Journal

10-07-2025 20:43

observation

Caught her on the pavement after the flight, wings still on. Into a test tube with water behind cotton, in a dark cupboard.

13-07-2025 21:28

observation

Wings off. She has walled herself in behind the cotton plug, so from here it is hands off until there are workers.

17-07-2025 22:13

eggs

First eggs — a clutch of about ten, tucked under her head.

05-08-2025 20:18

larvae

Larvae. The clutch has turned into a slowly moving pile.

24-08-2025 21:02

pupae

Pupae, pale and stiff. Egg to worker takes six to eight weeks at 24 °C, so this is on schedule.

09-09-2025 19:19

new workers

Three nanitics. The first workers are always undersized — she fed them from her own flight muscles.

11-09-2025 22:27

feeding

First feeding: a drop of honey water on foil. Two of them found it within the hour.

15-09-2025 18:05

feeding

Honey water and half a mealworm. The worm was stripped by morning.

20-09-2025 20:44

observation

The second batch of eggs is bigger than the first. She is being fed now, so that makes sense.

21-09-2025 17:37

hydration

Refilled the water reservoir.

21-09-2025 19:28

feeding

Fruit fly, freshly killed. Carried in whole.

25-09-2025 20:17

feeding

Sugar water on cotton. Three of them stayed on it for an hour.

26-09-2025 22:39

cleaning

Cleared the rubbish heap and wiped the outworld.

29-09-2025 19:51

feeding

Two small mealworms; one went straight to the brood chamber.

01-10-2025 17:35

hydration

Damp end was drying out; topped it up through the side hole.

03-10-2025 22:06

feeding

Cricket leg. Too big, in hindsight — half of it ended up on the heap.

08-10-2025 20:16

feeding

Honey water. Quiet feeding, most of them stayed inside.

10-10-2025 19:14

cleaning

Outworld cleaned; leftovers were starting to smell.

11-10-2025 17:45

hydration

Water reservoir refilled and the sponge in the outworld rinsed.

12-10-2025 17:24

feeding

Mealworm, cut open. That gets eaten twice as fast as a whole one.

12-10-2025 17:55

new workers

The second batch has hatched. The tube is starting to look busy.

16-10-2025 17:41

feeding

Fruit flies from the culture. Four went in, none came out.

20-10-2025 22:35

feeding

Sugar water and a drop of protein jelly. The jelly was ignored again.

21-10-2025 17:29

hydration

Small refill. The nest holds moisture better since the cover went on.

25-10-2025 21:58

feeding

Mealworm. Trail across the outworld within minutes this time.

26-10-2025 18:57

cleaning

Rubbish heap out, glass wiped, escape barrier re-oiled.

29-10-2025 21:43

hydration

Refilled the water reservoir.

31-10-2025 20:42

feeding

Honey water and half a mealworm. The worm was stripped by morning.

01-11-2025 22:49

observation

Into the wine cooler at 8 °C for the winter. No food, just a damp sponge and the dark.

20-02-2026 20:46

observation

Out of the cooler. Slow for about a week, and then everything at once: eggs within days.

25-02-2026 21:18

feeding

Fruit fly, freshly killed. Carried in whole.

01-03-2026 18:09

feeding

Sugar water on cotton. Three of them stayed on it for an hour.

01-03-2026 18:27

hydration

Damp end was drying out; topped it up through the side hole.

01-03-2026 22:50

cleaning

Cleaned out the remains of last week's mealworms.

07-03-2026 20:32

moving

Moved them into a small Ytong nest, one damp end and one dry. Left the tube connected; the brood was carried over in two days.

08-03-2026 18:46

feeding

Two small mealworms; one went straight to the brood chamber.

11-03-2026 22:34

hydration

Water reservoir refilled and the sponge in the outworld rinsed.

14-03-2026 18:44

feeding

Cricket leg. Too big, in hindsight — half of it ended up on the heap.

17-03-2026 20:07

cleaning

Cleared the rubbish heap and wiped the outworld.

20-03-2026 17:44

feeding

Honey water. Quiet feeding, most of them stayed inside.

20-03-2026 20:11

hydration

Small refill. The nest holds moisture better since the cover went on.

25-03-2026 18:05

new workers

Counted about 12 workers. The nest is filling up faster than it did last month.

26-03-2026 18:04

feeding

Mealworm, cut open. That gets eaten twice as fast as a whole one.

29-03-2026 18:00

hydration

Refilled the water reservoir.

29-03-2026 21:09

observation

They have picked the damp chamber for the brood and turned the dry one into a rubbish heap. Exactly the way the guide says.

31-03-2026 17:54

feeding

Fruit flies from the culture. Four went in, none came out.

31-03-2026 18:13

cleaning

Outworld cleaned; leftovers were starting to smell.

06-04-2026 17:49

feeding

Sugar water and a drop of protein jelly. The jelly was ignored again.

08-04-2026 21:55

hydration

Damp end was drying out; topped it up through the side hole.

12-04-2026 19:20

feeding

Mealworm. Trail across the outworld within minutes this time.

Kitchen shelf

Growth