And speaking of which, you guys won't believe
what I saw when I looked into Vortexia the next morning. Still no sign of leaf nests, and not much
has changed at the food station, but as I looked closer something peculiar caught my
eye in the shadows. What is that? OMG! Look who's decided to come out and play. It's an absolute pleasure to meet you, your
Royal Highness! Please SUBSCRIBE to my channel, and hit the
BELL icon. Welcome to the AC Family! Enjoy! The Canopy of Vortexia's rains greeted the
morning sun, refreshing the lands with a hydrating shower that I programmed in this fully-automated,
climate controlled setup and home to our new colony of Asian weaver ants. The water would make these tropical lands
wonderfully moist and humid for the ants, who by lifestyle, naturally live in these
tropical trees, like treetop amazons. Weaver ants are an arboreal species, native
to Southeast Asia where I currently live. But it seems all this wonderful humidity and
heat, has caused someone special to emerge out into the open for us, AC Family. A weaver ant queen. Isn't she just stunning? A worker tenderly begins to feed the queen
food stored in her social stomach. This is called trophallaxis. It's also how ants feed each other and distribute
food to all members of the colony, as you can see here. But look at how gorgeous this queen is, how
much bigger she is than the workers, and how spectacular her yellowish green colour is. We'll be able to get a better look at her
in a bit. I watched curiously as the queen began to
sort of tap her middle feet. What she's doing here, I have no idea. I'm sure Weaver Ant society and culture is
far more complex than we humans assume. And indeed, you guys are about to discover
just how incredible and intricate Weaver Ant Society actually is in this video today, as
well as how they deal with outside threats, but no spoilers! All of that craziness is coming up later,
so keep on watching until the end! But meanwhile, you may be asking yourself,
so is this the queen of our new weaver ant colony? Well, here's what I think. So in case you're just joining us, our weaver
ant colony of reportedly 500 workers or so in this container, is still in the process
of moving into this great terrarium we built in the past episode, an ant kingdom terrarium
we call the Canopy of Vortexia. It's a great space, perfectly designed for
the weaver ants, with lots of leaves for the ants to build their nests in. As a high tech climate controlled space which
matches conditions outside, it's outfitted with its own heating, lighting, and rain system. But I believe this queen here is not the official
queen of the colony, but rather a daughter of the main queen. Let's name her Princess Emeralda. Princess Emeralda is a virgin queen alate,
and the humid territories of Vortexia have likely caused her to emerge from the nest
in the container, as she probably thinks it's nuptial flight time, i.e. time to mate. Sorry Princess, not quite yet. But guys, little did I know, Princess Emeralda
here would be the one, to show us something totally amazing that I know you guys will
love! From within the shadows a worker emerges wandering
confidently across the Vortexian forest floor, where she is on the hunt for some food. She climbs the scattered moss beds and decaying
wood searching high and low for goodies the colony might need. Weaver ants, though nesting high up in the
trees, do spend a lot of time on the ground, as well, foraging for food, like insects or
small dead animals, or even sweets. This worker here will not stop until she finds
something of interest. The well being of her colony depends on her
persistence. Another crew of ants are busy searching the
mid-levels of the territories, in the areas where the light at the tree tops meet the
darkness of the forest floor. We can't leave any area unchecked now can
we? The workers use their antennae and their excellent
vision to locate food in their surroundings. I also think at this point the colony is still
mapping out the lands, as I imagine Vortexia is still largely unfamiliar territory. But this worker gains word of a party happening
just above the tree tops. High up on the feeding platform, a feast is
happening, as a crowd ants relish this sweet cup of honey-flavoured beetle jelly. They gorge themselves of this delectable jelly,
filling up their social stomachs so they can return to the main colony and start distributing
the food via trophallaxis. I just loved watching the workers tearing
at the jelly and indulging themselves on our food offering. Actually, this beetle jelly was supposed to
be a bribe to get the ants interested in moving into Vortexia and out of their current container. It was day two and the weaver ants still hadn't
