Page 1 of 1
I need help making sure my ant survives during my holiday
Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2019 3:52 am
by Asursrus
Hi, I've recently been caught a queen ant during work last week. At first it laid some eggs inside the cone I trapped it in, but I couldn't leave it in there so I kinda violently shook it off the cone and caught it again in a 500 ml bottle.
Luckily it laid some eggs again in the bottle when I checked it the next day.
The picture (link below) I have is taken about 2 days after I caught it. It is now 11 days old. I'll post a more recent picture when I get home tonight. The bottle has some water condensation but I don't think it'll be enough for my ant to survive.
Question is, should I just leave my ant alone? Or try and transfer it to a test tube set up? Would it move out if I shine a light on it? Or should I try and adjust the bottle? I really hope that it can survive until next week when I come back from my holiday.
thanks in advance for your help.
Day 2 pic https://imgur.com/gallery/jRJ1SiV
Re: I need help making sure my ant survives during my holiday
Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2019 5:24 am
by AusAnts
Asursrus wrote: ↑Thu Dec 12, 2019 3:52 am
Hi, I've recently been caught a queen ant during work last week. At first it laid some eggs inside the cone I trapped it in, but I couldn't leave it in there so I kinda violently shook it off the cone and caught it again in a 500 ml bottle.
Luckily it laid some eggs again in the bottle when I checked it the next day.
The picture (link below) I have is taken about 2 days after I caught it. It is now 11 days old. I'll post a more recent picture when I get home tonight. The bottle has some water condensation but I don't think it'll be enough for my ant to survive.
Question is, should I just leave my ant alone? Or try and transfer it to a test tube set up? Would it move out if I shine a light on it? Or should I try and adjust the bottle? I really hope that it can survive until next week when I come back from my holiday.
thanks in advance for your help.
Day 2 pic https://imgur.com/gallery/jRJ1SiV
You should try to get it into a test tube setup. A bright light or a very slow and steady increase in temperature should make her move. If she is fully claustral and has enough water she should easily be able to live till her first workers. (which depending on the species can occur anywhere from 3-10+ weeks.) The species you got there looks like an Asian weaver ant queen (i could be wrong, ill need measurements and another camera angle). These queens are semi claustral so when you get back you might need to feed her. You also feed it a small drop of honey as it lost it's first eggs.
Re: I need help making sure my ant survives during my holiday
Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2019 7:41 am
by Asursrus
Thanks. I've gotten my test tube and is now trying to coax it in. Only have a normal torch light so I hope that will do the trick.
When it first picked up its egg I thought it was going to move but it's just creating more silk. Sighh. The weather is now very cooling cos it's been raining the whole day. Guess it doesn't care about the light.
I am leaving for my holiday in an hour so I guess I just have to pray and hope it'll do well lol.
Here's more pics
Day 12 https://imgur.com/gallery/ajoEZnG
Re: I need help making sure my ant survives during my holiday
Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2019 5:19 pm
by AusAnts
Asursrus wrote: ↑Fri Dec 13, 2019 7:41 am
Thanks. I've gotten my test tube and is now trying to coax it in. Only have a normal torch light so I hope that will do the trick.
When it first picked up its egg I thought it was going to move but it's just creating more silk. Sighh. The weather is now very cooling cos it's been raining the whole day. Guess it doesn't care about the light.
I am leaving for my holiday in an hour so I guess I just have to pray and hope it'll do well lol.
Here's more pics
Day 12 https://imgur.com/gallery/ajoEZnG
did you feed it? and once the bottle starts to dry, she should start moving.
Re: I need help making sure my ant survives during my holiday
Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2019 6:36 pm
by Asursrus
Yeah I gave it some honey. It's on that green piece of paper. Hopefully it finds it.