11 replies to this topic

[CaptainSeaSoul]

I'm a beginner and I have tetramorium caespitum colony, which recently was around 150-200 workers. I usually feed them dry gammarus and sunflower seeds. Sometimes, I'd give them wild insects.

 

A few weeks ago, I attempted to rearrange their open area by adding some soil and plants. During this process, I used acetic silicone sealant in the corners of the open area. I rearranged it twice, which I’m sure stressed them out. Since then, I’ve been finding about 5 dead ants daily. 

 

To try to improve their situation, I made their formicarium smaller and offered different foods: honey, syrup, sugary water, just water, maggots, Tic Tacs (which they seemed to love). I'm sure they have enough water and moisture. Unfortunately, the situation hasn’t improved. Yesterday, I gave them a piece of tomato, later in this morning I found around 50 dead ants.

 

Their behavior has also changed. Many are climbing the walls and falling off frequently. Upon inspecting the dead bodies, I noticed that their legs appear red, and many are curled up. 

 

Here’s a link to some photos for reference: https://flic.kr/ps/458sxq

 

I'm just a beginner, I made a lot of mistakes, please help me save my colony. Here the things I think might be the reason of this die off:

 

1. Some kind of disease from wild insects I also gave them?

2. Could it be a fungal issue?

3. Missing nutrients from food. Maybe I should give them something else

4. Acetic silicone sealant I put in the corners of the open area: I read that it shouldn’t be a problem after drying, but could it still be affecting them?

5. Stress? The formicarium is in my living room. Although it's quite silent here.

 

I’ve removed the plants from the open area and am considering isolating the ants in the open area from those inside. Any advice or insight you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you in advance for your help

[1tsm3jack]

 

I'm a beginner and I have tetramorium caespitum colony, which recently was around 150-200 workers. I usually feed them dry gammarus and sunflower seeds. Sometimes, I'd give them wild insects.

 

A few weeks ago, I attempted to rearrange their open area by adding some soil and plants. During this process, I used acetic silicone sealant in the corners of the open area. I rearranged it twice, which I’m sure stressed them out. Since then, I’ve been finding about 5 dead ants daily. 

 

To try to improve their situation, I made their formicarium smaller and offered different foods: honey, syrup, sugary water, just water, maggots, Tic Tacs (which they seemed to love). I'm sure they have enough water and moisture. Unfortunately, the situation hasn’t improved. Yesterday, I gave them a piece of tomato, later in this morning I found around 50 dead ants.

 

Their behavior has also changed. Many are climbing the walls and falling off frequently. Upon inspecting the dead bodies, I noticed that their legs appear red, and many are curled up. 

 

Here’s a link to some photos for reference: https://flic.kr/ps/458sxq

 

I'm just a beginner, I made a lot of mistakes, please help me save my colony. Here the things I think might be the reason of this die off:

 

1. Some kind of disease from wild insects I also gave them?

2. Could it be a fungal issue?

3. Missing nutrients from food. Maybe I should give them something else

4. Acetic silicone sealant I put in the corners of the open area: I read that it shouldn’t be a problem after drying, but could it still be affecting them?

5. Stress? The formicarium is in my living room. Although it's quite silent here.

 

I’ve removed the plants from the open area and am considering isolating the ants in the open area from those inside. Any advice or insight you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you in advance for your help

 

It could be a disease from their food if i'm hearing you correctly and you are feeding them insects from outside, when ants climb walls that usually means they are getting ready to die. It could also be the silicone but I haven't used that before so I have no clue. Sorry that that's happening

[Ants_Dakota]

The first thing I would check is the humidity situation in the nest. However, if that is fine, I would then believe that it is some kind of mold, disease, or pesticide. Wild-caught insects often carry traces of pesticides that can kill ants. They also can carry mites and bacteria inside of them that is deadly to ants. It is highly recommended to either boil for 3 seconds or freeze any insect fed to your ants to remove mites and bacteria, even store bought ones. I do not think it is your #3 reason, as the foods you gave them cover both bases (carbs and protein). #4 also does not seem likely as the dying is continuing after you moved them to a different outworld and others such as ANTdrew and myself have used silicone to little harmful effect. Possibly that type of silicone has more harmful fumes, however. You can attempt to flush the air out in your outworld with a vacuum or fan if you are worried about this. #5 is also unlikely, ants will not die in such large numbers because of stress, and this species is not at all cryptic. I hope this helps!
Ants_Dakota

Edited by Ants_Dakota, September 26 2024 - 7:10 AM.

[AntsGodzilla]

 

I'm a beginner and I have tetramorium caespitum colony, which recently was around 150-200 workers. I usually feed them dry gammarus and sunflower seeds. Sometimes, I'd give them wild insects.

 

A few weeks ago, I attempted to rearrange their open area by adding some soil and plants. During this process, I used acetic silicone sealant in the corners of the open area. I rearranged it twice, which I’m sure stressed them out. Since then, I’ve been finding about 5 dead ants daily. 