moved in to Vortexia, creating their famous treetop leaf nests. I was just dying to see them create these
incredible nests, using silk produced by their larvae, as an adhesive to keep everything
sticking together. But from the looks of things, it did seem
like the ants were still in the scouting phase, shopping for ideal real estate before choosing
a location to officially move and start the nest construction. I was in no rush though, as I had decided
that it was best to allow the ants to move in on their own schedule, and it did seem
like the weaver ants were warming up to Vortexia quickly. I couldn't help but allow my imagination run
wild, guessing where in these territories the ants would eventually choose to build
their leaf nests. It seemed like anywhere here would have been
an ideal location, but I'm no weaver ant and I haven't the slightest clue as to how they
decide which leaf or branch is the "one", and what exactly they're looking for in an
ideal branch or grouping of leaves, but I knew they would eventually come to a collective
decision on the best location for their nest, and when they did, I was determined to film
the entire process! Which plant do you guys think they will nest
in? Leave your guesses in the comments, and we'll
see who's right! As for now, though, the ants seem to be super
territorial over their newfound beetle jelly sugar source, and the workers are well aware
of my presence whenever I come near! They have extraordinary vision, and are on
guard and ready with jaws open, antennae outstretched, and gaster cocked to spray formic acid should
I dare draw near. There, there, my lady! I won't hurt you nor touch your beetle jelly. Hehe. Oh, before I forget, guys, please take a moment
to vote in this poll here, for an official name for this weaver colony based on suggestions
provided by you, the AC Family in our last video. Thank you AC Council for your input. I'll be announcing their official name in
our next episode. Overall, I could sense that any day now, the
colony would be moving in sooner than we expect, and AC Family, that's exactly what ended up
happening, but not in the way that you nor I were thinking! I woke up before sunrise and returned to Vortexia
to check up on the weaver ants. Princess Emeralda was walking along one of
the rain pipes. I couldn't believe her beauty! Just look at how gorgeous and majestic she
was up close! She's an absolutely massive ant, at just under
an inch long. Though our princess here is a combination
of browns and greens, Asian weaver ants queens can actually vary in colour, from neon green,
to bright yellow, to brown, to even gorgeous hues of blues and reds. In my books, weaver ant queens are truly one
of the most beautiful queen ants in the world. But something seems to have captured our Princess'
attention? She smells something, something that is interesting
her greatly. She makes a U-turn and starts heading in the
opposite direction, guided by an entourage of workers, who seem to be urging her somewhere. Hmmm... something is up. The ants seem to be acting a bit strange. What on earth are they doing? I felt as though something was about to happen. Something big! I noticed some of the ants moved around quickly
as if they were extra excited about something. Ok...? Now AC Family, are you ready for this? I looked around the territories carefully,
trying to see if there was anything new, anything different or out of the ordinary, and soon
I was quite surprised to notice this here. There! It was a grouping of weaver ants. OMG! No way! Could this be happening? I believe the weaver ants have officially
chosen a spot to nest build! Yes! The ants were in the process of moving in! Now I wasn't 100% sure about this, but it
did look like the ants were pretty fond of this sheltered area between the leaves of
this Schefflera plant! Alright, AC Family, this was about to get
really interesting! I also noticed that ants were traveling to
this sheltered site from other areas of the territories, which were great signs that this
site was a place of great interest. It seemed like some ants volunteered to be
living markers, ushers standing in place to help guide traffic of ants that I assumed
would be coming when the move was well under way. Some ants were traveling back to the colony
in the container probably in hopes to convince the rest of the colony that "Hey, guys, you
gotta trust me on this! We've found the perfect spot to build our
new home! Pick up the kids, inform the queen, and let's
move out!" Perhaps easier said than done, though, because
for a move to officially happen, it would take at least a considerable handful of ants
