Before you start reading this post, make sure you have checked the most recent post on this colony https://ants853.com/2020/03/06/weaver-ants-and-the-calm-before-the-storm/

Two weeks ago, I felt something was about to happen, as the colony displays more and more confidence on their outside foraging.

I woke up one day and for the first time ever, I managed to catch them on the early beginning of weaving a new nest. It is their 5th nest. Here if the overall look of the lemon tree. They moved closer towards the window.

Its a quite simple nest. It is a single leaf folded inwards. Relatively to its size, I would say its is slightly smaller than the 4th nest.









And something really interesting happened, which I have read before, is that these ants will conserve dried up insects inside their nests, for future consumption by the larvae. And while they were moving in and out of the old nest into the new one, they suddenly brought out a dead roach ! and took it all the way into the new nest!







After few hours 4th nest was abandoned and all cleaned out. Loads of debris from within, dropped onto the lower leaves.





They seem quite a bit more active on their new nest now. And of course, I had to feed them!







One awkward observation during this past week.

I am not sure what this is, but the worker was pulling a sort of silk from the mealybug. I am not sure if the mealybug died, or what was that… I have been watching it, and still seems normal, so I am not sure.

On the last update of this post, I got a new plant with more honeydew insects, and these are confirmed to be ants friends as well as lemon tree parasites. They are called Ceroplastes rusci, or wax scales. Right now they are on a fig tree, and soon I will find a way to make a connection between the small fig tree and the lemon tree. I am not sure if will ever be able to remove these wax scale insects into the lemon tree or not.

Have you ever seen anything like this before?! 😀

What do you think of all of this? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section!! And I would truly appreciate if you could follow the blog if you enjoy the content and the weekly posts!

Well, this is all for this week’s updates! Thank you for taking the time to read the posts and see you in two weeks!