57 replies to this topic

[AntsTopia]

Hi everyone! So if you were not aware or saw of the drama or whatever on the first journal I'll basically just update you. I bought a colony of Atta off of a guy on the antscanada website for NY and found that he is selling atta. Contacted him and bought. Then i created a journal and everyone was very disappointed in me (sorry) that I bought from a dude that broke the law. I tried cancelling the order but it was already too late and was shipped. So now we land here. With a lost package. Yes, a atta colony is lost in the USPS system and they are trying to track it. I'm really pissed at USPS about this crap. Welp there really isn't anything I can do but wait. Will update if Ants arrive.

Edited by AntsTopia, February 7 2024 - 9:12 AM.

[DevinTheAntKeeper]

So you just bought a atta queen knowing that it was breaking the law? I'm not mad just disappointed. You could still take care of them it will just be harder.

[AntsTopia]

So you just bought a atta queen knowing that it was breaking the law? I'm not mad just disappointed. You could still take care of them it will just be harder.

No, I did not know it was illegal until some ant keepers informed me here on Formiculture. I thought that if the seller is in NY (where I am) that it would be legal for me. But, I was informed that it is still illegal. I now learned from my mistake and will move on. If I do not want the colony anymore, I will freeze them.  

[Jonathan5608]

Hope they arrive healthy.

[AntsTopia]

UPDATE 1 

I got the Wakooshi leaf cutter ant pod yesterday and I got it to the correct temp and humidity. After many attempts on different rooms in my house. The temp and humidity right now is at 24 Celsius and 99% humidity which is great and the leaf cutters will thrive. That is assuming I get them...   

[BleepingBleepers]

That's so goofy that out of all the packages they lose in the mail, they had to lose THAT one. Such a facepalming experience

I wonder if it's ever a thing where they're holding a package due to some kind of suspicion? Anyhow, we PM'd last night, still wishing it ends on a positive note for you AND of course, the ants.

I can't keep ATTA's as I heard they have a strong smell and my health deteriorates real fast if there's smells.

[AntsTopia]

That's so goofy that out of all the packages they lose in the mail, they had to lose THAT one. Such a facepalming experience

I wonder if it's ever a thing where they're holding a package due to some kind of suspicion? Anyhow, we PM'd last night, still wishing it ends on a positive note for you AND of course, the ants.

I can't keep ATTA's as I heard they have a strong smell and my health deteriorates real fast if there's smells.

Yeah It is possible USPS has some kind of suspicion. I mean I don't think there are Atta species in California. Still that kind of worries me that they smell. 

[AntsTopia]

Update #2

The package has not moved but I am pretty sure the fungus and the ants are dead. No way they can survive the heat wave over New York right now. 

[Jonathan5608]

Update #2
The package has not moved but I am pretty sure the fungus and the ants are dead. No way they can survive the heat wave over New York right now.

Sry man. But of advice make sure not to spend so much on live inverts given this stuff can happen.

Edited by Jonathan5608, July 29 2023 - 5:07 PM.

[CAantz]

I’ve learned that the hard way as well

[BleepingBleepers]

Update #2

The package has not moved but I am pretty sure the fungus and the ants are dead. No way they can survive the heat wave over New York right now. 

Not gonna lie, after like a week of you not saying much about it, I didn't think they'd be alive even then.

 

But who knows, miracles have been known to happen!

 

Again, for that ONE package to disappear, I'm awfully suspicious that they somehow got wind of it and held it.

Did you call them and ask? I wonder if the address was written correctly as well. Gotta be SOMETHING....

I wonder if you can still somehow get your money [partially] back on this if you contact paypal or your CC company? The delivery company is the ones that lost the package, you should have some kind of compensation....

[Full_Frontal_Yeti]

 

Update #2

The package has not moved but I am pretty sure the fungus and the ants are dead. No way they can survive the heat wave over New York right now. 

Not gonna lie, after like a week of you not saying much about it, I didn't think they'd be alive even then.

 

But who knows, miracles have been known to happen!

 

Again, for that ONE package to disappear, I'm awfully suspicious that they somehow got wind of it and held it.

Did you call them and ask? I wonder if the address was written correctly as well. Gotta be SOMETHING....

I wonder if you can still somehow get your money [partially] back on this if you contact paypal or your CC company? The delivery company is the ones that lost the package, you should have some kind of compensation....

 

real different POV here.

They were involved with an online sketchy.

They were behaving well out of bounds.

I'd say the money they are out is the reasonably low cost of a good life lesson learned. And acting as if they were wronged and deserve some kind of compensation for their 'loss' is pushing the luck/bounds of decency.

Let it go and be glad the problem you created might just be a self solving one that costs you nothing more than what you've spent and what face you've lost among your peers for it.

 

Seeking to be compensated for your lost illegal expenditure money sounds a bit below the sleaze bar of not being real about what you were doing in the first place. Accept the windfall of an easy cheap exit from a self created bad situation and move on to less sketchy territory.

[BleepingBleepers]

^ Yeah you're probably right on the matter.

 

As I mainly only do business with legit sellers that follow strict rules and regulations when selling live animals, I haven't came across many such cases like this. The reason I'm sympathizing with OP is because he didn't know of it until it was too late and he seemed quite straightforward with his mistakes, which I commend him on. For me, what's done is done and I just wanted the live animals that have done nothing wrong to at least make it out alive. I do believe he's done something wrong, but at the same time, we all make mistakes. A repeat offender would be another story. Personally, I don't look down on him for this one mistake, he's regretted his decision and said he'll not repeat it. While I don't have as much faith in humanity, I do try to give people the benefit of the doubt and the chance that I feel like they deserve as I would want for myself.

[Jonathan5608]

.

Edited by Jonathan5608, July 31 2023 - 11:31 AM.

[AntsTopia]

#Update 3

USPS accidentally sent it to another state and then they retrieved it and now it’s in the usps facility and they are going to return it back to me. I feel so bad for the ants. However I got a reimbursement on PayPal.

 

For the people who think that I got the ants from another state, the person I bought it from was in my current state. However redistribution is still illegal. I am hoping for a miracle because the temperature in my area has been really humid and the temp has been a solid 80 for the past 2 or 3 weeks so hopefully the ants arrive alive with fungus intact. 

[Jonathan5608]

Glad you got reimbursed. Remember not worth spending big money on ants

[AntsTopia]

Wow. Just wow. Never underestimate the power of ants.

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[Ernteameise]

So are these still alive?

Were you able to save them?

I keep my fingers crossed, because none of this was actually the fault of the ants.

[AntsTopia]

So are these still alive?
Were you able to save them?
I keep my fingers crossed, because none of this was actually the fault of the ants.

I just opened the box now and put them in the wakooshi nest. The queen was unbothered and the workers were focused on rebuilding the fungus. The colony unexpectedly is fine.

Edited by AntsTopia, August 24 2023 - 11:15 AM.

[Virginian_ants]

wow they are tough good luck.