24 replies to this topic

[helpplease]

Hello hopefully I’m in the correct part for this question.

My son bought an ant farm. It contained a box a tube and a sandwich.

He started with lasius Niger ants these died. We then after a few months bought some fire ants.


It may be irrelevant to the events but things are sprouting from the sandwich. Do you know what this could be. I don’t think it’s excrement as it’s very much more like a dark shoot of a plant or something.

I’m not sure if I can add photos but I will try.


Any help gratefully received.

[helpplease]

I can’t see how to add the photo?

[Locness]

Is this sandwich from Subway? Helps to know locale.

[helpplease]

Ah sorry i don't know the terminology. i was under the impression it was called a sandwich. Its perhaps a 1cm wide a4 paper sized block of sand. 

 

 

[helpplease]

Here is pic

[helpplease]

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[UtahAnts]

Is this sandwich from Subway? Helps to know locale.

 

Haha I was thinking of the same thing.

 

Regardless of what they are, those sprouts should be removed as carefully as possible so as not to collapse the tunnels beneath. Did you add seeds to the soil in the sandwich?

[The_Gaming-gate]

Hello hopefully I’m in the correct part for this question.

My son bought an ant farm. It contained a box a tube and a sandwich.

He started with lasius Niger ants these died. We then after a few months bought some fire ants.


It may be irrelevant to the events but things are sprouting from the sandwich. Do you know what this could be. I don’t think it’s excrement as it’s very much more like a dark shoot of a plant or something.

I’m not sure if I can add photos but I will try.


Any help gratefully received.

Remove all sprouts with tweezers, but do it carefully! You could also snip them with scissors. The sprouts shouldn’t harm the ants assuming they are plants, but dark colored sprouts could be a fungus which will negatively affect your colony.

Edited by The_Gaming-gate, April 15 2024 - 11:39 AM.

[helpplease]

 

Is this sandwich from Subway? Helps to know locale.

 

Haha I was thinking of the same thing.

 

Regardless of what they are, those sprouts should be removed as carefully as possible so as not to collapse the tunnels beneath. Did you add seeds to the soil in the sandwich?

 

Hi no we didn't purposefully add anything other than what came with the kit. 

We will do that with some tweezers. 

 

Is sandwich the wrong term for the slim sand box? 

 

Many thanks for your reply. 

[helpplease]

 

Hello hopefully I’m in the correct part for this question.

My son bought an ant farm. It contained a box a tube and a sandwich.

He started with lasius Niger ants these died. We then after a few months bought some fire ants.


It may be irrelevant to the events but things are sprouting from the sandwich. Do you know what this could be. I don’t think it’s excrement as it’s very much more like a dark shoot of a plant or something.

I’m not sure if I can add photos but I will try.


Any help gratefully received.

Remove all sprouts with tweezers, but do it carefully! You could also snip them with scissors. The sprouts shouldn’t harm the ants assuming they are plants, but dark colored sprouts could be a fungus which will negatively affect your colony.

 

Ok thank you i will do. Bearing in mind weve had this set since pretty much january 24 what could be causing the possible fungus? Could it be the fact we have put two types of ant in there at differing times? NB they were never in there together at same time. 

 

We are very new at all this so any help gratefully received. 

 

 

thanks

[The_Gaming-gate]

Hello hopefully I’m in the correct part for this question.

My son bought an ant farm. It contained a box a tube and a sandwich.

He started with lasius Niger ants these died. We then after a few months bought some fire ants.


It may be irrelevant to the events but things are sprouting from the sandwich. Do you know what this could be. I don’t think it’s excrement as it’s very much more like a dark shoot of a plant or something.

I’m not sure if I can add photos but I will try.


Any help gratefully received.

Remove all sprouts with tweezers, but do it carefully! You could also snip them with scissors. The sprouts shouldn’t harm the ants assuming they are plants, but dark colored sprouts could be a fungus which will negatively affect your colony.

Ok thank you i will do. Bearing in mind weve had this set since pretty much january 24 what could be causing the possible fungus? Could it be the fact we have put two types of ant in there at differing times? NB they were never in there together at same time.

We are very new at all this so any help gratefully received.


thanks

It doesn’t have to do much with the ants, but the sprout could be growing from their excrements. As long as you keep your ant farm nice and tidy, the sprouts shouldn’t be an issue.

Edited by The_Gaming-gate, April 16 2024 - 3:55 AM.

[helpplease]

ok great thanks

[Artisan_Ants]

If you have fed them things like seeds then that could be the case but you mentioned fungus. That means the setup is either overwatered or like what The_Gaming_Gate explained; it could be their excrements which I believe is the main case here. What have you fed them lately? That would help. You did mention that they were fire ants; but do you know what species?

[bmb1bee]

Don't listen to me, but that looks an awful lot like Cordyceps. Just an observation, not a concrete suggestion of what it might be.

[The_Gaming-gate]

[quote name="Artisan_Ants" post="238828" timestamp="1713305810"]
If you have fed them things like seeds then that could be the case but you mentioned fungus. That means the setup is either overwatered or like what The_Gaming_Gate explained; it could be their excrements which I believe is the main case here. What have you fed them lately? That would help. You did mention that they were fire ants; but do you know what species?[/quote]We can assume it’s either S. invicta, or S. geminata considering they were bought, and it’s illegal to transport S. invicta (a common species which I’d usually suggest.) I also don’t think they’d feed fire ants seeds.
[quote name="Artisan_Ants" post="238828" timestamp="1713305810"]
I

Edited by The_Gaming-gate, April 16 2024 - 6:14 PM.

[futurebird]

Are there fine white thread like things all through the soil at the base of these growths? If so it's a fungus and could mean overwatering. 

 

How are the ants doing? 

[futurebird]

If they are feeding them seeds and calling them "fire ants" they are probably Pogonomyrmex. Pogonomyrmex are red and they sting and some people call all ants that are red and sting "fire ants"

 

Pogonomyrmex don't need super damp conditions. They live in the desert. The growths are probably some of their seeds sprouting. 

[helpplease]

hi i will check when my son is back from school. I don't believe he feeds them seeds. Will check and revert on all points

 

 

thank you all 

[The_Gaming-gate]

Don't listen to me, but that looks an awful lot like Cordyceps. Just an observation, not a concrete suggestion of what it might be.

That’s an issue- it actually does. As long as they are sure to remove the *entire* sprout, it should be fine, I think. I’m assuming any Cordyceps would be growing on dead ants beneath the sand.

Edited by The_Gaming-gate, April 17 2024 - 4:39 AM.

[Flu1d]

If they are feeding them seeds and calling them "fire ants" they are probably Pogonomyrmex. Pogonomyrmex are red and they sting and some people call all ants that are red and sting "fire ants"

Pogonomyrmex don't need super damp conditions. They live in the desert. The growths are probably some of their seeds sprouting.

I fully agree with you, however let's not forget that Solenopsis geminata can eat seeds.