4 replies to this topic

[electricv]

I have recently collected a c. herculeanus(edit: C. Chromaiodes) from the inside of a rock(i have collected almost all brood and vast majority of workers) but they are keeping their dead/trash(I mistakenly found some ants without a queen or brood a few inches away from their rock and then those ants were killed and accounts for 2-3 deaths but there are around 5 total dead ) inside of the nest. this has been going on for 3-4 days. Will I have to move them out of the nest and get a new nest, will they eventually move it all out or is there something I can do? There outworld has no sand or dirt idk if that matters or not.

Edited by electricv, June 10 2019 - 2:59 PM.

[Acutus]

My C. chromaiodes colony kept the pile in the nest for awhile as well they eventually moved it out. Sometimes if there is too much room in a nest they just use an area inside.

[electricv]

oh ok because now they have just kept it all in 1 dedicated chamber and I am going to move them to a smaller nest now.

[Serafine]

This isnormal. My Camponotus barbaricus have a trash chamber in every one of their 6 nests (they are chained up so they effectively form one big nest). After a while they dump most of it into the outworld and then the cycle starts anew. Since the nest is fairly dry this never caused any issues (there are probably dustlice on the piles - there definitely are some on the outworld piles I regularly scoop up their nymphs with the trash) - but they're actually useful eating through the piles so fungus and mites can't establish at all).

Edited by Serafine, June 11 2019 - 10:06 AM.

[electricv]

This isnormal. My Camponotus barbaricus have a trash chamber in every one of their 6 nests (they are chained up so they effectively form one big nest). After a while they dump most of it into the outworld and then the cycle starts anew. Since the nest is fairly dry this never caused any issues (there are probably dustlice on the piles - there definitely are some on the outworld piles I regularly scoop up their nymphs with the trash) - but they're actually useful eating through the piles so fungus and mites can't establish at all).

I am just worried because I am keeping them in a plaster of paris Formicarium and I am afraid the things will start molding

Edited by electricv, June 12 2019 - 2:39 PM.