ants carrying mealworm to the eggs
Moderator: ooper01
ants carrying mealworm to the eggs
Hi everyone, so today I fed my ants mealworm for the first time. They were all excited about it and I left them to it. They are in this setup.
I placed a piece of a mealworm on the nearest flask, on top that plastic thing
Well, when I came back to see if they ate it, it was nowhere to be seen, until I opened the queen tube cover and there it was, right on top of the eggs... They dragged it all the way there.
Now I have no way to get it out of there xD there is no cleaning up that mess. Will they move it out?
Also I wanted to ask you, like you can see in the last foto the workers have been picking on the queen's wings. Is this normal?
I placed a piece of a mealworm on the nearest flask, on top that plastic thing
Well, when I came back to see if they ate it, it was nowhere to be seen, until I opened the queen tube cover and there it was, right on top of the eggs... They dragged it all the way there.
Now I have no way to get it out of there xD there is no cleaning up that mess. Will they move it out?
Also I wanted to ask you, like you can see in the last foto the workers have been picking on the queen's wings. Is this normal?
Re: ants carrying mealworm to the eggs
Some of my Carpenter colonies do the same thing. They'll keep the mealworm with them until it's no longer desirable, then they (usually) will carry it back out as trash later.
In the wild, finding a perfectly good piece of food is sometimes rare, so it makes sense to carry the whole thing to the nest where it can be safely devoured instead of making repeat foraging trips.
In the wild, finding a perfectly good piece of food is sometimes rare, so it makes sense to carry the whole thing to the nest where it can be safely devoured instead of making repeat foraging trips.
Keeper of Camponotus:
C. pennsylvanicus, C. subbarbatus, C. nearcticus
C. pennsylvanicus, C. subbarbatus, C. nearcticus
Re: ants carrying mealworm to the eggs
Plus protein sources are primarily for the larva (to grow big and stronk) and the queen (to fuel egg production)
-
- Posts: 1578
- Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2018 7:17 am
- Location: Luxembourg
- Contact:
Re: ants carrying mealworm to the eggs
Common behavour. I would say just keep watching. They probably prefer the fresh food close to the colony if it's not a threat to the colony. They perhaps feed some of the fresh mealworm to the larvae.
Doing some proper research is the best way to start an antcolony.
Need help or want to help? https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=18153#p70566
Currently not keeping any ants anymore.
Need help or want to help? https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=18153#p70566
Currently not keeping any ants anymore.
Re: ants carrying mealworm to the eggs
thank you for the info About the workers tearing the queen's wings apart, do you think that's normal?
Re: ants carrying mealworm to the eggs
My queen had half her wings still attached when the first nanitics showed up. Eventually they disappeared, which I found odd. I don’t believe that ants eat wings. I don’t believe my queen removed them because she has been pretty lazy since the workers showed up lol
Nylanderia Sp.
Pheidole Sp.
Founding - Cremagastor & Solonopsis Invicta
Pheidole Sp.
Founding - Cremagastor & Solonopsis Invicta
-
- Posts: 409
- Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2018 6:51 am
- Location: Canada
- Contact:
Re: ants carrying mealworm to the eggs
Ya the workers seem to know the Queen shouldn’t have wings. My tetramorium queen refused to take her wings off. I’d have to check on her several times a day because her wings would get stuck to the top of the test tube and she would be hanging there. Her workers spent a week tearing the wings off. Every time I looked at her one of her workers was clinging to one of her wings. By the end her wings were in complete tatters.
Keeping:
Tetramorium immigrans * Lasius Neoniger * Lasius Claviger * Messor Aciculatus * Myrmica Rubra * Camponotus Novaeboracensis * Camponotus Turkastanus * Pheidole Pallidula
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSfFtn6RegZ3F1NdS1g08NA
Tetramorium immigrans * Lasius Neoniger * Lasius Claviger * Messor Aciculatus * Myrmica Rubra * Camponotus Novaeboracensis * Camponotus Turkastanus * Pheidole Pallidula
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSfFtn6RegZ3F1NdS1g08NA
- idahoantgirl
- Posts: 1521
- Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:52 am
- Location: Idaho, USA
Re: ants carrying mealworm to the eggs
I know that mikey once clipped his queens wings since they were getting stuck on the side of the tube. As long as you don't have to, don't clip em as you risk damaging the queen every time you come in contact with her.
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
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
Re: ants carrying mealworm to the eggs
JoeHostile1, Yes, I always see some workers on top of her tearing her wings.
I won't touch her idahoantgirl, she barely has any wings now, and I don't think the workers would let her get stuck, they are always around her xD
I won't touch her idahoantgirl, she barely has any wings now, and I don't think the workers would let her get stuck, they are always around her xD
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests