queen ant is seizing and itching

Discussions about the care and keeping of ants

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jasperdawn95
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2022 1:12 pm
Location: Mascoutah, IL

queen ant is seizing and itching

Post: # 93495Post jasperdawn95
Wed Jun 15, 2022 1:43 pm

Hi, i'm new to ant keeping and found 2 queens outside my home. I believe they are carpenter ants, native to Illinois in USA. I keep my queens in a testube the way i saw on AntsCanada youtube channel. I have a *** SPAM *** blocking water at the back and a *** SPAM *** keeping her in at the end. This is then stored in a storage bowl, separate for each queen, until i can get a proper setup i plan to order in the next few days. Ive had the queens for a week. Their dens are kept on my desk top in small cubbies to provide darkness for them and i am able to check on them this way without any vibrations from a drawer etc. I noticed one queen was larger than the other & often she would be grooming when i checked on her. Today, she was upside down and seemed to be itching at something incessantly or seizing. There are no visible pests on her, nor mold in her environment. I cannot identify what is going on to help! The best solution i had was to assist with the grooming and keep her right side up while she handled it all. I gently held her and began grooming her with a sterile organic cotton swab. Shes calmed down and is staying right side up but is still rubbing her front legs on her face as though she is still itching, and i worry she will begin this seizure type behavior soon. Is there anything i can do?

jasperdawn95
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2022 1:12 pm
Location: Mascoutah, IL

update

Post: # 93496Post jasperdawn95
Wed Jun 15, 2022 2:02 pm

She will every now and then lay down with her legs curled up and i think shes dead, only to look and see her legs weakly kicking still. But she is currently standing straight, still, her legs are pulsing and every now and then she itches her face. When i cleaned her off she had what i thought were her hairs on her gaster, little brown hairy things, they arent there anymore so i'm wondering if this isn't a fungal infection?

jasperdawn95
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2022 1:12 pm
Location: Mascoutah, IL

Re: queen ant is seizing and itching

Post: # 93498Post jasperdawn95
Wed Jun 15, 2022 7:02 pm

Secondary update: fuzzy hairs are still there on her gaster i must have missed them before, theyre actually hairs.

AntsLuxembourg
Posts: 1578
Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2018 7:17 am
Location: Luxembourg
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Re: queen ant is seizing and itching

Post: # 93523Post AntsLuxembourg
Thu Jun 16, 2022 7:06 am

Hm not sure what advise to give but you might just need to keep observing her. Did she lay eggs yet and do you know what species she is?
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.

jasperdawn95
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2022 1:12 pm
Location: Mascoutah, IL

update 3

Post: # 93542Post jasperdawn95
Thu Jun 16, 2022 12:55 pm

Someone please respond, she turned over numerous times through the night and will not right herself. I turn her back over manually after a while and she seems to intentionally flip herself back over. Not itching anymore. But very very very weak and tired from all the flipping over. She stops moving except her legs pulsing as well. I looked it up and google is no use. I tried the AntsCanada youtube channel but im turning up with nothing. Even the forums, nadda.

Just seeing your response antsluxembourg, my queen has not laid eggs. I believe she is a camponotus carpenter ant queen but im new to this. Likely either carpenter ant or paver ant. I found her wingless in my kitchen, i dont use pesticides or anything. Im wondering if when i wiped her itchies away with the rubbing alcohol i gave her alcohol poisoning by accident. I hope not.
Last edited by jasperdawn95 on Thu Jun 16, 2022 1:03 pm, edited 2 times in total.

SolenopsisKeeper
Posts: 2402
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:41 am
Location: United States, Florida

Re: update 3

Post: # 93544Post SolenopsisKeeper
Thu Jun 16, 2022 12:59 pm

jasperdawn95 wrote:
Thu Jun 16, 2022 12:55 pm
Someone please respond, she turned over numerous times through the night and will not right herself. I turn her back over manually after a while and she seems to intentionally flip herself back over. Not itching anymore. But very very very weak and tired from all the flipping over. She stops moving except her legs pulsing as well. I looked it up and google is no use. I tried the AntsCanada youtube channel but im turning up with nothing. Even the forums, nadda.

Just seeing your response antsluxembourg, my queen has not laid eggs.
Sorry, but it sounds like she is dying… :(

She may live, but this is what happens to my workers before they die, flipping on their sides then others coming and flip them back, spasming, etc.

Will she drinks nectar?
When you accidentally reply to yourself…

jasperdawn95
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2022 1:12 pm
Location: Mascoutah, IL

Re: update 3

Post: # 93548Post jasperdawn95
Thu Jun 16, 2022 1:05 pm

She will not drink. She is now curled up on her water *** SPAM ***, just twitching every now and then. I think youre right & the end is near for her. I have another queen, but i still feel for this one. Poor dear. No telling what happened.
SolenopsisKeeper wrote:
Thu Jun 16, 2022 12:59 pm
jasperdawn95 wrote:
Thu Jun 16, 2022 12:55 pm
Someone please respond, she turned over numerous times through the night and will not right herself. I turn her back over manually after a while and she seems to intentionally flip herself back over. Not itching anymore. But very very very weak and tired from all the flipping over. She stops moving except her legs pulsing as well. I looked it up and google is no use. I tried the AntsCanada youtube channel but im turning up with nothing. Even the forums, nadda.

Just seeing your response antsluxembourg, my queen has not laid eggs.
Sorry, but it sounds like she is dying… :(

She may live, but this is what happens to my workers before they die, flipping on their sides then others coming and flip them back, spasming, etc.

Will she drinks nectar?

SolenopsisKeeper
Posts: 2402
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:41 am
Location: United States, Florida

Re: update 3

Post: # 93554Post SolenopsisKeeper
Thu Jun 16, 2022 1:12 pm

jasperdawn95 wrote:
Thu Jun 16, 2022 1:05 pm
She will not drink. She is now curled up on her water *** SPAM ***, just twitching every now and then. I think youre right & the end is near for her. I have another queen, but i still feel for this one. Poor dear. No telling what happened.
SolenopsisKeeper wrote:
Thu Jun 16, 2022 12:59 pm
jasperdawn95 wrote:
Thu Jun 16, 2022 12:55 pm
Someone please respond, she turned over numerous times through the night and will not right herself. I turn her back over manually after a while and she seems to intentionally flip herself back over. Not itching anymore. But very very very weak and tired from all the flipping over. She stops moving except her legs pulsing as well. I looked it up and google is no use. I tried the AntsCanada youtube channel but im turning up with nothing. Even the forums, nadda.

Just seeing your response antsluxembourg, my queen has not laid eggs.
Sorry, but it sounds like she is dying… :(

She may live, but this is what happens to my workers before they die, flipping on their sides then others coming and flip them back, spasming, etc.

Will she drinks nectar?
If she dies, might want to make sure she doesn’t explode with parasites…(If you sure she is dead, freeze the body)
When you accidentally reply to yourself…

jasperdawn95
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2022 1:12 pm
Location: Mascoutah, IL

update end of day 2

Post: # 93568Post jasperdawn95
Thu Jun 16, 2022 11:33 pm

The queen is barely moving anymore. Fairly certain she'll die tomorrow.

jasperdawn95
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2022 1:12 pm
Location: Mascoutah, IL

All Better

Post: # 93601Post jasperdawn95
Fri Jun 17, 2022 9:45 pm

Idk what happened. I trapped her between the 2 *** SPAM *** so she couldnt turn over and she is just fine a few hours later. Itching solved by alcohol cotton swab for those in the future who have a similar problem, then drunkenness/seizing/flipping solved by forced upright position until she was reoriented. Super glad shes ok!!

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