Found a queen in rough shape, can I fix this?

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Formicine
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2017 1:00 am
Location: Nevada

Found a queen in rough shape, can I fix this?

Post: # 34803Post Formicine
Mon Apr 02, 2018 12:07 pm

I found a queen in a place where I'm pretty sure she was exposed to pesticides, so I took her home and tried googling how to help her, but all I get are search results about how best to kill ants...
After that I remembered that episode of House M.D. where he treats a cricket that was contaminated with pesticides with baking soda.
The baking soda I folded into a moist piece of paper towel, then put her on the towel, and kept her warm in my hand. This treatment, and a bit of heat brought her from a twitchy barely moving death pose to legs spread out, and moving, but she's on her back, and when I flip her over she doesn't stand up.
Does anyone have any tricks on how to treat this queen? I was thinking of either doing a second attempt with the baking soda, or moistening a little piece of paper towel with lemon juice, and putting that near her.
Come on Ant Peeps, help me out!
If it helps, I'm 90% sure she's Camponotus Vicinus.

Formicine
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2017 1:00 am
Location: Nevada

Re: Found a queen in rough shape, can I fix this?

Post: # 34805Post Formicine
Mon Apr 02, 2018 2:03 pm

Update:
Put her in a small container (film container size) with another piece of moist paper towel with baking soda folded in. I stuck that to the side of the container, then got a tiny slice of lemon rind with barely any lemon on it and put that next to her.
She's standing finally! Well, just standing on the lemon... When she's on the plastic parts of the container, her legs fold inward...
If this works, I'm gonna be really impressed.
Will update again if she gets better or worse.
WISH ME LUCK!
As TV doctors would say, "She's in God's hands now..."

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antnest8
Posts: 1438
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2018 2:11 pm
Location: Detroit, MI

Re: Found a queen in rough shape, can I fix this?

Post: # 34806Post antnest8
Mon Apr 02, 2018 2:27 pm

i hope she lives i am already impressed at the shape you got here in now. even more impressed if she raises a colony
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

Formicine
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2017 1:00 am
Location: Nevada

Re: Found a queen in rough shape, can I fix this?

Post: # 34814Post Formicine
Mon Apr 02, 2018 5:41 pm

Update 2: She crawled on my hand, which is nuts. She was basically dead when I found her last night, and now I have her in a test tube setup. I had to use a piece of paper towel for her to hold onto, since her feet can't seem to stick to the glass, even just to hold herself up. Either way, I'm gonna let her rest a while in there and hopefully I can give her some honey tomorrow.
The thing I'm noticing is that warmth allows her to use her legs more. When she gets cold, her legs curl inward like she's dying.
I think putting baking soda in the test tube setup would NOT be a good idea though. I think it could cause CO2 to build up, and that would definitely be the end of this queen. Hopefully a sterile environment will get her to where she needs to be.
I'll continue to update as events unfold.

Comnav24
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2018 4:18 pm
Location: Reno, Nevada

Re: Found a queen in rough shape, can I fix this?

Post: # 34819Post Comnav24
Mon Apr 02, 2018 7:28 pm

Very interested in how this turns out =)

Formicine
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2017 1:00 am
Location: Nevada

Re: Found a queen in rough shape, can I fix this?

Post: # 34857Post Formicine
Wed Apr 04, 2018 12:59 pm

This isn't good. She was standing yesterday, and now she's back in the curled posture... Her front legs and antennae are still moving, and now I don't know what my next step should be.
Should I go back to the baking soda?
Add a tiny slice of lemon to her test tube?
Both?
Touch a tiny drop of honey to her mouth?
Does anyone have an idea I could try?
For now, I'm going to do the baking soda treatment, and see if that helps her improve like the last time I used it.

Formicine
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2017 1:00 am
Location: Nevada

Re: Found a queen in rough shape, can I fix this?

Post: # 34861Post Formicine
Wed Apr 04, 2018 1:34 pm

I tried.
The baking soda didn't help at all today.
Extra warmth just got her to shake a little.
I think it's time for the freezer, since I've heard that's the most humane way to put down an ant.
After yesterday, I thought it was just a matter of time for her to recover.

An important note: if the ant is improving, don't stop the treatment until she's all better.
I think if I would have done the baking soda yesterday, and added a slice of lemon to the test tube setup, things might have gone differently.
Hopefully this helps someone.

AntsInSpace
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2018 11:01 am
Location: SA

Re: Found a queen in rough shape, can I fix this?

Post: # 34893Post AntsInSpace
Fri Apr 06, 2018 10:53 am

(Edited) Darn what a sad yet beautiful story man.

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antnest8
Posts: 1438
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2018 2:11 pm
Location: Detroit, MI

Re: Found a queen in rough shape, can I fix this?

Post: # 34947Post antnest8
Mon Apr 09, 2018 2:05 pm

please don't swear on these forums :?
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

Formicine
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2017 1:00 am
Location: Nevada

Re: Found a queen in rough shape, can I fix this?

Post: # 34961Post Formicine
Mon Apr 09, 2018 5:42 pm

antnest8 wrote:
Mon Apr 09, 2018 2:05 pm
please don't swear on these forums :?
I can't find any bad language in this post. Did I miss something?

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