Rebellion?
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Rebellion?
I have what is an unidentified Formica colony of maybe 20 workers... The queen has been an egg laying machine in the past few days... However, I saw what is quite strange... Two workers turned on one worker and were wrestling her to the ground. When I woke up to inspect the nest the following morning, the working was beheaded and cast amongst the trash....
Any ideas on what caused this, and why it may have happened?
All theories and ideas welcome...
P.S. this occurred a few hours after feeding them live termites, of which they all savagely killed and then stored away... (oh I finally got to witness them feeding the ?larvae?
Any ideas on what caused this, and why it may have happened?
All theories and ideas welcome...
P.S. this occurred a few hours after feeding them live termites, of which they all savagely killed and then stored away... (oh I finally got to witness them feeding the ?larvae?
Re: Rebellion?
it could have been a deformed callow worker
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Re: Rebellion?
A callow worker?
Oh and I have a new problem, the queen is abandoning her workers and her brood and refuses to lay eggs.... Some days she is in her little cavern and other times she is just running wildly around the outworld.... What am I supposed to do? The workers dont seem to concerned with her either....
Oh and one of the ants finally emerged from its cocoon and is almost greyish compared to the other formica... Is this normal?
Oh and I have a new problem, the queen is abandoning her workers and her brood and refuses to lay eggs.... Some days she is in her little cavern and other times she is just running wildly around the outworld.... What am I supposed to do? The workers dont seem to concerned with her either....
Oh and one of the ants finally emerged from its cocoon and is almost greyish compared to the other formica... Is this normal?
Re: Rebellion?
How often are you looking at them? Queens need to be left alone for week's or month as a time. Disturbing them can cause stress which can cause the queen to stop laying eggs and even in the most extreme kill her young and or eat the eggs. During the founding stage you should be leaving her alone. You mentioned an out world? Colonies shouldn't be given an out world until they have at least 20-50 workers in most cases. I guess this is based on species but from what I have read and been told this is the case for most.
MadVampy
Head Forum Admin
Name is also Mike but please don't confuse me with Mikey Bustos, two different people.
Keeper of Solenopsis Ants.
Head Forum Admin
Name is also Mike but please don't confuse me with Mikey Bustos, two different people.
Keeper of Solenopsis Ants.
Re: Rebellion?
She has 20 workers... So I definitely think its an issue of checking up on her too much... She has brood and stopped laying eggs... And now she just hangs out in the outworld away from her workers...
I definitely think this is my fault of impatience....
I can try to leave her alone for a week or two before i check again...
I definitely think this is my fault of impatience....
I can try to leave her alone for a week or two before i check again...
Re: Rebellion?
wow i should probably stop giving my ants an out-world
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Re: Rebellion?
Why do you say that?
Re: Rebellion?
because my colony has 4 workers. I have a question though Why No Outworld they need food and feeding them i a tube is too messy and more likely to escape
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- idahoantgirl
- Posts: 1521
- Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:52 am
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Re: Rebellion?
I respectfully disagree... In the wild ants have access to to the outside world and they are fine, and i prefer to mimic this environment. I use this setup for founding colonies: http://www.formiculture.com/topic/4167-welcome-to-lazy-tube-serafines-camponotus-barbaricus/MadVampy wrote: ↑Wed May 23, 2018 1:35 pmHow often are you looking at them? Queens need to be left alone for week's or month as a time. Disturbing them can cause stress which can cause the queen to stop laying eggs and even in the most extreme kill her young and or eat the eggs. During the founding stage you should be leaving her alone. You mentioned an out world? Colonies shouldn't be given an out world until they have at least 20-50 workers in most cases. I guess this is based on species but from what I have read and been told this is the case for most.
scroll down a little to see the drinking straw method of connecting the clausteral chamber to the outworld.
Proverbs 6:6-8
Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
Keeping Tetramorium immigrans, Tapinoma Sessile
Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
Keeping Tetramorium immigrans, Tapinoma Sessile
Re: Rebellion?
I would agree with idahoantgirl. I do suggest if you are using a test tube portal as the first out world that you have tubing in between the test tube and the portal to minimize vibrations
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https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=19099
Includes :
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Queen Hunting
How To Identify Ants
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