3 replies to this topic

[futurebird]

When I got back from my vacation the overcrowding issue in my carpenter ant colony seemed... less dire. This was ominous. I looked in the trash pile... no die off. The queen was there... even the ant that I marked with paint was still in the nest. Then I discovered that they made a hole in the plastic cap on the nest. Shortly after I found all the missing ants. 

They had formed a satellite nest in the drawer where I keep my old formicariums. They had found their old nest!

The whole world was theirs and this is where they wanted to go. I was able to simply seal up the nest then attach it to the outworld. Then I had to catch a few strays, but it was remarkably easy considering all that could have gone wrong. 

I've ordered a much larger custom nest for them, but it will take some time... and if they miss their old plastic nest... FINE. I get it.

This is an argument for keeping your empty nests nearby IMO. 

This happened on a smaller scale with some of my other ants... they seem to miss their old nests some of the time. 

As for the plastic cap, they were able to chew through because it had a tube in it. I've resecured the nest with some putty fortified with steel wool. 

Have you ever found lost ants in an old nest?

[FloridaAnts]

When I got back from my vacation the overcrowding issue in my carpenter ant colony seemed... less dire. This was ominous. I looked in the trash pile... no die off. The queen was there... even the ant that I marked with paint was still in the nest. Then I discovered that they made a hole in the plastic cap on the nest. Shortly after I found all the missing ants. 
They had formed a satellite nest in the drawer where I keep my old formicariums. They had found their old nest!
The whole world was theirs and this is where they wanted to go. I was able to simply seal up the nest then attach it to the outworld. Then I had to catch a few strays, but it was remarkably easy considering all that could have gone wrong. 
I've ordered a much larger custom nest for them, but it will take some time... and if they miss their old plastic nest... FINE. I get it.
This is an argument for keeping your empty nests nearby IMO. 
This happened on a smaller scale with some of my other ants... they seem to miss their old nests some of the time. 
As for the plastic cap, they were able to chew through because it had a tube in it. I've resecured the nest with some putty fortified with steel wool. 
Have you ever found lost ants in an old nest?

I once woke up, checked on my pheidole colony. Weird. Queen, 99% of workers and brood were gone. For three days, I searched. Then, I gave up as they likely got outside… The next day, I went to water my Odontomachus… they were Camping in the ytong water reservoir… The Odontomachus didn't care they were in their nest, but they caused so much damage to the ytong that now every time I water them the nest has a lower level flood.

[Manitobant]

Lmao how do your carpenter ants keep escaping? I’d honestly just buy a tar heel nest at this point.

Edited by Manitobant, July 22 2022 - 11:16 AM.

[futurebird]

This one was all my fault. I knew the connection was a little risky, but they'd never messed with it before. 

Then I'm gone for 3 days and they act up. It's like they knew!