Ants are dying Please HELP!

Discussions about the care and keeping of ants

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EarthStudent
Posts: 42
Joined: Thu May 17, 2018 9:48 pm
Location: Eastern Iowa

Ants are dying Please HELP!

Post: # 47157Post EarthStudent
Fri Aug 10, 2018 10:52 pm

I have several Camponotus queens (in separate test tubes ;) ) that have hatched out the first set of workers and they are all dying :o . I'm assuming the queen is killing them? I have two queens that I connected to a small (very tiny) "out worlds" when the first workers appeared so they have access to honey and roach legs from time to time and none of those ants have died and all the queens just on tubes have dead workers?

I know these Camponotus are fully clostral but it seems like they are starving and the queen is killing off the workers? Is that a possibility? Or is something else going on? Also, the workers that are still alive are trying to dig through the cotton and in a couple tubes have tunneled through the cotton to the point they will make it out soon on their own. I thought you should wait until you have like 20 workers before you start feeding them and giving them foraging space but it seems my ants are to hungry to wait that long?

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Batspiderfish
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Location: Maine

Re: Ants are dying Please HELP!

Post: # 47159Post Batspiderfish
Fri Aug 10, 2018 11:37 pm

They should have access to foraging space soon after the first one or two workers. The 20 worker rule is for moving them to a formicarium.
If you enjoy my expertise and identifications, please do not put wild populations at risk of disease by releasing pet colonies. We are responsible to give our pets the best care we can manage for the rest of their lives.

EarthStudent
Posts: 42
Joined: Thu May 17, 2018 9:48 pm
Location: Eastern Iowa

Re: Ants are dying Please HELP!

Post: # 47162Post EarthStudent
Sat Aug 11, 2018 12:24 am

I see... well there's my problem. I'm starving them :cry: . I'm going to get them all foraging space and food ASAP. Good thing I have a 3D printer. Should have enough micro out worlds printed in a matter of hours.

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idahoantgirl
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Location: Idaho, USA

Re: Ants are dying Please HELP!

Post: # 47164Post idahoantgirl
Sat Aug 11, 2018 12:41 am

Just set the tubes in a tupperwear container for now and place food in it. Use a one inch section of drinking straw wedged between the exit cotton and the side of the tube to make a tunnel for them. dab some babypowder or vasaline as a barrier.
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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