4 replies to this topic

[AntsNJ]

 

 

Recently, I've notice that my Camponotus colony moved into a corner of their outworld. At first it was almost all of the workers and brood, but now most of the brood is in the test tube nest, along with some workers. However, the queen continues to remain in the outworld. What is going on here, and how should I fix it? Thanks!

[BleepingBleepers]

I think once or twice I've had my ant Queens try to move out, like my Ecto ants. I mentioned it on the first page of my Ecto journal. It was because of too much disturbance.

 

I do notice that my carpenter ant Queen does not like the light much, the workers don't notice or react to it nearly as much or at all. Ecto ants, on the other hand, hate vibration / movements.

 

Basically: Maybe too much disturbance due to too light or vibrations or parameters are off and they're searching for a new place.

[AntsNJ]

The queen inexplicably moved back into the nest while I was reading your reply. How peculiar.

[BleepingBleepers]

The queen inexplicably moved back into the nest while I was reading your reply. How peculiar.

Yeah it's because she got nowhere else to go. The outworld is worst of all so she chose to go back in.

[Full_Frontal_Yeti]

I keep a colony of Pogonomyrmex Occidentalis.
The queen used to come to the outworld with some regularity early on.
In my first configuration it was a long walk to the outworld, but it was fairly small and lidded. So i believe from the Ant POV, it was just all nest and no "outside" to be in.

 

As the setup grew and changed, it eventually reached a state of more nest space and much more outworld with open air no lids.

Once i had a fairly large ratio of outworld to nest space, the queen no longer left the nest space even when disturbed. And now they seem to have a sense of nest entrance, outside, and deeper inside the nest.

When they get disturbed these days there is an obvious move towards deeper into the nest areas with brood and queen, away from their exit to "outside."
While defenders rush to mob the entrance to the nest area.