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Die off

pogonomyrmex

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#1 Offline AntsGodzilla - Posted September 9 2024 - 11:57 AM

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My pogonomyrmex rugosus just had a 7 worker die-off in three days. What happened? Unless feeding them dead fruit flies id bad, I haven't changed anything.


Edited by AntsGodzilla, September 9 2024 - 12:06 PM.

I keep:

pogonomyrmex rugosus

myrmecocystus depilis

monomorium ergatogyna

And many Carnivorous plants such as: Dionea muscipula (fly trap), Sarracenia x 'Fiona' ( American Pitcher plant), Nepenthese ventrata (Tropical Pitcher plant), and Pinguicula agnata x emarginata (Butterwort) (show off your plants here)

Godzilla thread

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores it's provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Proverbs 6: 6-8

 

Multiple ant colonies coming soon...


#2 Offline AntsGodzilla - Posted September 9 2024 - 12:12 PM

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I mean, I did just give them humming bird nectar, but my myrmecocystus drink it and nothing bad happens to them,


I keep:

pogonomyrmex rugosus

myrmecocystus depilis

monomorium ergatogyna

And many Carnivorous plants such as: Dionea muscipula (fly trap), Sarracenia x 'Fiona' ( American Pitcher plant), Nepenthese ventrata (Tropical Pitcher plant), and Pinguicula agnata x emarginata (Butterwort) (show off your plants here)

Godzilla thread

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores it's provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Proverbs 6: 6-8

 

Multiple ant colonies coming soon...


#3 Offline ANTdrew - Posted September 9 2024 - 1:59 PM

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What brand of hummingbird nectar?
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#4 Offline AntsGodzilla - Posted September 9 2024 - 2:03 PM

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pennington


I keep:

pogonomyrmex rugosus

myrmecocystus depilis

monomorium ergatogyna

And many Carnivorous plants such as: Dionea muscipula (fly trap), Sarracenia x 'Fiona' ( American Pitcher plant), Nepenthese ventrata (Tropical Pitcher plant), and Pinguicula agnata x emarginata (Butterwort) (show off your plants here)

Godzilla thread

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores it's provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Proverbs 6: 6-8

 

Multiple ant colonies coming soon...


#5 Offline IdioticMouse26 - Posted September 9 2024 - 5:58 PM

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Were the fruit flies wild ones? They could have carried germs/parasites. If you found them dead, they could have been sprayed with bug spray.



#6 Offline cooIboyJ - Posted September 10 2024 - 6:36 AM

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The workers could've been older nanitics/workers that have finally died. 


Edited by cooIboyJ, September 10 2024 - 6:36 AM.

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“You’ll survive” -wise man.
Currently keeping:
Brachymyrmex patagonicus

Solenopsis invicta

Crematogaster sp.


#7 Offline AntsGodzilla - Posted September 10 2024 - 8:17 AM

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The workers could've been older nanitics/workers that have finally died. 

Now that I think about it, it was probably that because I haven't seen much dead so far.


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I keep:

pogonomyrmex rugosus

myrmecocystus depilis

monomorium ergatogyna

And many Carnivorous plants such as: Dionea muscipula (fly trap), Sarracenia x 'Fiona' ( American Pitcher plant), Nepenthese ventrata (Tropical Pitcher plant), and Pinguicula agnata x emarginata (Butterwort) (show off your plants here)

Godzilla thread

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores it's provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Proverbs 6: 6-8

 

Multiple ant colonies coming soon...


#8 Offline bmb1bee - Posted September 10 2024 - 10:00 AM

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I mean, I did just give them humming bird nectar, but my myrmecocystus drink it and nothing bad happens to them,

P. rugosus don't need hummingbird nectar. It'd be wise to invest in a bag of untreated grass seeds, since they normally eat seeds in the wild. I'd also use larger insects than fruit flies for a better protein boost. Regarding dead workers, it could be one out of a variety of reasons such as lack of food, nanitics aging, or a bad batch of nectar provided.


"Float like a butterfly sting like a bee, his eyes can't hit what the eyes can't see."
- Muhammad Ali

Check out my shop and parasitic Lasius journal! Discord user is bmb1bee if you'd like to chat.

Also check out my YouTube channel: @bmb1bee


#9 Offline AntsTx - Posted September 10 2024 - 10:32 AM

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P. rugosus don't need hummingbird nectar. It'd be wise to invest in a bag of untreated grass seeds, since they normally eat seeds in the wild. I'd also use larger insects than fruit flies for a better protein boost. Regarding dead workers, it could be one out of a variety of reasons such as lack of food, nanitics aging, or a bad batch of nectar provided.

I buy this brand of dandelion seeds and they are the favorite of my P. occidentalis colony but that could just be P. occidentalis.


Currently Keeping:

Camponotus texanus x2                                             Pheidole obtusospinosa - Pupae

Camponotus vicinus - 15-20 workers                         Solenopsis xyloni x7 - Batch of eggs

Camponotus pennsylvanicus - 75-85 workers           Pheidole lamia - Batch of eggs

Crematogaster lineolata x4 - 40-50 workers

Dorymyrmex bureni - 3 workers

Solenopsis invicta - 10000-15000 workers

Formica spp. - 5 workers

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis x2

 


#10 Offline bmb1bee - Posted September 10 2024 - 10:47 AM

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I buy this brand of dandelion seeds and they are the favorite of my P. occidentalis colony but that could just be P. occidentalis.

