Queen dies after having nanitics?

[megallow83]

I'm sorta new to ant keeping but I've been watching ac for years. I'm not sure on the species but it's just a regular black house ant.

Over two years of trying and I've never been able to get past the nanitics stage. Every time my queen's first ants start walking she dies within a week. Before the Queen dies I feed the workers some honey and try to offer a spider leg. I try my best to make sure the spider wasn't in an area with pesticide. The ants are never usually very interested in the spider leg tho. This is happening so consistently it must be something I'm doing wrong? Theres no mold in the test tube either. The ants stay living for ages after the Queen dies.

Any help would be so appreciated, its really disheartening after months of waiting just to lose her

[NKantsalberta]

That is rather unfortunate. I've had this happen only a couple of times, I put the cause to an already unhealthy queen.

Where are you located? "Black house ant" is a very broad term. Do some more research to find out the exact genus and species of your ant, and you may find some more specific dietary needs.

I have the most success with a cut up mealworm and either a small piece of organic apple, or local, not mass produced honey.

[AM1C39]

Sometimes tings happen... better luck next time.

[megallow83]

That is rather unfortunate. I've had this happen only a couple of times, I put the cause to an already unhealthy queen.

Where are you located? "Black house ant" is a very broad term. Do some more research to find out the exact genus and species of your ant, and you may find some more specific dietary needs.

I have the most success with a cut up mealworm and either a small piece of organic apple, or local, not mass produced honey.

Thank you so much for the reply! with a lil research I think that they're ochetellus? A new Queen I caught yesterday just laid eggs so hopefully this round will go better. I think I'll give them a variety of foods this time so that they can choose what's best for them. I hope this new Queen is strong and healthy oh and I'm from New Zealand

[NKantsalberta]

That is rather unfortunate. I've had this happen only a couple of times, I put the cause to an already unhealthy queen.

Where are you located? "Black house ant" is a very broad term. Do some more research to find out the exact genus and species of your ant, and you may find some more specific dietary needs.

I have the most success with a cut up mealworm and either a small piece of organic apple, or local, not mass produced honey.

Thank you so much for the reply! with a lil research I think that they're ochetellus? A new Queen I caught yesterday just laid eggs so hopefully this round will go better. I think I'll give them a variety of foods this time so that they can choose what's best for them. I hope this new Queen is strong and healthy oh and I'm from New Zealand

You are welcome! Best of luck with this queen. I am not familiar with non-Canadian species so I can't provide too much more help. Try to keep their conditions similar to what they would have in the wild and they should do fine. Observe what the workers in the wild are gathering also.

If you know of a location of a wild nest, you could always try brood boosting this queen with pupae to enhance her chances of survival.