Rebellion?

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JadamJedi
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Rebellion?

Post: # 35891Post JadamJedi
Sat May 12, 2018 8:18 pm

I have what is an unidentified Formica colony of maybe 20 workers... The queen has been an egg laying machine in the past few days... However, I saw what is quite strange... Two workers turned on one worker and were wrestling her to the ground. When I woke up to inspect the nest the following morning, the working was beheaded and cast amongst the trash....

Any ideas on what caused this, and why it may have happened?
All theories and ideas welcome...

P.S. this occurred a few hours after feeding them live termites, of which they all savagely killed and then stored away... (oh I finally got to witness them feeding the ?larvae?

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antnest8
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Re: Rebellion?

Post: # 35982Post antnest8
Tue May 15, 2018 2:59 pm

it could have been a deformed callow worker
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JadamJedi
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Re: Rebellion?

Post: # 36259Post JadamJedi
Wed May 23, 2018 12:43 am

A callow worker?

Oh and I have a new problem, the queen is abandoning her workers and her brood and refuses to lay eggs.... Some days she is in her little cavern and other times she is just running wildly around the outworld.... What am I supposed to do? The workers dont seem to concerned with her either....

Oh and one of the ants finally emerged from its cocoon and is almost greyish compared to the other formica... Is this normal?

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MadVampy
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Re: Rebellion?

Post: # 36271Post MadVampy
Wed May 23, 2018 1:35 pm

How often are you looking at them? Queens need to be left alone for week's or month as a time. Disturbing them can cause stress which can cause the queen to stop laying eggs and even in the most extreme kill her young and or eat the eggs. During the founding stage you should be leaving her alone. You mentioned an out world? Colonies shouldn't be given an out world until they have at least 20-50 workers in most cases. I guess this is based on species but from what I have read and been told this is the case for most.
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JadamJedi
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Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2017 4:16 pm
Location: Washington, USA

Re: Rebellion?

Post: # 36287Post JadamJedi
Thu May 24, 2018 12:25 am

She has 20 workers... So I definitely think its an issue of checking up on her too much... She has brood and stopped laying eggs... And now she just hangs out in the outworld away from her workers...

I definitely think this is my fault of impatience....

I can try to leave her alone for a week or two before i check again...

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antnest8
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Re: Rebellion?

Post: # 36306Post antnest8
Thu May 24, 2018 3:19 pm

wow i should probably stop giving my ants an out-world
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JadamJedi
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Re: Rebellion?

Post: # 36338Post JadamJedi
Fri May 25, 2018 11:07 am

Why do you say that? :?:

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antnest8
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Re: Rebellion?

Post: # 36341Post antnest8
Fri May 25, 2018 11:25 am

because my colony has 4 workers. I have a question though Why No Outworld they need food and feeding them i a tube is too messy and more likely to escape
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idahoantgirl
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Re: Rebellion?

Post: # 36346Post idahoantgirl
Fri May 25, 2018 2:59 pm

MadVampy wrote:
Wed May 23, 2018 1:35 pm
How often are you looking at them? Queens need to be left alone for week's or month as a time. Disturbing them can cause stress which can cause the queen to stop laying eggs and even in the most extreme kill her young and or eat the eggs. During the founding stage you should be leaving her alone. You mentioned an out world? Colonies shouldn't be given an out world until they have at least 20-50 workers in most cases. I guess this is based on species but from what I have read and been told this is the case for most.
I respectfully disagree... In the wild ants have access to to the outside world and they are fine, and i prefer to mimic this environment. I use this setup for founding colonies: http://www.formiculture.com/topic/4167-welcome-to-lazy-tube-serafines-camponotus-barbaricus/

scroll down a little to see the drinking straw method of connecting the clausteral chamber to the outworld.
Proverbs 6:6-8

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

Keeping Tetramorium immigrans, Tapinoma Sessile

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antnest8
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Re: Rebellion?

Post: # 36453Post antnest8
Mon May 28, 2018 6:23 pm

I would agree with idahoantgirl. I do suggest if you are using a test tube portal as the first out world that you have tubing in between the test tube and the portal to minimize vibrations
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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