21 replies to this topic

[Aliallaie]

Hello everyone.
So I posted a few weeks ago about my Pogonomyrmex occidentalis that I purchased in October. They weren’t growing, they were housed in a mini hearth. They didn’t seem to make it over 10 workers because they kept dying. After awhile I noticed they chewed through the mini hearths edge where the glass is magnetically connected. Thankfully I was able to find the escaped ones. 8 workers and queen. So I decided to move them back in a test tube. They seemed to do well in the tube. They reached 15 workers in maybe a month. Yesterday I check on them and all 15 workers are dead. The queen is just there with 3 larvae. They had water, I fed them seeds and everything. What is going on? I am at a loss and aggravated as to why they keep dying like this. If anyone has any advise or have experienced same issues please let me know. Thank you.

[Thunder_Birds]

Well, are you keeping them outside? If so, what has the temperature been since they had 15 workers? Because I have had this problem where I leave them outside, and then it gets to 100+ degrees and I fry them all. But it is weird that the queen survived...

[ponerinecat]

Sadly pogonomyrmex seem to love unexplained deaths like this. It's pretty normal.

[RushmoreAnts]

Perhaps you just got a queen with poor genetics.

[Aliallaie]

Thank you for the replies everyone. They are being kept inside with heat around lower to mid 80s. I have a temperature monitor. It did cross my mind that maybe it’s the queens genetics. It’s just really strange. 

[steam_funk]

I have had three Camponotus colonies with workers die slowly worker by worker. It could be fungus, disease, or parasites. The hardest part is since except for a few individual ant species have very little info on their care available. It could be some unknown care factor like diet or stress. Ants are pets that require a lot of luck.

[Mdrogun]

Did you purchase them from Tarheelants?

He, like many I see selling Pogonomyrmex occidentalis, don't actually rely on the queens to produce their first workers and instead brood boost them. This is fine in 90%+ of situations but in some situations, possibly like this one, it can result in a queen that was dealt a bad hand in the genetic lottery and is doomed to fail from the moment she was laid as an egg.

[Aliallaie]

Yes I bought them from THA. I was one of the first to buy them when it became available on their site.
I agree ant pets require a lot of luck. My first camponotus colony started dying just like how yours did. And now my 1 year old camponotus colony are having the same issue. Slowly dying one by one. If it’s genetic you think I should call Mack? Maybe get a replacement colony. His colonies are a year old now.

[Aliallaie]

Update. The queen died today.

[FSTP]

I'm sorry to hear your Queen died. 

 

Did you purchase them from Tarheelants?

He, like many I see selling Pogonomyrmex occidentalis, don't actually rely on the queens to produce their first workers and instead brood boost them. This is fine in 90%+ of situations but in some situations, possibly like this one, it can result in a queen that was dealt a bad hand in the genetic lottery and is doomed to fail from the moment she was laid as an egg.

 

 

Exactly why I was critical of THA when they first offered these queens. it seems a lot of the "colonies" sold have yet to produce their own genetic workers and are just boosted which can lead to the potential issues you outlined. 

Edited by FSTP, June 11 2020 - 1:23 PM.

[Aliallaie]

I'm sorry to hear your Queen died. 
 

Did you purchase them from Tarheelants?
He, like many I see selling Pogonomyrmex occidentalis, don't actually rely on the queens to produce their first workers and instead brood boost them. This is fine in 90%+ of situations but in some situations, possibly like this one, it can result in a queen that was dealt a bad hand in the genetic lottery and is doomed to fail from the moment she was laid as an egg.

 
 
Exactly why I was critical of THA when they first offered these queens. it seems a lot of the "colonies" sold have yet to produce their own genetic workers and are just boosted which can lead to the potential issues you outlined.

Yes exactly. In a way it seems that makes the queen weak. I'm pretty disappointed about the whole experience. I spent over 150$ to buy them. I was wondering has anyone else purchased them from THA. I’m really curious to know how their colonies have turned out. THA still has them for sale and claim they are now 1 year old colonies with workers.

[Kaelwizard]

My THA P. occidentalis colony also died.

[Aliallaie]

Did we ver contact THA about it?
Sorry I meant to ask did you ever contact THA about it?

My THA P. occidentalis colony also died.

[RushmoreAnts]

I did and mine is thriving. I must have got a queen with better genetics...........

[Aliallaie]

That’s great yeah you most likely did. 

[RushmoreAnts]

Unfortunately I don’t know of any other sellers more reliable than him, though.........

[Aliallaie]

Yeah I agree. I’ll probably buy one more from him at some point. Did you buy yours when it first came out or more recent?

[RushmoreAnts]

Yeah I agree. I’ll probably buy one more from him at some point. Did you buy yours when it first came out or more recent?

I bought mine recently. The queen had already produced many of her own workers when I got her. So that tells me that it’s better to buy a larger colony, as the queen has had more time to prove herself.

[Aliallaie]

Yessss I wish I had waited too the recent colonies are a year old and established. It’s for the same price too. It seems once any ant colony passes that first stage and becomes established is when they’re strong and more likely to survive 

[Kaelwizard]

I bought mine probably a couple weeks after they appeared on the store.