I have a 400-500 worker colony of Tetramorium immigrans living in a couple test tubes connected to a large outworld. They had a very impressive amount of brood. Currently, all their brood are large larvae and young pupae.
However, looking into the outworld yesterday, I saw roughly a third of the pupae as well as a few callows in the garbage pile. A few still look alive and healthy, but most are shriveled up and dead. Luckily, the pile of dead brood hasn't been growing since I first spotted it.
The brood in the nest looks healthy. The queen is healthy. They are getting plenty of food, both sweets and insects. I make sure they always have a clean tube to move into if needed.
What might have caused them to throw out a large percentage of their brood, how much will this set them back, and is there a way to prevent this in the future?
Edited by Mettcollsuss, October 4 2018 - 5:02 PM.
