18 replies to this topic

[DerpyBoas]

A little background, this is my first year of ant keeping and I bought a Camponotus nova queen in July. They had been doing great, till about a week ago. A few days after they moved out of a moldy test tube, the workers started to die one by one. I was up to 10 workers, now 0.

They almost looked like they were having seizures or something. It took 3 days till the last worker died. They werent all effected at once, but once they showed symptoms they died fast and it spread in the colony.

I've monitored the queen and she seems to be doing fine. She does seem... depressed? I don't really know how to describe it. She has some brood left, a couple larvae and eggs, but she isn't taking care of them as well as she did before. She has even laid some new eggs I think.

Is my first colony a lost cause or can I still save the queen and help her out? Advice?

Thread to my journal so you can look into my care of them, though it hasnt been updated with the latest.

http://www.formicult...updated-aug-24/

[Kaelwizard]

You will have to feed her. She might not make it if she doesn’t have workers soon.

[Amazant]

This happened to me as well except only the queen died, if you haven’t removed the workers I would do it soon because it could be a disease. She probably won’t have enough reserves to help her and her brood survive so give her some honey and maybe a chopped up mealworm or cricket leg.

[DerpyBoas]

I removed the workers already.

Ill start trying to feed her. She has a couple large larvae and I guess I'll hope for the best.

I'm sad, for being my first colony they were doing so good.

[Amazant]

She’ll probably have workers again soon, good luck!

[MrPurpleB]

Two of my C.Vicinus had a similar issue. They seem to be doing fine and one of them has a single worker and some pupae almost ready to eclose (hope I'm using the term correctly). The queens seem to be doing fine, I just hope they are able to have more workers and not die.

[DerpyBoas]

Unfortunately the queen is now dying like the rest of the colony. Guess Ill have to try again next year.

Thanks for the advice and words of encouragement though.

[Amazant]

If you don’t want to wait until next year you could sign up to the GAN project by ants Canada where people who catch extra queens will sell some to you, there are like 12 people in Michigan. Or you could wait till next year and have the full experience of catching and raising a queen like you mentioned.

[Kaelwizard]

Or you could spend $60-90 on P. occidentalis...

[B_rad0806]

same thing happened to me multiple times. They all never made it

[Amazant]

60-90$ is really expensive you can get camponotus and a lot of other cool species for a lot cheaper in your area.

[Kaelwizard]

I meant if they want one now and are willing to spend that amount of money.

[AntJohnny]

I live in Michigan and have allot of colonies caught this year if you would like to try to raise more. I just put them in hibernation. I have about a dozen Camponotus species some pennsylvanicus. And some nova. All with a few dozen in there brood piles and anywhere from 4 to 10 workers. I also have 2 Myrmica colonies both with 2 queens each. I caught one pavement ant queen but she ate her eggs so I don't think she is fertile. I have a 3 queen Tapinoma sessille colony. A Ponera pennsylvanica queen 1 lasious neoniger colony and a few more colonies that I can't really remember the names of. Camponotus are really easy to raise although they take the longest to go from egg to worker. I'm not looking to make any money I know how it feels when you lose a colony. If you would like a colony send me a message.

[Kaelwizard]

I live in Michigan and have allot of colonies caught this year if you would like to try to raise more. I just put them in hibernation. I have about a dozen Camponotus species some pennsylvanicus. And some nova. All with a few dozen in there brood piles and anywhere from 4 to 10 workers. I also have 2 Myrmica colonies both with 2 queens each. I caught one pavement ant queen but she ate her eggs so I don't think she is fertile. I have a 3 queen Tapinoma sessille colony. A Ponera pennsylvanica queen 1 lasious neoniger colony and a few more colonies that I can't really remember the names of. Camponotus are really easy to raise although they take the longest to go from egg to worker. I'm not looking to make any money I know how it feels when you lose a colony. If you would like a colony send me a message.

well I guess I’m the most unlucky ant keeper in MI then.

[TennesseeAnts]

I live in Michigan and have allot of colonies caught this year if you would like to try to raise more. I just put them in hibernation. I have about a dozen Camponotus species some pennsylvanicus. And some nova. All with a few dozen in there brood piles and anywhere from 4 to 10 workers. I also have 2 Myrmica colonies both with 2 queens each. I caught one pavement ant queen but she ate her eggs so I don't think she is fertile. I have a 3 queen Tapinoma sessille colony. A Ponera pennsylvanica queen 1 lasious neoniger colony and a few more colonies that I can't really remember the names of. Camponotus are really easy to raise although they take the longest to go from egg to worker. I'm not looking to make any money I know how it feels when you lose a colony. If you would like a colony send me a message.

well I guess I’m the most unlucky ant keeper in MI then.

Just keep at it, and you'll get some nice colonies going.

[AntJohnny]

I have allot of large colonies the ones I posted were most of the queens I caught this year. The colonies I didn't name are the ones I wouldn't want to get rid off. I think the queens that already had there nanatics. And layed there 2nd and 3rd generation eggs were fed allot more protien then they needed. I was having problems with over population with Dubia roaches and meal worms so I fed them allot.

[AntJohnny]

I live in Michigan and have allot of colonies caught this year if you would like to try to raise more. I just put them in hibernation. I have about a dozen Camponotus species some pennsylvanicus. And some nova. All with a few dozen in there brood piles and anywhere from 4 to 10 workers. I also have 2 Myrmica colonies both with 2 queens each. I caught one pavement ant queen but she ate her eggs so I don't think she is fertile. I have a 3 queen Tapinoma sessille colony. A Ponera pennsylvanica queen 1 lasious neoniger colony and a few more colonies that I can't really remember the names of. Camponotus are really easy to raise although they take the longest to go from egg to worker. I'm not looking to make any money I know how it feels when you lose a colony. If you would like a colony send me a message.

well I guess I’m the most unlucky ant keeper in MI then.

What species haven't you had luck with.

[Kaelwizard]

My Formica always die after one day. My Lasius colony killed their queen while I collected them. My boosted tetra colony died of completely unknown reasons. Same goes for the P. occidentalis I ordered off of tarheelants.

[AntJohnny]

A few weeks back I caught a non parasitic Lasious she was the first healthy one I caught with a small brood. Every lasious I've found have been parasitic or unhealthy. I kept a free parasitic one has a few hundred workers now. And 2 other colonies I caught recent idk if the excepted the queen. Like I said tho if you want any of the colonies I have let me know most of them have a few workers and a decent amount of brood. I have 2 mrymica colonies both with 2 queens that I can't get to grow they lay the same amount of eggs as the workers that die. And all the Camponotus I got are growing good and at a decent rate. Most have laid 3 or 4 batches of eggs since I've caught them during there flights. I've noticed some times the colonies just won't make it no matter what condition they are kept in. I am hoping all the ones who made it this year keep going good.