54 replies to this topic

[dermy]

Got another ant colony about 2-3 weeks ago [lost track of time]

Here are a few pics of it:

Food: [I forgot to get one with them actually eating   ]

Most of the brood was in the tube connecting the outworld to the nest:[there was also 80% of the queens there too]


Here is where most of the other queens are, the workers where all investigating the new nest, or tending to the brood:

 

Will get more pics when I can.

[dermy]

More new pics of the colony:


Most of the queens where hiding underneath the cotton:

[Gregory2455]

what's in that first image? Water cottonball and peanut butter?

[dermy]

Yes. It has been replaced. They seem to like Peanut butter. Heck these ants will eat anything! Except Dermestid beetle larvae, I tried and they wouldn't  even attack it

[dermy]

I don't know what happened but a bunch of workers just died no queens died just some workers  I'm a little worried because all the brood they have is just small larvae and eggs. The queens are still alright and laying though and they are taking In food, but I don't know  happened to the workers. Should I be worried? I will get some pics up when I can. They eat well, and all that.

[Myrmicinae]

Have they gone through any sort of stress recently? I have found that some workers will almost always die after a forced move.

[dermy]

I moved the whole thing down stairs does that count? They didn't die until a week after the move, I hope they bounce back.

[dspdrew]

I don't think you'll ever know what it was. Stuff like this happens to me sometimes, and I could probably spend forever trying to figure out why.

[dermy]

Yeah I guess it's just one of those things, as long as the queens are still laying I'm not too worried, maybe the 10 or so workers where just old?

[Myrmicinae]

What type of cotton have you been using in this setup?  I used to have problems with unexplained large-scale die-offs in my captive colonies.  However, since I switched to organic cotton, death rates have been much reduced (or virtually absent in some cases).  I have read that cotton is the most pesticide-intensive crop, so this makes sense to me.

Edited by Myrmicinae, September 8 2014 - 9:36 AM.

[dermy]

Oh I hope it isn't the cotton, I have removed it, and will add paper towel, as it's easier to use. I hope that works.

[Myrmicinae]

I've never used paper towel before, so I don't know how safe/effective it is as a nesting medium.  Another option is just to layer the bottom of a shallow container with plaster.  This will last for a while and give you time to work on a more permanent formicarium (e.g. hydrostone, ytong, etc.).

Edited by Myrmicinae, September 8 2014 - 10:43 AM.

[dermy]

I don't have plaster, I've used it before, you have to replace it every so often, I might hot glue something to the bottom, that is absorbant.

[Myrmicinae]

I don't have plaster, I've used it before, you have to replace it every so often, I might hot glue something to the bottom, that is absorbant.

 

Plaster is usually available at Home Depot and other hardware stores.  It is a temporary solution, but it would give you time to work on something more permanent.  Myrmica spp. tend to be somewhat migratory, so they probably don't care that much about being moved around.  

 

Good luck!  Myrmica was the first genus that I successfully cultured from a single queen, so I have a special fondness for them. 

Edited by Myrmicinae, September 8 2014 - 10:54 AM.

[Tpro4]

Can I buy a Queen off you if possible?

[dermy]

Since I live in Canada, shipping ants is illegal, plus It is still flying time for some ant species, be on the look out and you should find them soon!

[dermy]

This colony has been doing well, I have been feeding them whatever I can find, here is what the outworld looks like, there is only about 20% of the worker force there. The queens have done a great job recovering!

[dermy]

Out world [I forgot to give them syrup for a few days and look what happened ]

[Gregory2455]

Those ants love their syrup...

[dermy]

Yes they do, must be Canadian