12 replies to this topic

[Rozema]

Hello,

 

I recently purchased a Camponotus cruentatus queen with eggs. WHen I recieved her she did not have any eggs. The chance she ate them on her trip are huge. 

 

She was very very mad and aggressive when I got her, she was tearing the cotton ball blocking her tube apart and almost escaped this way. Because she was out of water I put her in a new tube with fresh water. She ws still very agresive and attacked the cotton wool again. 

 

I tought meybe I can relax her a but with a drop of honeydew (although she is claustral). But because I could not open the tube without her making a kamikaze attempt to escape, I decided to connect a small feeding bow, approx 7 cm big. I connected it with a black test tube connector. She did not take the honeydew but immediatly found her space in the dark of the connector (I kept the test tube also in the dark). After 2 days she still did not eat and I decided to remove the outworld and put the cotton wool back in the tube. This made her furious! She even started to attack it with her gaster. 

 

Because she tore the cotton wool apart the tube was full of white bits. I could not see if it was cotton wool or eggs. There was also some of it in the connector. That's when I thought: what if she placed her eggs in the connector. So I immediatly placed the outworld back and she relaxed. 

 

I decided to place her in a dark closet where she is not disturbed and were the temperature is a constant 25 degrees C. I do not peek anymore but lately when I open the closet I can see a small part of the outworld. Almost all of the time she is sitting in this box instead of the tube. The last couple of days she is trying to climb the walls of this small box to escape. Because it has a lit (with holes for oxygen) she can not escape. Other times she is back in the test tube. 

 

What to do???

• Should I just let her go her way and do not disturb her for a couple of months?
• Should I try to get her back in the test tube and lock her in and then leave her alone?
• Should I place the tube in a larger container so she can walk in and out freely (I know this is only done with larger colonies)

 

Or should I just give this one up? Some say this behaviour is typical for workers so this case is hopeless. I just hope someone knows what's going on and has some advise. 

 

Thank you very much 

Edited by Rozema, October 7 2018 - 3:25 AM.

[Joehostile85]

I would put her test tube in a container since I don’t know if she’s fully-claustral or not. But have the test tube opening really small. If you know she’s Fully-claustral then I would seal the testube with cotton and just let her be.

Edited by Joehostile85, October 10 2018 - 5:00 AM.

[Rozema]

Yes, I locked her up again in the tube with cotton yesterday. I use aprox 10 m cotton. I decided to take a last look today and she was already half through her cotton and was trying to escape. I used an extra thick ball to prevent this, but she is tearing it apart with her jaws (don't know the English word sorry). She doesn;t even pay attention to me watching or the light. She is furiously trying to move the coton from the front to the back to escape. 

 

I now placed the test tube in a container. I also placed a clean tube, with water and cotton. I narrowed the entrance with a straw. I hope it is the tube she is not comfortable in and decide to move to another tube. I will leave her alone for now. 

[Joehostile85]

Maybe she is very hungry and that’s why she is trying to get out. I would give her an insect piece and a cotton ball soaked in sugar water.

[Rozema]

I already did that, she is not eating, at least not honeydew

 

but I will try to give her some fruitfly and sugar water

Edited by Rozema, October 10 2018 - 7:36 AM.

[Rozema]

So I gave her a cotton ball dipped in sugar water and she started to drink it immediatly. She drank it for 5 minutes and then started to wash herself. She looked very relaxed

Today she is still walking around in her outworld and isn't paying attention to the testtubes. 

 

I am really starting to wonder if she mated or just lost.  

[Joehostile85]

Well that’s a good sign she drank the sugar water. She might have been depleted and perhaps doesn’t care for honeydew? Did you give her a fruit fly too? If she starts eating that than it basicly means she was starving.

Now that she’s fed hopefully she will go back in the tube and start laying eggs! No need to give up on her unless she dies.

[Rozema]

I also gave fruitflies but I can’t see if she ate them. I don't want to disturb her anymore.

I keep the whole container on the dark. Do you think it is best to keep it in the light so she will hide in the darkened tubes? The probleem started when I placed her in the dark completely

[Rozema]

It looks like she is attracted to light.

There is only a small space of the container visable. This is the only part where light falls in when I open the closet. Everytime she hurries to this side and then just sits there

[antsandus]

https://rover.ebay.c...tm/263567056845

[Rozema]

Thanks, but you don't ship to my country.

 

I took a look yesterday and she was in a tube for the first time. She walked out of it when I fed her again and since then she is out of her tube again. I will just leave her be and see what happens

[Serafine]

I'd just put her in a REALLY quiet space (not a place you frequently visit) and leave her alone for a month. It's a good sign that she has been in the tube but it's likely that every little disturbance will make her freak out again.

[Rozema]

I will put her in the attic. The only problem is that I first have to buy something to keep her warm. 

She does not looked stressed at all. Even when I pick the box up (I only did this once), she is sitting calm and is washing herself. She doesn't even mind a bright spotlight on her.