queen ant is seizing and itching

[SolenopsisKeeper]

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!!

A thought just hit me, it is rare, but what if you have a winter ant queen? She would try to flip herself over because she was trying to hibernate… have you got you ID confirmed?

Interesting fix… keep us updating on her progress

[jasperdawn95]

I don't believe she is a winter ant queen. I found her wingless in my kitchen, that's how we met this summer. The nearest colony which matches her description i.e. black ant, is a carpenter ant species that was dormant in the winter and is very very much active now. The other queen I caught and have been keeping had not exhibited this behavior, and seems to be a similar species, if not one and the same. I believe she was just disoriented either by accidental alcohol poisoning when I wiped her itchies away that first day, or by being upside down for who knows how long until I found her that morning upside down and itching fiercely. Her initial flip was most likely due to her itching all over her body, when I found her she was just rubbing her legs together in a grooming style and rubbing her face. I still believe she had a fungal infection or a microscopic external parasite, which would have been killed by the rubbing alcohol on the cotton swab. A plain dry cotton swab didn't help her the first time, which is when I first hypothesized it could be a fungal infection given the orange brown hairy like structures on her abdomen I hadn't noticed in her first day of captivity. Those however were visible again shortly after her sanitizing bath and I now believe as I first did that those were in fact gaster hairs. Still, the alcohol helped her itching so I can only explain that if she had had a parasite or fungal infection. In that case, it would be that she was upside down for an extended time which disoriented her initially and kept turning upside down, I have seen a similar result in beetles, especially June bugs which get turned upside down. Their legs are easily extended, almost as if they were "asleep" or had pins and needles as the circulation regulates itself, causing them to flip back over inevitably. But, if you hold them upright a while they are often able to crawl away safely, hence the thought to pin the queen between the two cotton balls, which would also give her access to water as she couldn't get to it upside down. The water access could have also solved her possible alcohol poisoning or drunken state if she had consumed any of the alcohol on the cotton swab, or in grooming her body after the process, though I had wiped away excess alcohol with a dry swab of course. I cannot rule out the possibility of the later drunken stupor or seizing state being my fault. She is alive and well this morning and I believe now fully recovered, albeit I'm not sure if she has gotten smaller or her gaster isn't as big as before, or I'm just imagining things. Can ant queens miscarry from stressful situations???? Surely she would grow new brood right??
These are the only questions which remain, other than now I am concerned about the possibility of her flipping over for hibernation???? I've never heard of that!! Would love to study more on that topic.

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!!

A thought just hit me, it is rare, but what if you have a winter ant queen? She would try to flip herself over because she was trying to hibernate… have you got you ID confirmed?

Interesting fix… keep us updating on her progress

[AntsAreCool715]

Hooray. Good luck to your colony.

[jasperdawn95]

The queen is doing much better now and has not resumed frequent groomings, shakings, freezings, or itchings. She does seem to be a bit lethargic, compared to when we met but her energy levels are comparative to her sister queen i am also keeping. She is still smaller in size than the other. It has been some time and i believe i can now say she is definitely ok from this ordeal. Will update if/when she lays eggs & the results of such. Wont be back on this thread for a few weeks but leaving it up so others can find answers.

If u have a similar problem w ur queen, i gave mine a sterile "bath" by gently holding her and rubbing her off first w a dry cotton swab & then a wet one, finally one wet w rubbing alcohol. caution do NOT soak swab or queen in alcohol, do NOT squeeze queen let queen wander around in a sterile habitat if you are worried about her getting squished when holding her. Be sure to get her underside as well, as the suspected fungal infection would come back if any spores remain. Sterilize her habitat/chamber w alcohol and allow to dry (yes even dumping out and sterilizing her water area) rinse and dry, set back up w queen inside. If she begins turning upside down, "pin" upright between *** SPAM *** making sure she can access her water ball, and check in 24 hours for stability. Allow her to resume normal queen activities once stable.

If you find error with any of these methods or proof of their validity please let me know, because until I know otherwise i plan on using the same method in the future should this problem occur, and posting a reply here will alert others that this method is or is not safe.

Thank you AntsCanada forum!!!
Until egg time
-JasperDawn95

[Mohammadmacapundag]

I had the same problem with a carpenter ant queen she dies unfortunatly (RIP) I found her when I was planting plants she was in the dirt but no eggs to be found she was fine at first but after a few hours he starting to twitch and itch and then eventually died cansomeone tell me the reason of her death is fo how do I deal with it.

[jasperdawn95]

I suspect mine had a fungal infection, which i cleaned the fungus off her and she was fine. The last comment i posted on here details everything i've discovered on her journey. It may have also been pesticide. Diotomaceous Earth (i spelled it wrong) is something that gets between their joints and breaks down their exoskeleton. It may have been in your garden soil. Could have also been the fungus which makes the compost break down and is then mixed in the soil. My queen has lived after her bath. She has not yet laid eggs, whereas another queen I have (and looks in every respect the same just larger) has laid eggs within the last few days. Will keep updated.

If you are new to ant keeping, you may have missed your queen's eggs. They are TINY i almost cleaned mine out thinking they were poop or some kind of debris. I recommend if you go with the dig method you bring the queen in with the soil from her burrow next time. She will pile and secure any eggs if there are any. You can then move the family to an artificial chamber/ test tube set up.

