12 replies to this topic

[SDinLA]

Hello everyone,

 

Beginner here. Got my first queen last year. I have a Camponotus CA02 queen. She had about 5-10 workers and a few eggs and seemed to be doing well. Then all the workers died/disappeared and her eggs disappeared. I'm assuming she ate them. She's still alive but not laying any eggs. She's in a test tube with water and kept in the dark. I leave her alone and only check on her once every 1-2 weeks. Any recommendations to get her to lay eggs again?

 

Thanks

[SleepyAsianAnter]

Is she heated? 

[SDinLA]

She is not. I was just looking at buying a zoo med 15w heating cable.

[nurbs]

Did you ever give them an outworld once they got workers? Or were they only in a test tube?

 

Once they get workers put them in a bin lined with .25 to .5 inches of dry sand and place the open test tube inside. You can feed via the outworld.

[SDinLA]

I had them in an outworld and had byformica feeder with perky pet humming bird nectar and one with sugar water. Once a week I would give them a chopped up meal worm or cut up cricket.

[nurbs]

Another common mistake I've seen is with the feeders, be sure not to overtighten or they cannot drink from it.

 

Give them a few drops of nectar into a bottle cap and see how receptive they are to it vs. the feeder.

 

I had them in an outworld and had byformica feeder with perky pet humming bird nectar and one with sugar water. Once a week I would give them a chopped up meal worm or cut up cricket.

[BlueLance213]

I had a very similar issue with mine as well, currently back at the egg laying stage which is great, I had mine in an outworld as well, but without a cotton stopper it seems the stress got to mine, they had plenty of food etc.

 

Also yeah sugary liquids on the ground on a small piece of foil will help keep it clean. Another person here uses straws to allow the ants to visit the outworld which I have actually started doing with my other ants, Fingers crossed you can get them to make a comeback!

[SDinLA]

Thanks for the feedback. Since it's just the queen now, should I keep trying to feed her or just give her some heat and keep her in the test tube with water and not feed her?

[BlueLance213]

For me, I put a piece of foil in with 2-3 crushed fruit flies, and a small piece of honey, about the size of her head, then I closed it and left it for 2 weeks, I just checked on her 2 days ago and was thankful for her to have some eggs.

 

Her tube was at roughly 22C for me, but I just got some heaters and she is at 25ish now. DO NOT put her tube on the heater, I put her in a box with the heater at the opposite side and have 2 thermometers in there monitoring it. I hope you get similar results.

[JenC]

For me, I put a piece of foil in with 2-3 crushed fruit flies, and a small piece of honey, about the size of her head, then I closed it and left it for 2 weeks, I just checked on her 2 days ago and was thankful for her to have some eggs.

Her tube was at roughly 22C for me, but I just got some heaters and she is at 25ish now. DO NOT put her tube on the heater, I put her in a box with the heater at the opposite side and have 2 thermometers in there monitoring it. I hope you get similar results.

How many workers does your colony have?

Edited by JenC, August 9 2020 - 8:05 PM.

[TechAnt]

For me, I put a piece of foil in with 2-3 crushed fruit flies, and a small piece of honey, about the size of her head, then I closed it and left it for 2 weeks, I just checked on her 2 days ago and was thankful for her to have some eggs.
Her tube was at roughly 22C for me, but I just got some heaters and she is at 25ish now. DO NOT put her tube on the heater, I put her in a box with the heater at the opposite side and have 2 thermometers in there monitoring it. I hope you get similar results.

How many workers does your colony have?

For me, I put a piece of foil in with 2-3 crushed fruit flies, and a small piece of honey, about the size of her head, then I closed it and left it for 2 weeks, I just checked on her 2 days ago and was thankful for her to have some eggs.
Her tube was at roughly 22C for me, but I just got some heaters and she is at 25ish now. DO NOT put her tube on the heater, I put her in a box with the heater at the opposite side and have 2 thermometers in there monitoring it. I hope you get similar results.

How many workers does your colony have?

For me, I put a piece of foil in with 2-3 crushed fruit flies, and a small piece of honey, about the size of her head, then I closed it and left it for 2 weeks, I just checked on her 2 days ago and was thankful for her to have some eggs.
Her tube was at roughly 22C for me, but I just got some heaters and she is at 25ish now. DO NOT put her tube on the heater, I put her in a box with the heater at the opposite side and have 2 thermometers in there monitoring it. I hope you get similar results.

How many workers does your colony have?

For me, I put a piece of foil in with 2-3 crushed fruit flies, and a small piece of honey, about the size of her head, then I closed it and left it for 2 weeks, I just checked on her 2 days ago and was thankful for her to have some eggs.
Her tube was at roughly 22C for me, but I just got some heaters and she is at 25ish now. DO NOT put her tube on the heater, I put her in a box with the heater at the opposite side and have 2 thermometers in there monitoring it. I hope you get similar results.

How many workers does your colony have?

For me, I put a piece of foil in with 2-3 crushed fruit flies, and a small piece of honey, about the size of her head, then I closed it and left it for 2 weeks, I just checked on her 2 days ago and was thankful for her to have some eggs.
Her tube was at roughly 22C for me, but I just got some heaters and she is at 25ish now. DO NOT put her tube on the heater, I put her in a box with the heater at the opposite side and have 2 thermometers in there monitoring it. I hope you get similar results.

How many workers does your colony have?

What happened to your quote-

[JenC]

Lag issues

[BlueLance213]

 

For me, I put a piece of foil in with 2-3 crushed fruit flies, and a small piece of honey, about the size of her head, then I closed it and left it for 2 weeks, I just checked on her 2 days ago and was thankful for her to have some eggs.

Her tube was at roughly 22C for me, but I just got some heaters and she is at 25ish now. DO NOT put her tube on the heater, I put her in a box with the heater at the opposite side and have 2 thermometers in there monitoring it. I hope you get similar results.

How many workers does your colony have?

 

Sadly zero workers, I had the same issue where they all died off, thankfully she has relaid eggs, just needing to give her time.