Yeah, I also use dandelion seeds. I typically collect those by hand, though perhaps growing and culturing them myself would be more efficient.


"Float like a butterfly sting like a bee, his eyes can't hit what the eyes can't see."
- Muhammad Ali

Check out my shop and parasitic Lasius journal! Discord user is bmb1bee if you'd like to chat.

Also check out my YouTube channel: @bmb1bee


#11 Offline mete - Posted September 11 2024 - 2:32 AM

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My pogonomyrmex rugosus just had a 7 worker die-off in three days. What happened? Unless feeding them dead fruit flies id bad, I haven't changed anything.

 

I wonder how large and old is the colony ?



#12 Online RushmoreAnts - Posted September 11 2024 - 5:47 AM

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Yes, Pogonomyrmex have no need for sugars, and seeds is their primary diet. If you haven't been giving them seeds and not many fruit flies they are probably starving to death.


"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis


#13 Offline AntsGodzilla - Posted September 11 2024 - 6:42 AM

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Yes, Pogonomyrmex have no need for sugars, and seeds is their primary diet. If you haven't been giving them seeds and not many fruit flies they are probably starving to death.

No, they have plenty of seeds, and up until a a week ago hey have had a bunch of fruit flies, I just need to restock them when I have time.


 

My pogonomyrmex rugosus just had a 7 worker die-off in three days. What happened? Unless feeding them dead fruit flies id bad, I haven't changed anything.

 

I wonder how large and old is the colony ?

 

About 40 workers and around seven months.


I keep:

pogonomyrmex rugosus

myrmecocystus depilis

monomorium ergatogyna

And many Carnivorous plants such as: Dionea muscipula (fly trap), Sarracenia x 'Fiona' ( American Pitcher plant), Nepenthese ventrata (Tropical Pitcher plant), and Pinguicula agnata x emarginata (Butterwort) (show off your plants here)

Godzilla thread

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores it's provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Proverbs 6: 6-8

 

Multiple ant colonies coming soon...


#14 Offline Yusteponant - Posted September 11 2024 - 7:18 AM

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For my Pogonomyrmex Rugosus I feed them mostly seeds and insect protein now and then. I use dandelion, kentucky blue grass and chia.



#15 Offline AntsGodzilla - Posted September 11 2024 - 3:01 PM

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yeah that's what I do


I keep:

pogonomyrmex rugosus

myrmecocystus depilis

monomorium ergatogyna

And many Carnivorous plants such as: Dionea muscipula (fly trap), Sarracenia x 'Fiona' ( American Pitcher plant), Nepenthese ventrata (Tropical Pitcher plant), and Pinguicula agnata x emarginata (Butterwort) (show off your plants here)

Godzilla thread

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores it's provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Proverbs 6: 6-8

 

Multiple ant colonies coming soon...


#16 Offline AntsGodzilla - Posted September 19 2024 - 1:35 PM

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Ok another 10 died. It's not the food, and there is nothing visiable wrong.


Edited by AntsGodzilla, September 19 2024 - 1:35 PM.

I keep:

pogonomyrmex rugosus

myrmecocystus depilis

monomorium ergatogyna

And many Carnivorous plants such as: Dionea muscipula (fly trap), Sarracenia x 'Fiona' ( American Pitcher plant), Nepenthese ventrata (Tropical Pitcher plant), and Pinguicula agnata x emarginata (Butterwort) (show off your plants here)

Godzilla thread

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores it's provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Proverbs 6: 6-8

 

Multiple ant colonies coming soon...


#17 Offline cooIboyJ - Posted September 19 2024 - 2:20 PM

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Must be just bad queens.


“You’ll survive” -wise man.
Currently keeping:
Brachymyrmex patagonicus

Solenopsis invicta

Crematogaster sp.


#18 Offline AntsGodzilla - Posted September 19 2024 - 2:29 PM

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No, I bought them from THA and she's been alive for 9+ months


I keep:

pogonomyrmex rugosus

myrmecocystus depilis

monomorium ergatogyna

And many Carnivorous plants such as: Dionea muscipula (fly trap), Sarracenia x 'Fiona' ( American Pitcher plant), Nepenthese ventrata (Tropical Pitcher plant), and Pinguicula agnata x emarginata (Butterwort) (show off your plants here)

Godzilla thread

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores it's provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Proverbs 6: 6-8

 

Multiple ant colonies coming soon...


#19 Offline Mushu - Posted September 20 2024 - 12:18 AM

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I think at 7 months you should be getting some worker die off for Pogonomyrmex. The 10 workers is over span of x days I presume.  I'm more concerned you are not making enough workers to replace them. I'd expect more than 40 workers. 



#20 Online Ants_Dakota - Posted September 20 2024 - 4:18 AM

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Ok another 10 died. It's not the food, and there is nothing visiable wrong.

How is the water situation? Do they have access to drinking water and nest hydration?


Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

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