Camponotus japonicus small colony keep getting smaller

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zoolantz
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Camponotus japonicus small colony keep getting smaller

Post: # 34439Post zoolantz
Sun Mar 11, 2018 7:13 pm

:cry:

Received a gel farm with a Camponotus japonicus colony consisted of one queen and 15 worker ants. After some accidents and experimentation with feeding live insects, I’m down to just 4 worker ants. In the mean while, the queen continue to lay eggs, but none grew up. They ended up dying on their own or eaten (I suspect).

Is this my fault or the gel farm’s? What should I do to not only save this colony but to grow it? Put them in a test tube setup? What do I feed them? Especially the larvae?

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antnest8
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Re: Camponotus japonicus small colony keep getting smaller

Post: # 34446Post antnest8
Mon Mar 12, 2018 5:32 am

the gel farm is most likely the reason why the eggs died. even though you might of killed a few

gel farms are not the best ant farms out there and are designed to keep only worker ants and no queen
Some of My Informative Sheets
https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=19099
Includes :
  • Ant Care Sheets
    Queen Hunting
    How To Identify Ants
Goal is to become #2 poster on the forum

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zoolantz
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Re: Camponotus japonicus small colony keep getting smaller

Post: # 34479Post zoolantz
Tue Mar 13, 2018 9:20 pm

Why is that? If gel farm is the problem, then I better get my tiny colony a new home.

I don’t know if I can put these mature (I assume) worker ants and queen ant into a tube setup. Feels wrong to put them into such a confined space with nowhere to go.

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antnest8
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Re: Camponotus japonicus small colony keep getting smaller

Post: # 34487Post antnest8
Wed Mar 14, 2018 1:52 pm

you can make an out world from a Tupperware container easily. then you can snap the lid on or put a barrier then they can live in the test tube and explore the out world.
Some of My Informative Sheets
https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=19099
Includes :
  • Ant Care Sheets
    Queen Hunting
    How To Identify Ants
Goal is to become #2 poster on the forum

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