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Hello, I’ve started raising a campunotus irritans colony a few weeks ago. When I got it from the seller, it already has 12 members. Just yesterday,I found 2 ants dead. I don’t see any physical damage on them. I’m not sure how they died but I’m suspecting it old age. Just to confirm that it’s old age... to those Camputnous Irritans keepers out there:


How long do campunotus irritans workers typically live??

ShadowArrow01 wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 08, 2018 4:10 am

Hello, I’ve started raising a campunotus irritans colony a few weeks ago. When I got it from the seller, it already has 12 members. Just yesterday,I found 2 ants dead. I don’t see any physical damage on them. I’m not sure how they died but I’m suspecting it old age. Just to confirm that it’s old age... to those Camputnous Irritans keepers out there:


How long do campunotus irritans workers typically live??

I've found Camponotus in general only live about 2 months.

I don’t know about your specific species, but some worker ants can live for years. And all ants that live in temperate regions can survive minimum 5 months since that’s how long they hibernate for where I live. And they don’t all just drop dead after hibernation so it’s actully much more than 5 months.

Usually, ants and other social insects like bees, wasps, and hornets die of exhaustion rather than "old age". The breaking point though can vary from species to species. It's actually rare for a social insect to die of age.

Hmm, that makes more sense. So, since a captive environment provides much less work on the ants' part, does this prolong their lifespan?

I can confirm that Laius Neoniger workers can live minimum 1 year since that’s how long I’ve had Neoniger workers in my claviger set ups. I have a feeling they are all going to survive hibernation so you can add on at least another 5 months.

In fact I should be able to determine exactly how long Neoniger workers live for since my claviger set ups only contain 6-8 Neoniger workers and the rest of the workers are orange. And I know exactly when i put the Neoniger workers in there.

JoeHostile1 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 10, 2018 10:05 am

I don’t know about your specific species, but some worker ants can live for years. And all ants that live in temperate regions can survive minimum 5 months since that’s how long they hibernate for where I live. And they don’t all just drop dead after hibernation so it’s actully much more than 5 months.

Do they start out fresh in the spring?

AntsDakota wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 15, 2018 5:56 pm

JoeHostile1 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 10, 2018 10:05 am

I don’t know about your specific species, but some worker ants can live for years. And all ants that live in temperate regions can survive minimum 5 months since that’s how long they hibernate for where I live. And they don’t all just drop dead after hibernation so it’s actully much more than 5 months.

Do they start out fresh in the spring?

I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean by that?

JoeHostile1 wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 16, 2018 10:29 am

AntsDakota wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 15, 2018 5:56 pm

JoeHostile1 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 10, 2018 10:05 am

I don’t know about your specific species, but some worker ants can live for years. And all ants that live in temperate regions can survive minimum 5 months since that’s how long they hibernate for where I live. And they don’t all just drop dead after hibernation so it’s actully much more than 5 months.

Do they start out fresh in the spring?

I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean by that?

I mean does winter "erase" the exhaustion they built up in the summer and fall, and live their full life span again come spring?

AntsDakota wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 17, 2018 4:23 pm

JoeHostile1 wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 16, 2018 10:29 am

AntsDakota wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 15, 2018 5:56 pm

Do they start out fresh in the spring?

I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean by that?

I mean does winter "erase" the exhaustion they built up in the summer and fall, and live their full lifespan again come spring?

Exhaustion isn't something that builds up. Once the damage is done, it's done.