Urgent! Queen Ant Escape, Help!!

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Starflight5484
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:56 pm
Location: New Mexico

Urgent! Queen Ant Escape, Help!!

Post: # 79945Post Starflight5484
Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:37 pm

I need help! My Queen ant is trying to escape!

I live in New Mexico (South West USA) and i caught a HUGE Camponotus queen (unsure of specifics but shes so pretty and quite sassy) and i have been leaving her alone in my sock drawer for about a week now. Shes layed about 4 eggs and seemed happy, but when i went to go check on her today she was tearing at her cotton plug and made it about halfway out!

I replaced the plug (she was very upset with me :?) and put her back in my drawer. (I hardly ever disturb her let alone touch my drawer)
I didnt have access to a proper test tube at the time so i thoroughly washed out a plastic tube (the ones that hold bubble wands) and gave her bottled water with cotton between.
She hasnt lost her wings yet (is she perhaps infertile?)
And theres a caper jar of a Formica/crazy black Queen and her one worker in the same drawer (more workers on the way and nest coming Friday! :D)

could any of these factors effect her wanting to escape/abandon her eggs?

SYUTEO
Posts: 1395
Joined: Thu Aug 29, 2019 8:58 am
Location: Malaysia

Re: Urgent! Queen Ant Escape, Help!!

Post: # 79947Post SYUTEO
Wed Jul 21, 2021 10:20 pm

If her eggs are scattered and she doesn't seem to care for them, then your queen is infertile. But if her eggs are in pile, and she's taking care of them, then she's fertilized, but probably stressed (by being checked (some Camponotus queens (especially large ones) are very sensitive to light and vibrations).). I heard Camponotus queens don't break off their wings after mating for some reason.

Starflight5484
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:56 pm
Location: New Mexico

Re: Urgent! Queen Ant Escape, Help!!

Post: # 79950Post Starflight5484
Thu Jul 22, 2021 12:11 am

my Boyfriend told me that her type is prone to escaping and being quite expressive (she very sassy and likes to threaten me :lol:)

her eggs are piled, so far, however its only been a day or two since shes layed them and i hardly ever touch their area/check on them.
I guess i will just need to change the plug out more often unless anyone has any other suggestions.

SYUTEO
Posts: 1395
Joined: Thu Aug 29, 2019 8:58 am
Location: Malaysia

Re: Urgent! Queen Ant Escape, Help!!

Post: # 79952Post SYUTEO
Thu Jul 22, 2021 2:54 am

You can put the test tube inside a plastic container just in case she does manage to pull open the cotton, surely she wouldn't be able to get out of the container (just make sure to weight down the lid so she can't just push open the lid and escape, and also make some tiny holes in the container so air flows in so she can breath, just make sue the holes are not too big that she can chew through it and escape.).

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