10 replies to this topic

[Devi]

I've been struggling to answer the question regarding why my pogonomyrmex occidentalis haven't been growing.  They've been tanking for a couple months now, and have gone from around 50 workers to around 10 now.  I believe I've finally figured it out, and I wanted to ask other antkeepers if they've had the same experience.  I have a test tube in the outworld to provide water for them, which has cotton in it.  I believe tiny strands (I can barely see them) get seperated from the cotton and get tangled up in the ant's limbs.  As such, they die struggling to remove it.  I'll go more into detail on my Pogonomyrmex blog, but I want to keep it short here.  

 

 I'm not sure if I just have bad cotton, or what the deal is...  Have any of you ever had ants dying because of cotton? 

[Zeiss]

I don't think that's the issue.  What did you see that made you come to that conclusion?  

[Devi]

I posted more in depth on my journal, but here is an excerpt from it.  

 

"I surveyed 15 dead ants from the outworld and closely inspected them for cotton strands.  It is incredibly hard to see, which is why I haven't ever seen it before, but an astounding 12 out of 15 dead workers had small bits of cotton entangled in their limbs."  

 

This is the main reason I think there might be a correlation of deaths and cotton.  

Edited by Devi, May 1 2022 - 1:45 PM.

[Zeiss]

Are you sure they're just not getting cotton on them from being dead and the other workers putting loose cotton in the trash?

 

I don't think it's the cotton killing them.

[Dumpling]

I think it's highly unlikely the cotton is killing them in the way you described, but I've had a worker death to cotton before. The queen got stuck in the cotton, and went crazy while trying to break free. During this she accidentaly stepped on her only worker several times, caused the worker to die. So unless something super unlucky like that is happening, I doubt cotton is the killer.

 

Just to see if the ants actually are though buy some pva sponges and use those. I think cocdeshijie is selling some.

Edited by Dumpling, May 1 2022 - 2:38 PM.

[Devi]

That crossed my mind, and I haven't entirely ruled it out principally because ants are pretty neat and like their trash piles, however I'm leaning towards no, because it's firmly attached to the limbs.  It seems unlikely, to me at least, that workers would try and attach cotton to other dead workers. 

 

(In response to Zeiss)

Edited by Devi, May 1 2022 - 2:36 PM.

[ZTYguy]

I just use pva sponges now. I don’t even deal with cotton cause it molds so easily and holds water so terribly compared to the sponge.

[AlexLebedev]

I just use pva sponges now. I don’t even deal with cotton cause it molds so easily and holds water so terribly compared to the sponge.

where can i buy pva sponges?

[ZTYguy]

 

I just use pva sponges now. I don’t even deal with cotton cause it molds so easily and holds water so terribly compared to the sponge.

where can i buy pva sponges?

 

There are a few people who sell it here but I suggest getting it from AntsEmporium. You can find a link in my signature 

[Dumpling]

Devi, have the deaths continued?

[T.C.]

 

I just use pva sponges now. I don’t even deal with cotton cause it molds so easily and holds water so terribly compared to the sponge.

where can i buy pva sponges?

 

You can buy your own PVA sponges and cut them out. I found a pack of 20 and cutting them all up took about 20 minutes. Later on a few leaked out so I don't use them all that much.