Carpenter ant colony stopped growing

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MaxWeaver
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2021 7:42 pm
Location: Upstate New York

Carpenter ant colony stopped growing

Post: # 84027Post MaxWeaver
Thu Oct 14, 2021 7:56 pm

So I've had a carpenter ant queen in a test tube set up since late June, and everything's been going great until about a few weeks ago when I moved them into a larger terrarium. They still live inside the test tube, the only difference is that they now have the option to roam about. Unfortunately I've noticed that they don't leave the test tube to drink the syrup I leave out for them every Wednesday, and they've blocked the entrance with soil, so now I cant drop any food inside the test tube without spooking the queen. I'm afraid they've stagnated because I haven't noticed any new workers and the only brood they have are eggs and larva. What should I do, if anything?

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

Re: Carpenter ant colony stopped growing

Post: # 84030Post SYUTEO
Thu Oct 14, 2021 10:03 pm

It maybe too large for them or you didn't cover up the test tube.

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AM1C39
Posts: 1012
Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2020 12:17 pm
Location: Canada, ON
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Re: Carpenter ant colony stopped growing

Post: # 84048Post AM1C39
Fri Oct 15, 2021 7:51 am

They are probably preparing for hibernation (if you live in a tempered area). They will not let themselves starve and maybe start giving them some other foods also.
My current colonies:
-Miniature Military(formica neogagates)
-Black Hearts(crematogaster cerasi)
In search of new camponotus colony
[Have a look at antmaps.org]

Antmanboy
Posts: 330
Joined: Sun Feb 16, 2020 12:12 pm
Location: Converse,Texas,United States

Re: Carpenter ant colony stopped growing

Post: # 84062Post Antmanboy
Fri Oct 15, 2021 9:57 pm

Sounds like hibernation to me. Is there perhaps anything else you think could have caused this?

MaxWeaver
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2021 7:42 pm
Location: Upstate New York

Re: Carpenter ant colony stopped growing

Post: # 84106Post MaxWeaver
Sat Oct 16, 2021 7:15 pm

Antmanboy wrote:
Fri Oct 15, 2021 9:57 pm
Sounds like hibernation to me. Is there perhaps anything else you think could have caused this?
I don't think so, I guess it just seems a little early to me for them to start hibernating because I still see ants around the house. Do carpenter ants start hibernation earlier than tetramorium? Not to mention it feels like they really haven't grown much or at all since the initial workers hatched.

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AntsAntsAnts
Posts: 365
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2021 1:10 am
Location: Australia

Re: Carpenter ant colony stopped growing

Post: # 84108Post AntsAntsAnts
Sat Oct 16, 2021 8:01 pm

Maybe look for mites that could be in the test tube or try giving the some drops of honey. Also, not that the lockdown is easing, you can buy jelly cups in abundance.
keeping:
all my queens died :(
got a sugar ant colony started :)

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