I have found the test tube set up grew lots of mold, perhaps i was using the wrong tubes, i didnt buy mine from AC just bc i couldnt wait for shipping since i have the queens already. I would also have to disturb the queen a bunch to get her water replaced at the back. So, i changed my set up to be the tiny tiny plastic bowls they sell waxworm/mealworm bait in i found littered at a local lake and sterilized at home. I can now minimally disturb them replacing their damp cotton ball every few days without having to get the queen or now that one has laid, her eggs out. The queen that laid laid her eggs in this set up so it appears to be working.

I had the same problem with a carpenter ant queen she dies unfortunatly (RIP) I found her when I was planting plants she was in the dirt but no eggs to be found she was fine at first but after a few hours he starting to twitch and itch and then eventually died cansomeone tell me the reason of her death is fo how do I deal with it.

[jasperdawn95]

My previously sick queen ant laid her first egg today! I'm now certain she is the same species as her sister ant, which I believe them to be camponotus carpenter ants (I probably spelled that wrong).

Her sister did lay eggs a few weeks ago, so she's a bit behind, but I am just happy she's laying!

In other news, I caught a very different looking ant with a smaller main body (head and midsection [thorax??]) and a HUGE gaster, much fatter than the other queens but not as long. She is glossy black with grey gaster stripes and SUPER quick when she runs. I caught her just 2 days ago in my driveway and she's already laid her first eggs!! So quick! These eggs are much smaller than the other ant queens, and almost transparent. I believe she is a paver ant. The other two have eggs 2 to 3 times the size, and they're a yellow tinge.

[SolenopsisKeeper]

My previously sick queen ant laid her first egg today! I'm now certain she is the same species as her sister ant, which I believe them to be camponotus carpenter ants (I probably spelled that wrong).

Her sister did lay eggs a few weeks ago, so she's a bit behind, but I am just happy she's laying!

In other news, I caught a very different looking ant with a smaller main body (head and midsection [thorax??]) and a HUGE gaster, much fatter than the other queens but not as long. She is glossy black with grey gaster stripes and SUPER quick when she runs. I caught her just 2 days ago in my driveway and she's already laid her first eggs!! So quick! These eggs are much smaller than the other ant queens, and almost transparent. I believe she is a paver ant. The other two have eggs 2 to 3 times the size, and they're a yellow tinge.

How big is your other queen? Fast running(really fast running) is a characteristic of Formica subsericea. Look up field ant pictures

[jasperdawn95]

SolenopsisKeeper, you have been a HUGE help on this thread. Thank you for keeping up with it so much. By the pictures i am finding online, she looks exactly like a field ant queen! By her main body size she is about 1/3 the size of the other queens but her huge gaster makes her look about the same size just a hair shorter in length. She carries herself higher than the other queens as well. It's lucky i found her when I did as there are 2 rival colonies she would have been in competition with in my yard and i dont think she would have survived. A paver any colony she was heading straight for and a carpenter ant colony.

My previously sick queen ant laid her first egg today! I'm now certain she is the same species as her sister ant, which I believe them to be camponotus carpenter ants (I probably spelled that wrong).

Her sister did lay eggs a few weeks ago, so she's a bit behind, but I am just happy she's laying!

In other news, I caught a very different looking ant with a smaller main body (head and midsection [thorax??]) and a HUGE gaster, much fatter than the other queens but not as long. She is glossy black with grey gaster stripes and SUPER quick when she runs. I caught her just 2 days ago in my driveway and she's already laid her first eggs!! So quick! These eggs are much smaller than the other ant queens, and almost transparent. I believe she is a paver ant. The other two have eggs 2 to 3 times the size, and they're a yellow tinge.

How big is your other queen? Fast running(really fast running) is a characteristic of Formica subsericea. Look up field ant pictures

[SolenopsisKeeper]

SolenopsisKeeper, you have been a HUGE help on this thread. Thank you for keeping up with it so much. By the pictures i am finding online, she looks exactly like a field ant queen! By her main body size she is about 1/3 the size of the other queens but her huge gaster makes her look about the same size just a hair shorter in length. She carries herself higher than the other queens as well. It's lucky i found her when I did as there are 2 rival colonies she would have been in competition with in my yard and i dont think she would have survived. A paver any colony she was heading straight for and a carpenter ant colony.

My previously sick queen ant laid her first egg today! I'm now certain she is the same species as her sister ant, which I believe them to be camponotus carpenter ants (I probably spelled that wrong).

Her sister did lay eggs a few weeks ago, so she's a bit behind, but I am just happy she's laying!

In other news, I caught a very different looking ant with a smaller main body (head and midsection [thorax??]) and a HUGE gaster, much fatter than the other queens but not as long. She is glossy black with grey gaster stripes and SUPER quick when she runs. I caught her just 2 days ago in my driveway and she's already laid her first eggs!! So quick! These eggs are much smaller than the other ant queens, and almost transparent. I believe she is a paver ant. The other two have eggs 2 to 3 times the size, and they're a yellow tinge.

How big is your other queen? Fast running(really fast running) is a characteristic of Formica subsericea. Look up field ant pictures

She should be about 1cm.