Trapjaw Help

[newtoantkeeping]

Hi Peeps,

I have been trying different setups with my trapjaw but she keeps eating her young - eggs or pupa.

1) Pure Outworld
2) Test tube alone - Mealworm gets dragged deeply inside
3) Test tube connected to small outworld - Never seen her coming out of the test tube

How should I keep her and how many days before I should feed her a mealworm or some honey?

[idahoantgirl]

Here is what I would do. Use a one inch section of drinking straw wedged between the side of the tube and the exit cotton. This makes a cozy tunnel, so she is more likely to use the tube as her chamber. Then set the whole tube in an outworld (a tupperware container with rounded edges and a barrrier will do) and just provide food outside the tube. Try different things to see what she likes. After you do this DO NOT check on her for a few weeks. meaning don't pick up the tube. I cannot stress how important this is for queens who are struggling. Make sure the tube is covered in something dark.

[newtoantkeeping]

So far, I tried attaching the test tube to an outworld and feed her one mealworm every 4 days at the opening of the test tube. Never had I seen her leave her test tube. Now I am squeezing mealworms on to a piece of paper and feed her but she just covers it with soil immediately. Any other suggestions, the furthest growth I have seen so far are just 2 pupaes which were eaten up quite some time ago. Could there be a possibility that she could be infertile?

[Puncarlol]

I hope this helps. I have an ectatomma ant and it has a lot of similarities to those of the odontomachus when in comes to feeding habits. What I've tried is to keep her in a warm environment, enclosed and with different types of proteins. They are veeerrryy picky with food so if you feed them mealworms all the time they will start rejecting it. I know is hard but you got to find different sources of proteins like chicken, tuna, beef, eggs, fruit, alive insects like grasshoppers or cockroaches and honey or sugar water. Also you can even make your proteinic meal for her.