10 replies to this topic

[CAantz]

I have a colony of low-elevation Camponotus Vicinus around 25 workers and they have a couple of small larvae. I believe that they are in brumation. Does anyone know when the queen will start laying again? I was heating them for a while to get her to lay but it didn’t work.

[AntsCali098]

I have a colony as well, no new eggs yet either. I think after winter for this species, they might take till spring to start laying again. Camponotus are usually not the fastest egg layers in a small colony.

[UtahAnts]

Usually by the end of February or early March. Assuming you're from a warm part of Cali, maybe even earlier. 

 

My colony was in a similar spot this time last year, see here.

[T.C.]

I'm confused why you posted this same thread at 5:02 PM and at 9:32 AM

 

https://www.formicul...inus-questions/

[CAantz]

Oops, I may have done it twice, but the times for me say 11:02 and 3:32 which wasn’t the time I posted it. I will delete the second post.

[CAantz]

About a week ago some worker ants started to walk around jerkily and would keep flipping over and end up dying. This strange behavior has continued and I am worried that the whole colony will die like this. Has anyone seen this behavior in their ants, know what causes it, or how to stop it?

[CAantz]

The colony is now down to 10 workers from 25 because of these mysterious symptoms.  

[CAantz]

Here is a video of yet another worker dying.

[CAantz]

https://share.icloud...qhOAy2qi2AfFn7g

[UtahAnts]

What type of formicarium are they in? Any visible mites or questionable foods you've fed recently?

[CAantz]

They are in a test tube set up attached to a plastic box as an out world with sand at the bottom. I have a liquid feeder that has red hummingbird nectar in it. I have been feeding the ants mealworms and darkling beetles. I have also fed them a couple of earwigs and isopods from my backyard that have been frozen and then thawed. I noticed that the ants always stand on top of the isopod or earwig and never go back into the test tube. From my observations the ants that get obsessed with the bug will end up dying in that weird way, which why I now only feed them mealworms. The ants do not have the strange reaction with mealworms. I have checked and there are no mites on either the ants or few brood that they have.

Edited by CAantz, March 1 2023 - 4:47 PM.