Huge Camponotus colony escaped overnight?? How?

[antagonbosk]

I'm really baffled on this one and I need feedback on how this happened...

I had a thriving nest of camponotus wood ants housed in 3 connected hybrid AntsCanada nests (about 1,000 strong at least, tons of eggs and healthy queen), all securely connected together to an outworld (another product of AntsCanada). I'm a very experienced ant keeper, so I have seen nests escape before and found the reasons. Ants are really amazing on how quickly they can relocate. However, this one I cannot figure out.

Had them in this set up for at least a year. All going good this spring after taking them out of hibernation. Thriving and all normal - maybe a little overpopulated so I was considering expanding. Then one day I walked into my ant room, and wow.... they had all disappeared overnight. I checked all connections (connector tubes, water test tubes, air plugs, etc.) all secure. Checked outworld lid - firmly secured and shut, and I never had an issue of swarming ants crossing a vaseline barrier around the lip of the lid. Checked all the glass covers on the hybrid nests, all lying flat, no debris pushed in to create a gap or such. After looking at the entire nest and finding nothing, I carefully took apart everything, and again found no signs of defects, openings, cracks, anything.....

How could they magically disappear???? Any thoughts? Has anyone experienced something similar?

Antagon

[antperson24]

I'm really baffled on this one and I need feedback on how this happened...

I had a thriving nest of camponotus wood ants housed in 3 connected hybrid AntsCanada nests (about 1,000 strong at least, tons of eggs and healthy queen), all securely connected together to an outworld (another product of AntsCanada). I'm a very experienced ant keeper, so I have seen nests escape before and found the reasons. Ants are really amazing on how quickly they can relocate. However, this one I cannot figure out.

Had them in this set up for at least a year. All going good this spring after taking them out of hibernation. Thriving and all normal - maybe a little overpopulated so I was considering expanding. Then one day I walked into my ant room, and wow.... they had all disappeared overnight. I checked all connections (connector tubes, water test tubes, air plugs, etc.) all secure. Checked outworld lid - firmly secured and shut, and I never had an issue of swarming ants crossing a vaseline barrier around the lip of the lid. Checked all the glass covers on the hybrid nests, all lying flat, no debris pushed in to create a gap or such. After looking at the entire nest and finding nothing, I carefully took apart everything, and again found no signs of defects, openings, cracks, anything.....

How could they magically disappear???? Any thoughts? Has anyone experienced something similar?

Antagon

Does the outworld have substrate in it?

[antagonbosk]

Very little... some sand and mostly gravel for easier cleaning. No room for them to hide

[antperson24]

Very little... some sand and mostly gravel for easier cleaning. No room for them to hide

Wow, that really weird. Could you send a picture of the setup?

[Nate515]

I'm a total noob but I like to investigate (love a good mystery) as well if I may. Do you got a picture of your setup that you can post here?

Without seeing a picture, my thoughts:

1. Are you certain they disappear all in one night? Like you saw them Monday and they're all gone Tuesday (for example) ?

2. A cat or person tampering with your hobby while you weren't looking?

3. You don't notice any signs like bug body parts or substrate around the enclosures? Have you checked to see where they could've gone if they did escape? Hanging around the basement etc?

4. I'm questioning if there is indeed any crack(s). Wish I was there!

[Nate515]

There's a guy in a post (not on here) that said his carpenter ants I believe, he had to make sure to feed them often or else he notes that they charge the barrier he makes and desperately tries to get out. He said he had to reapply his barrier almost every week. You do got a thousand ants as you said, that's a lot of ants charging at your Vaseline barrier....

Again, no pictures so that's just pondering.

[antagonbosk]

Thanks for the replies. Sorry I have no pictures and had disassembled it all to clean. I do have a crazy cat, but she is to lazy to mess with ants . May had been more than a day than last seeing them. I don't always stay consistent on feedings - so I'm thinking they pushed thru under the lid of outworld.

Antagon

[antperson24]

Thanks for the replies. Sorry I have no pictures and had disassembled it all to clean. I do have a crazy cat, but she is to lazy to mess with ants . May had been more than a day than last seeing them. I don't always stay consistent on feedings - so I'm thinking they pushed thru under the lid of outworld.

Antagon

Were you using AC plugs? Camponotus can chew through those if they really want to.

[antagonbosk]

Yes I had some AC plugs. Everything was secure and i didn't see any defects. There were no openings.

[Dghergejg456]

I am not a very experienced ant keeper but I have some suggestions.

Do you have a garden or backyard or some sort?
The ants may have relocated there, you should go check it.

Also, have you seen any colonies of wild ants in your home or near it? They could have attacked the colony, although it is unlikely that a colony of this size will be killed in a day.

Try to look for any clues of them.

Did you notice any abnormal behaviour of them before they disappeared?

Hope this helps!