8 replies to this topic

[FelixTheAnter]

My Crematogaster scutellaris were just upgraded from a small round outworld, to a larger round outworld. A bunch of workers had escaped, so I dumped them all into the new outworld...and they started doing the endless death spiral.
Some of them are finding their way into and out of the nest, but a ton of them are just walking in an endless circle along the walls of the outworld. I tried wiping the sides of the outworld with alcohol to destroy their scent trail...but they ended up just going back at it again after about 10 minutes. How do I make them stop?!

[Virginian_ants]

Use vinegar I think it works better. Wipe it over their trail and make sure it's thick enough.

[ANTdrew]

Also direct a fan over the outworld. They will seek shelter in the nest.

[katzenhai2]

Why do you call it the "death spiral"? Do they drop dead after a while?

[ANTS_KL]

Why do you call it the "death spiral"? Do they drop dead after a while?

Yes, they walk themselves to death, using up all their energy to just walk around. In the wild, these spirals can last for days and usually end up dissipating by themselves. But there are still many cases of all the ants, or at least most of them, dying from exhaustion. At least that's what I remember reading. 

[FelixTheAnter]

Okay, I used a fan to get them all into the nest, then wiped over all the walls very well with a bunch of vinegar. Kept the fan on till it dried. Then went to bed.

They're back at it this morning! Just endlessly walking around the walls.

[ANTdrew]

Do they have plenty of nectar and fresh water to drink? I would keep the fan going gently today to send a strong message that the outworld is outside. If the queen and a core of attendants are in the nest, I think it will be fine. They need to calm down eventually.

[Puddingtempest]

facsinating problem.  I wouldn't be panicking though there's plenty of things you can do as a temporary fix.  it's an open top outworld so I assume the barrier is working well? PTFE or talc?  why not put a vertical line of the barrier down the side of the outworld, this would prevent circling.  Worst case scenario send them into the nest with a fan, plug the outworld and replace it with something larger, a different shape, or more natural.  Or put something in there, some digging medium or a tiny plant, preferably something that touches the sides of the glass at different heights.  It's too bleak in there, give them some landmarks.  

Edited by Puddingtempest, August 20 2023 - 5:59 AM.

[katzenhai2]

 

Why do you call it the "death spiral"? Do they drop dead after a while?

Yes, they walk themselves to death, using up all their energy to just walk around. In the wild, these spirals can last for days and usually end up dissipating by themselves. But there are still many cases of all the ants, or at least most of them, dying from exhaustion. At least that's what I remember reading. 

 

I'm not familiar with this species but is that typical for them in artificial captivity?

If it's just about you having read something somewhere: In that case I would be more relaxed until there are real casualties. Unfortunately it's true that a lot is written but much of it is not always accurately comprehensible from keeper to keeper.

Based on the images I would also say that the outworld seems a bit small for so many ants. They need stimulation! By introducing vertical elements such as (artificial) plants you can increase the surface area and consequently expand their foraging paths. This would provide more opportunities to engage and entertain them.


Example:

Edited by katzenhai2, August 20 2023 - 7:00 AM.