 

To try to improve their situation, I made their formicarium smaller and offered different foods: honey, syrup, sugary water, just water, maggots, Tic Tacs (which they seemed to love). I'm sure they have enough water and moisture. Unfortunately, the situation hasn’t improved. Yesterday, I gave them a piece of tomato, later in this morning I found around 50 dead ants.

 

Their behavior has also changed. Many are climbing the walls and falling off frequently. Upon inspecting the dead bodies, I noticed that their legs appear red, and many are curled up. 

 

Here’s a link to some photos for reference: https://flic.kr/ps/458sxq

 

I'm just a beginner, I made a lot of mistakes, please help me save my colony. Here the things I think might be the reason of this die off:

 

1. Some kind of disease from wild insects I also gave them?

2. Could it be a fungal issue?

3. Missing nutrients from food. Maybe I should give them something else

4. Acetic silicone sealant I put in the corners of the open area: I read that it shouldn’t be a problem after drying, but could it still be affecting them?

5. Stress? The formicarium is in my living room. Although it's quite silent here.

 

I’ve removed the plants from the open area and am considering isolating the ants in the open area from those inside. Any advice or insight you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you in advance for your help.

Since you got the insects from outside, in is most likely that the bugs had pesticides or infections.
100% silicone is always safe.
You can buy fruit flies from petsmart for around $5

Edited by AntsGodzilla, September 26 2024 - 9:03 AM.

[CaptainSeaSoul]

Thank you very much. Thanks to your insights I now see that it's probably some kind of disease. I will definitely make this idea my main focus moving forward. I found only one solution: isolation and moving them somewhere else. I will do that soon. Are there more advice on treating a sick colony? 

[RushmoreAnts]

 when ants climb walls that usually means they are getting ready to die.

Where did you hear this? Most of the time that means they just want to explore what's outside their outworld. If they're energetic enough to want to explore and forage they're certainly not dying. If that's a sign of anything it's that they're hungry. My Tetramorium immigrans colonies try climbing the walls and breaking out of their enclosures when they're hungry, and once I feed them they settle down again.

[AntsGodzilla]

 

 when ants climb walls that usually means they are getting ready to die.

Where did you hear this? Most of the time that means they just want to explore what's outside their outworld. If they're energetic enough to want to explore and forage they're certainly not dying. If that's a sign of anything it's that they're hungry. My Tetramorium immigrans colonies try climbing the walls and breaking out of their enclosures when they're hungry, and once I feed them they settle down again.

 

It depends. 18 of my Pogonomyrmex where climbing walls and they all died within the week. But my Myrmecocystus climb walls and there has not been a single death.

[RushmoreAnts]

 

 

 when ants climb walls that usually means they are getting ready to die.

Where did you hear this? Most of the time that means they just want to explore what's outside their outworld. If they're energetic enough to want to explore and forage they're certainly not dying. If that's a sign of anything it's that they're hungry. My Tetramorium immigrans colonies try climbing the walls and breaking out of their enclosures when they're hungry, and once I feed them they settle down again.

 

It depends. 18 of my Pogonomyrmex where climbing walls and they all died within the week. But my Myrmecocystus climb walls and there has not been a single death.

 

If they were dying of another cause they would likely try to escape their enclosure to find somewhere suitable to - well - live.

The mere act of climbing up walls is not a sign of death. If they're otherwise acting erratic or moving strange while they climb up the walls, that's a different story.

[AntsGodzilla]

"escape their enclosure to find somewhere suitable to - well - live" 

When your ants reject THA 

[ANTdrew]

Erratically climbing walls over and over and falling off again and again is a sign that ants sense they are dying and want to get as far away from the colony as possible.

[RushmoreAnts]

Like I said, if it's erratic or strange.

[rptraut]

Hello CaptainSeaSoul;

 

My Tetramorium ants try to climb walls and escape for three main reasons.   Overcrowding, starvation, or thirst.   Your setup doesn't look overcrowded, I would look at food, water and sugar/water as possible causes.

 

From your description it looks like the only source of protein you're offering is maggots.   My Tetramorium colonies like chicken, turkey, pork, and liver.   Chop it up fine so they can take it back to their larvae.   Make sure their sugar/water is three parts water to one part sugar, 3:1 ratio, and that it isn't fermenting.   Make sure they have ample fresh water, they know where it is, and how to get it.   A raisin split in half is an easy way to add fruit, and Vitamin C to the diet of an ailing colony.    Mine also like ripe apple, pear pieces and peanuts.   Make sure all their food, water and sugar/water are fresh and available.

 

I seriously question the feeding of things like Tic Tacs and tomatoes to ants, no matter how much they may seem to like them.    These aren't the kinds of things I see ants eating in nature and may have unknown consequences, like dying ants.   It's hard to say.   

RPT

Edited by rptraut, September 27 2024 - 9:05 AM.