what other creatures seem to appear inside this contained community.
I have also seen a spider and a miniature forest cricket wandering these untamed lands,
seemingly living among the Golden Empire.
I wasn't quick enough to grab my camera to film them, but it is amazing to think that
the Golden Empire is living among other animals.
Again, I don't know how these extra animals got into the Hacienda Del Dorado in the first
place, but I am assuming they either entered with the decor, soil, or simply managed to
get into my condo and enter through the terrarium roof.
For those of you wanting to try something similar at home, I feel a great part of the
success of our terrarium here is attributed to the lighting.
Aside from the artificial incadescent and flourescent lighting, all the plants get full
sunlight for a few hours every morning.
So, if you are thinking of creating your own thriving community of animals and plants,
make sure your lighting is ample.
If your plants thrive, the rest of your community will also thrive.
Before we continue, what other creatures do you think we should add to this thriving community?
I have created a poll here with some suggested organisms that I think would benefit the Hacienda
Del Dorado.
AC Council, please take a few moments to click and vote and I'll try my best to find some
to add to this community.
So moving on to perhaps the most impressive element of these worlds, our Golden Empire
who is constantly changing the shape and landscape of the Hacienda Del Dorado.
Every few days they are redesigning their underground castles, creating the most impressive
ant hills, as they excavate their tunnels grain by grain.
Have a look at them working.
They're so busy all the time, around the clock.
All is pristine and seemingly perfect, problem-free, and partnerships working well.
But now it's time to shake things up a little, AC Family.
Whenever it rains here in the Philippines where I live, I make sure to create a storm
in the Hacienda Del Dorado, and tonight, the Hacienda Del Dorado is due for their next
tempest!
Time to make it rain!
Watch what happens.
The falling water completely washes away the surface work of the ants, tunnels and ant
hills collapse.
All the ants' work washed away with the storm.
The Golden Empire acts quickly, and instinctively starts relocating the young to drier areas.
Workers dash in various direction attempting to coordinate the colony's next moves.
It looks like chaos has broken loose.
If you're watching this feeling bad for these ants, don't worry.
The Golden Empire is perfectly adapted to deal with rains, as ants have been dealing
with rains for millions of years.
In just a few short hours, the ants rebuild their structures, and what's surprising is
due to the new moisture, the tunnels are stronger and the ant hills can be built higher.
The Golden Empire benefits from these regular storms, because the young need that humidity
underground.
The water also forms droplets on the leaves of the plants which the ants drink safely.
All the native vegetation in the Hacienda Del Dorado drink this water and thereby offer
greater humidity within the terrarium due to transpiration.
The plants then grow on to create more shelter for the colony, as well as feed the aphids
which in turn feed the ants, and help feed the molds and fungi which feed the springtails,
which clean up after the ants.
Without these regular storms, the entire Hacienda Del Dorado would falter and become a wasteland.
I notice that after these periodic storms, the ants seem to have much more vigor in their
day to day activities.
Water brings life to the Hacienda Del Dorado in so many ways.
AC Family, and now I have some exciting news to share with you.
Let's feed the Golden Empire a cockroach and see if you notice anything.
Dropping the cockroach here among the ferns.
It isn't long before some workers find it and tell the rest of the colony.
And before long, the cockroach is covered in a blanket of Golden Empire ants.
Now as they carry our cockroach offering away, do you guys notice anything?
Look closely.
Well, in case you haven't caught it yet, it is with great joy that I announce that our
Golden Empire is officially free of mites.
For those who might be new to the channel, it has been over 3 and a half months since
our Golden Empire has been dealing with a terrible mite infestation!
We first spotted these body mites on January 1st of this year and learned from some mite
experts that the mites weren't blood-sucking the ants, but were in a phoretic life stage
where they were hitching rides on our ants but were still posing a danger to the colony.
We tried lemon therapy, moved them into this more natural setup, and also added healthy
members to their colony.
I am not sure what it was that finally got rid of the mites, but it seems the phoretic
mites found the conditions favourable enough to proceed to their next life stage and detach
themselves from our ants to live their normal lives eating the ants' garbage!
Isn't that amazing news, AC Fam?
I think so!
So, although the Hacienda Del Dorado, our ant terrarium here isn't as nice-looking as
it used to be, I actually don't mind at all, because the entire community has seemed to
take on a cool life of its own.
And it got me thinking, what is more important in the end?
A design that works naturally, organically, and in perfect harmony between all members
inhabiting a given land, or a design that we humans see as fit, where our needs are
the priority and not so much other life around us?
Which design do you think will stand the test of geological time?
AC Family, this is AntsCanada signing out.
It's ant love forever.
Woah!
Mind-blown yet, guys?
Thanks for watching another ant video.
It truly means a lot to me!
For you AC Inner Colony members I have placed a hidden cookie for you here, if you would
just like to watch extended play footage of the Hacienda Del Dorado today to some relaxing
music and nature sounds.
Enjoy the ant watching, guys!
And now it's time for the AC Question of the Week!
Last week we asked:
What is the name of an ant's waist segment?
Congratulations to EVroolz 1 who correctly answered the Petiole.
Congratulations EVroolz 1 you just won a free ant t-shirt from our shop!
For this week's AC Question of the week, we ask:
Explain how any two living things, either plants or animals, benefit each other within
the Hacienda Del Dorado.
Leave your answer in the comments section and you could win, a free AC Test Tube portal
from our shop!
Perfect for those of you with starting ant colonies for transferring your colonies to
new test tubes, or providing your new colonies with a mini outworld.
Hope you can SUBSCRIBE to the channel and join our awesome AC family, as we upload a
new ant video every Saturday at 8AM EST.
We marvel at the lives of ants every week, learn cool things, and just enjoy ant keeping
together!
Please LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE this video if you enjoyed it.
It's ant love forever!