9 replies to this topic

[robyn13572]

One of my carpenter ant colonies had all of the workers die off, and the queen is clearly struggling, on her back and unable to flip herself. I would like to put her out of her misery, but don't know how to go about it.

[bmb1bee]

If you must, you could put her in the freezer for a few hours. That takes care of things painlessly.

[Demoant]

you can put her in the freezer for a few hours 

[Voidley]

Squashing a queen ant is the most humane option. Freezing might not be painless. Just put her outside or between a paper towel and crush her quickly with a hard object like a hammer. It's simple, no need for some prolonged, psuedo-clinical procedure. If you want the most humane way, this is it.

To elaborate on this a bit, since it might be a controversial stance, I believe that squashing it is the most humane option for ending a queen ant's life. Sure freezing is supposedly painless, but we really can't be certain that the ants aren't spending their those minutes/hours in pain of some sort—I mean freezing definitely isn't painless for other animals like humans. Assuming you don't need to keep the body intact, then just put the queen on a hard surface outside or in between a piece of paper and quickly and completely crush her using a hard object like a hammer to ensure a definite end. I understand that some might feel squeamish or guilty about this approach, but if the goal is to find the MOST HUMANE way to euthanize a queen ant… well there you go.

[robyn13572]

Thank you all for the suggestions, I've had her for almost two years now, so as much as I want to end her suffering as soon as possible, I just don't have it in me to take the alternative suggestion, and am going to freeze her. Plus, this way I hopefully will be able to keep her in a resin pendant or something of the like.

[ANTdrew]

Freezing is the most humane way to euthanize. There was a thread a while back where we debated this. Some good scientific evidence was given to prove that freezing is more humane.

[Ernteameise]

Freezing is the most humane way to euthanize. There was a thread a while back where we debated this. Some good scientific evidence was given to prove that freezing is more humane.

Well, to be frank, the most humane way would be quickly shreddering it in a food grade shredder, the scientist I know (and cited in that thread) did work on the exact topic while researching killing insects as food and he did create the guidelines for the UK government. Ergo, for producing food insects (at least in the UK), killing by quickly shreddering them is the approved way now.

Failing the shredder, the second best humane way is indeed freezing insects in a normal household freezer.

Even if it sounds weird, but insects as cold blooded animals will not feel prolonged pain and agony in a freezer (this is a warm blooded mammal thing), but slowly go to sleep.

[AntsGodzilla]

Thank you all for the suggestions, I've had her for almost two years now, so as much as I want to end her suffering as soon as possible, I just don't have it in me to take the alternative suggestion, and am going to freeze her. Plus, this way I hopefully will be able to keep her in a resin pendant or something of the like.

If you haven't killed her yet, I suggest you wait a while longer. My colony recently had 40+ workers die, and I though that they where gonners, but they are slowly getting better.

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

 

Thank you all for the suggestions, I've had her for almost two years now, so as much as I want to end her suffering as soon as possible, I just don't have it in me to take the alternative suggestion, and am going to freeze her. Plus, this way I hopefully will be able to keep her in a resin pendant or something of the like.

If you haven't killed her yet, I suggest you wait a while longer. My colony recently had 40+ workers die, and I though that they where gonners, but they are slowly getting better.

 

if she is on her back and can't flip herself over I would say she is a goner.

[Voidley]

 

Freezing is the most humane way to euthanize. There was a thread a while back where we debated this. Some good scientific evidence was given to prove that freezing is more humane.

Well, to be frank, the most humane way would be quickly shreddering it in a food grade shredder, the scientist I know (and cited in that thread) did work on the exact topic while researching killing insects as food and he did create the guidelines for the UK government. Ergo, for producing food insects (at least in the UK), killing by quickly shreddering them is the approved way now.

Failing the shredder, the second best humane way is indeed freezing insects in a normal household freezer.

Even if it sounds weird, but insects as cold blooded animals will not feel prolonged pain and agony in a freezer (this is a warm blooded mammal thing), but slowly go to sleep.

 

 

Good to know, I guess it makes sense that freezing wouldn't affect cold blooded animals like it does warm blooded ones. I still maintain that squashing is a quick and effective option if you don't want to keep the body. I really don't see how it could be any less humane than freezing, but it sounds like freezing is a just as viable (and admittedly less violent) option as well.