to agree to the moving campaign, and eventually win over the majority of the colony before
any move happens. But when I looked back at the site, look who
had showed us that she had cast her vote on the moving issue! It seems the ants had convinced Princess Emeralda,
that this was going to be the site of their future home. OMG! I was so excited! Princess Emeralda's presence here told me
that for sure this was a chosen site to build their weaver ant leaf nest! So cool! And suddenly, there was a rumbling in the
lands. Wait a sec! Oh no! The morning Vortex rains had arrived in Vortexia! I was so scared these rains were going to
freak the ants out and make the ants change their mind or deter them from initiating their
great move! I watched the ants religiously until the rains
came to an end. And just like that, the rain ceased, and the
ants seemingly unphased, began to clean themselves. OK, this was good. It seems the ants weren't deterred by the
rains, and though the lands were a bit wet, I guess they were used to the rain by now. It's actually rainy season currently where
I live, so these ants should feel right at home in it, but just in case, if they were
to move in today, I decided to program the next rains to skip the night, and I rescheduled
for their next Vortex to arrive tomorrow instead. Oh, I just couldn't wait to finally see these
weaver ants build their long awaited leaf nests! But AC Family, I was certainly not prepared
to see what I saw next, and guys, I hate to say this but it's not good news! Little did I know, up ahead, I was about to
do the craziest thing I've ever had to do in the history of the Antiverse! Brace yourselves, AC Family, desperate times
call for desperate measures. Later that afternoon, I visited Vortexia to
check up on the ants. Had they moved in yet? No. The small group was still camped out but there
was no huge colony moving in from the container. It was then that a tiny movement caught my
eye. Wait a sec! What was that? Was that what I thought it was? No, it couldn't be. I must be dreaming. We got rid of the pharaoh ants' mother nest
a long time ago and removed them from the Ant Room. It was then that my camera caught sight of
a pharaoh ant climbing its way up the beetle jelly cup. What?! I couldn't believe my eyes! A Pharaoh ant came to drink from the jelly! And soon another appeared on the scene. They were pharaoh ant scouts! They must have broken in to claim the sweet
beetle jelly and the entire Canopy of Vortexia. In case you don't know these pharaoh ants,
they are the thieves and murderers of the Ant Room, with a tendency to kill and conquer
entire ant kingdoms, as we saw in a video two weeks ago, with a particular taste for
new and emerging ant colonies. The pharaoh ants were quick to evade on coming
weaver ants, but I could tell the weaver ants could sense there were intruders in their
midst, and they began to patrol the area. And soon it wasn't long before the weaver
ants finally discovered the pharaoh ant's presence. There! The weaver ant took a quick bite and immediately
communicated to her sisters that there were indeed trespassers. And at second contact, the weaver ant ferociously
slashed her mandibles, taking powerful bites at the smaller pharaoh ant. These weaver ants weren't going to allow pharaoh
ants to steal their jelly. The pharaoh ants scurried about in a panic,
but I knew inside, from past experience with these nefarious trespassers, it was only a
matter of time before these scouts would be returning to their supercolony and inviting
a huge pharaoh ant swarm to conquer these lands. I just could not let this happen! Not to our beloved new weaver ants. They were just about to claim these territories
theirs! This was a bad time for a pharaoh ant invasion. And sure enough, upon closer inspection more
and more pharaoh ant scouts had already infiltrated Vortexia! This was such bad news! Although it seemed the weaver ants could effectively
defend their jelly and territory now, I don't think this would hold true once the pharaoh
ant swarm arrives. The weaver ants needed its full armed forces
to take on the arrival of a mass pharaoh ant invasion which I knew was eminent! And it seemed as though the weaver ants were
truly taking their time to move in, which could be super dangerous seeing as if the
pharaoh ants were to arrive in swarms and conquer these lands before the Weaver Ants
settle in, not only would the weaver ants lose this lush territory and source of nourishment,
but they'd also be in danger of becoming food to the pharaoh ants! I just couldn't let this happen! And so AC Family, I had no choice, but to
