Dead nanitics Camponotus pennsylvanicus

[Varanid]

This is my first real attempt at ant keeping. I caught a queen C. Pennsylvanicus in June. She has produced 4 nanitics. A week or two back I noticed a nanitic acting funny. The nanitic was lie in on its back and basically pitching a fit. I flipped it right side up and it did it again. A couple of hours later the nanitic was dead. I have no clue what caused this death. So the queen produced another nanitic and all seemed to be going well, until today. I checked on the ants and there was anot her dead nanitic.

My setup is as follows, a test tube setup. I have it opened and in a small out world. I have another test tube in the out world with a cotton plug for when the first runs out of water. There is an inch wide band of vaseline around rhe top of the outworld, the nanitics generally avoid it.

I feed them in a plastic water bottle cap, a drop of honey and a crushed meal worm. They eat a little every couple of days. My question is, what is the normal life span for nanitics, and what could have caused these two nanitics to die?

[Batspiderfish]

What kind of outworld is it?

[AntsRule]

Camponotus are like this. This is a common problem. I have a few are having the same problem with some that even die mid-hatch. It does not seem to be in any way your fault. Keep doing what your doing and give them privacy. I wish you the best of luck

[Varanid]

The outworld is a plastic critter keeper. It was washed well before use, and it is very small. They have been foraging with no problem.

[Varanid]

There are still a ton of pupae, the other nanitics look fine. Just concerned since two have died.

[AntsRule]

Huh... That's odd... My C.penn are doing absolutely fine with 4 nanitics with a ton more coming

Yeah most of mine are doing great, but a few, not so much.

[Solenopsisace]

My solenopsis Invicta do the same thing I guess it's just a natural part of ant life.

[Varanid]

So nanitics do not live long? Getting nervous because I do not want more to die than what are produced.

[Varanid]

So, I may have figured out what happened ro my nanitics. I saw a nanitic foraging today, she climbed the wall. She tried to climb over the vaseline barrier and fell off. She tried again, and of course slipped. After slipping the second time I noticed she was having problems climbing at all. Then when she was walking it looked like she was having trouble walking, she ended up on her back a few times freaking out. She is still alive, but these symptoms are very much like the symptoms the first nanitic showed before she died. I have seen vaseline suggested many times as a barrier, has anyone ever had problems with it harming their ants?

[EdgarFromLatvia]

So, I may have figured out what happened ro my nanitics. I saw a nanitic foraging today, she climbed the wall. She tried to climb over the vaseline barrier and fell off. She tried again, and of course slipped. After slipping the second time I noticed she was having problems climbing at all. Then when she was walking it looked like she was having trouble walking, she ended up on her back a few times freaking out. She is still alive, but these symptoms are very much like the symptoms the first nanitic showed before she died. I have seen vaseline suggested many times as a barrier, has anyone ever had problems with it harming their ants?

I saw someone have the same problem too, so stop putting vaseline up! Try a different barrier.