3 replies to this topic

[Antyman]

So, my ants have been out of hibernation for a few weeks now. 

 

My camponotus and formica have been foraging already, but my lasius neoniger colony has been staying in their underworld, up until today.

 

I decided to refill all of these three colonies sugar water containers.  When my camponotus colony discovered the new water, they basically went berserk.  Running around frantically as they took turns filling their gasters,  Even the queen became agitated in the underworld.

 

Same thing happened with my lasius.  One of the workers finally came up, drank from the container, and mayhem ensued with all of them, running around, etc. and now they are foraging in the outworld.

 

The formica don't seem to be affected.

 

I know it's not the vibrations from my interference, as it took the lasius about 45 minutes to come out from the underworld. 

 

Has anyone experienced this before?  I wonder if they think it's pollen and now it's really spring time?  I was almost a little worried at first because the ants seem almost agitated. 

[Antsinmycloset]

Since coming out of hibernation, one of my Camponotus pennsylvanicus colonies has become so hyperactive immediately after feeding that I'm worried they may accidentally attack each other. Once I dropped a cricket leg directly on a minor's head (whoops -_-), but otherwise I can't point to anything specific as a clear cause.

Do you think your situation could be scent based? That's the only thing that seems feasible to me. It could also be related to a sudden, if minor, change in air pressure, but that's never bothered anyone before, and I'm deeply skeptical that ants are capable of associating the lid opening with food.

[Antyman]

Antsinmycloset - I think you might be on to something.  My sugar water containers are identical, so it may be that when I refilled them, I switched which one went into each colonies' outworld.  I wonder if the scent from the other colonies was what made them excited?  It certainly seemed that they were aggressive. 

 

Maybe I switched the camponotus container with the lasius container, and the formica stayed the same.  Next refill, it's time for an experiment I suppose!

 

Thank you for the insight!

[Serafine]

Are your formicaria close to each other? They might have recognized the smell of the other ant colony, thinking they were attacked.

Or maybe they were just really really hungry and the Formica still had a lot of reserves so they didn't have to go for it immediately.

Edited by Serafine, March 12 2017 - 1:02 PM.