10 replies to this topic

[klawfran3]

The S. xyloni colony I have had has been doing well, but over the past week it has dropped in number with the trash pile full of corpses. This wouldn't be so much of a concern had the brood piles not been reducing in size too, to the point where they seem maybe only 1/2 their original size. They have been rejecting a lot of foods I offer, from live roaches (which they have eaten before) to seeds. I just bought formula blue and tried that, seeing if they would possibly eat it but so far none has touched it. In fact, they seem even to be avoiding it. They avoid drinking sugar water and honey.

The queen seems weak and had some trouble getting up when she fell on her side, and some workers appeared to attack her for a short while too.
I'll admit, I haven't had their heat lamp on them for a while, but my room temperature has not dropped below the low seventies at all this past month so I don't believe the lack of a heater could be the cause of this.

 

The ants have also not left their test tubes for a couple weeks, with maybe only five out at a time foraging or bringing out a dead ant.

 

What could be the cause of this?

Edited by klawfran3, November 3 2015 - 9:15 PM.

[drtrmiller]

Insufficient water, carbohydrates/electrolytes, or heat could all be possible causes for a rapid population drop.  The issue you described with the queen is especially troubling, and makes me think she was dehydrated at some point.

 

Solenopsis xyloni will not even forage properly if the temperature is in the mid-to-low 70s F, nor will they thrive unless the nest is kept fairly warm (about 30 C is optimal).

 

They may be too far gone, but ensure the nest is sufficiently humid and they have constant access to moist, sugary foods like Sunburst Ant Nectar or sugar water, so to keep the workers alive and hydrated.

[klawfran3]

Insufficient water, carbohydrates/electrolytes, or heat could all be possible causes for a rapid population drop.  The issue you described with the queen is especially troubling, and makes me think she was dehydrated at some point.

 

Solenopsis xyloni will not even forage properly if the temperature is in the mid-to-low 70s F, nor will they thrive unless the nest is kept fairly warm (about 30 C is optimal).

 

They may be too far gone, but ensure the nest is sufficiently humid and they have constant access to moist, sugary foods like Sunburst Ant Nectar or sugar water, so to keep the workers alive and hydrated.

They have had constant access to water this whole time. I have a tube filled to the brim with a cotton plug on it in there with them.

 

I guess it might have been temperature. I'll keep them warmer and see if the bounce back.

Edited by klawfran3, November 3 2015 - 8:56 PM.

[drtrmiller]

The low temperature will also keep brood from developing as quickly.  At temperatures that low (mid-to-low 70s F), brood development effectively stops in Solenopsis xyloni.  I lost many Solenopsis queens when I was new to antkeeping, on account of the fact I was keeping them at room temperature and brood development took so long the queen ran out of resources.

By process of elimination, if water is sufficient, then suboptimal temperature would be next on the list.

Edited by drtrmiller, November 3 2015 - 9:04 PM.

[klawfran3]

The low temperature will also keep brood from developing as quickly.  At temperatures that low (mid-to-low 70s F), brood development effectively stops in Solenopsis xyloni.  I lost many Solenopsis queens when I was new to antkeeping, on account of the fact I was keeping them at room temperature and brood development took so long the queen ran out of resources.

By process of elimination, if water is sufficient, then suboptimal temperature would be next on the list.

Cool. I'll be increasing their temperature and keeping them in a warmer part of the room. I guess I'm more used to keeping spiders who don't really care what temperature they're kept at as long as you're comfortable.

They already seem more active with the addition of a heat lamp pointed at one side of the enclosure, so I guess that's the issue. Thanks for the help!

Edited by klawfran3, November 3 2015 - 9:07 PM.

[drtrmiller]

In the winter, I keep mine on the warm end on top of a mini-fridge, which I just checked in at a perfect 29.9 C (85.9 F).

 

 

This colony was founded in a GroTube in May of this year (5.5 months old), and they've been in the current version GroTube since August (about 3 months).  Notice the drops of condensation in the middle chamber.  Your nest should have some humid parts (for larvae), and some dryer parts (for pupae).

 

One thing that is really interesting about this colony is that I have yet to produce a single major.  It is likely that a high-carb diet, along with the bare minimum nutrition provided by Blue 100, will tend to produce a workforce that favors productivity over weaponry.

 

I feed them a few drops of Sunburst Ant Nectar daily, and a small chunk of Blue 100 every two weeks, with a random insect provided every 1-2 months.

Edited by drtrmiller, November 3 2015 - 10:15 PM.

[klawfran3]

Interesting about the lack of majors, perhaps also the fact that no live food is given and very little disturbance also plays a factor? I would assume areas with high levels of danger and annoyances would tend to have ants that grow more majors than ones found in more secluded and serene environments.

[drtrmiller]

I disturb them every day by blowing on them and opening the refrigerator door, both of which make them very angry.

 

Part of it is probably the fact that it is still a rather small and young colony (almost 6 months and about 1,000 workers), and the other is that I greatly restrict their access to protein, seeing as how they just about to outgrow their formicarium.

 

With unlimited food, the colony could easily be 10 times the size it is now and producing alates—I've done that before.

Edited by drtrmiller, November 4 2015 - 1:24 AM.

[klawfran3]

I disturb them every day by blowing on them and opening the refrigerator door, both of which make them very angry.

 

Part of it is probably the fact that it is still a rather small and young colony (almost 6 months and about 1,000 workers), and the other is that I greatly restrict their access to protein, seeing as how they just about to outgrow their formicarium.

 

With unlimited food, the colony could easily be 10 times the size it is now and producing alates—I've done that before.

ahh ok. I'm going to totally up feeding if my colony too to get them to produce again. Too bad they seem to reject formula blue though. They just started eating live food again and totally ignore the other things I offer.

[drtrmiller]

A healthy and hungry colony will absolutely benefit from properly prepared Blue 100.

 

An unhealthy colony will show erratic behavior when it comes to feeding, exactly as you have described.

 

Formula Blue 100 is not marketed as a cure or treatment for any condition, and I would tell users who have small colonies or colonies in poor health to offer a wide variety of natural foods, including Sunburst Ant Nectar and insects.  Blue 100 works best for experienced users with a large number of active colonies, such as laboratories or university institutions, to reduce time spent feeding colonies, and provide healthy colonies with a standardized and consistent source of basic nutrients.

Edited by drtrmiller, November 4 2015 - 12:53 PM.

[dspdrew]

I've had colonies do similar things, and I never found out why. This has probably happened to my Solenopsis colonies more than any other species I've had. One time it happened I think it might have been too much trash and rotting food left in the container without enough ventilation. If you're having trouble getting them to eat, try a freshly smashed cricket. All my colonies go nuts over crickets.