make the toughest decision of my life, and resort to something extreme that I knew was
physically dangerous and just all around hazardous. Desperate times call for desperate measures,
AC Family! I waited for the dark of night. This was going to be the craziest thing I've
ever done in my life! I looked up at the container containing some
500 aggressive weaver ants. This was going to be the craziest thing I've
ever done in my life! I put on my protective gloves. This was going to be the craziest thing I've
ever done in my life! I detached the tube from the container and
plugged both openings with cotton. This was going to be the craziest thing I've
ever done in my life! All for the war against these pharaoh ants! I looked at the Canopy of Vortexia, and unlocked
the front panels of the territories to open it up! My God! This was going to be the craziest thing I've
ever done in my life! I unlocked the container, one side and then
other, and then all was set! It was time! This was the craziest thing I've ever done
in my life! 1 - 2 - 3! I popped open the container and with the help
of a friend, threw all its contents into Vortexia as quickly as I could! They came pouring out, and to my surprise
there weren't just 500 workers! The colony was easily a couple thousands! I shut the door, trying to ignore the excruciating
pain of stinging weaver ants all over my arms! I turned the key to lock the weaver ants in. It was a painful venture, but before I knew
it, they were in! Thousands of weaver ants scrambled up the
vines and spread out into the dense expanse and foliage of Vortexia. I was awestruck watching them carpet all landmarks
of what was now going to officially be their kingdom! I stood speechless at the sight and couldn't
look away as the mighty weaver ants rushed all areas of Vortexian territory. It was a marvelous sight to behold, seeing
all the weaver ants filling the territories. But what I saw next, truly moved my soul. Look! A pupa! The ants have started to move in the brood,
which means tonight, AC Family, the weaver ants begin the official move and construction
of a leaf nest! At last! This was going to be epic! AC Family, it's all just crazy! Did you enjoy today's Part 2 of our Weaver
Ant Trilogy celebration of 3 million subs? Guys, the weaver ants are finally going to
be constructing their leaf nests in next week's episode and you surely won't want to miss
how cool the entire process is! So be sure to smash that SUBSCRIBE button
and BELL ICON for notifications now so you don't miss out on this continuing ant story! And don't forget to hit the LIKE button every
single time, including now! It would really help a lot! Speaking of ants, it's officially nuptial
flight season in the Northern Hemisphere, and a lot of you are catching queen ants now,
and in case you didn't know, we've got all the top of the line ant keeping gear for you
ant keepers at all levels from beginner to advanced, as well as a tonne of new and exciting
products for the ant keeping community not available anywhere else, so head on over to
AntsCanada.com, and browse through our shop. We ship worldwide, and offer full email support
if you need us. We also have ant colonies with a queen available
in most regions. We also have ant colonies with a queen available
in most regions so go check us out and pick up your ant farm kit and ant gear today! If you're new to the channel, and want to
catch up on all your AntsCanada Lore, feel free to binge watch this complete story line
playlist here, which traces the origins of all the ant colonies of the ant room, so you
can follow their stories and better appreciate how these ant kingdoms came to be, and why
we love them so much! AC Inner Colony, I have left a hidden cookie
for you here, if you'd like to see a hidden teaser video of next week's episode, scenes
of the ants exploring Vortexia for the first time! It will blow your mind guys so do check out
that hidden video! And now it's time for the AC Question of the
Week! Last week we asked: What do weaver ants use to glue leaves
together when making their leaf nests? Congratulations to MegAnt_lover who correctly
answered: They use the silk from their larvae. Congratulations, MegAnt_lover, you just won
a free e-book handbook from our shop! In this week's AC Question of the Week, we
ask: What colour can a weaver ant queen be? Leave your answer in the comments section
and you could also win a free e-book handbook from our shop! Hope you can subscribe to the channel as we
upload every Saturday at 8AM EST. Please remember to LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE, and
SUBSCRIBE if you enjoyed this video to help us keep making more. It's ant love forever!
