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PLEASE HELP CAMPONOTUS WORKERS KILLING QUEEN!

Started By MegaMyrmex , Jul 28 2017 8:58 AM

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11 replies to this topic

#1 Offline MegaMyrmex - Posted July 28 2017 - 8:58 AM

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I don't know what's going on, but I caught a colony of Camponotus chromaoides, but when i tried to move the colony to a new setup, some of the workers were trying to kill the queen. One was holding onto her antennae and I had to surgically remove it, whilst more began to grab her limbs. I had to remove her and put the colony in a refrigerator. My guess is the alarm pheromone which triggered this attack, but can anybody explain to me what had happened? Thank you in advance.

Proverbs 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
    consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
    and gathers its food at harvest.

 

#2 Offline MegaMyrmex - Posted July 28 2017 - 9:05 AM

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I should note that this might be stress and that the workers seem to groom her majesty (that's what I call all queen ants). Thet seem to groom, then attack.

Proverbs 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
    consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
    and gathers its food at harvest.

 

#3 Offline MegaMyrmex - Posted July 28 2017 - 9:41 AM

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Call the alarm off, it seems that the workers werr startled by the alarm and stress pheromone. They ate now attempting to move her into the nes nest provided for her. But I still want to find out what happened so I don't make whatever mistake I made again...

Proverbs 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
    consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
    and gathers its food at harvest.

 

#4 Offline MegaMyrmex - Posted July 28 2017 - 9:53 AM

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Nevermind again they are really killing here right now with the formic acid sprays please help!

Proverbs 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
    consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
    and gathers its food at harvest.

 

#5 Offline AntsMaryland - Posted July 28 2017 - 9:57 AM

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To be honest their is nothing you can do. The colony can kill the queen for multiple reasons, one; stress, or what could have happened is that they had 2 queens in the colony when you caught them and they were going to kill the queen you caught and the other queen that you might have missed was their founder. Or you just caught a queen from a separate colony by accident who could have been in her founding chamber... Their a lot of different things that could have happened. Just don't catch colonies from the wild, as you don't know the circumstances. Good Luck! Best Regards!

 

-AntsMaryland


Aphaenogaster cf. rudis 

Tetramorium immigrans 

Tapinoma sessile

Formica subsericea

Pheidole sp.

Camponotus nearcticus

#6 Offline MegaMyrmex - Posted July 28 2017 - 10:01 AM

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Thanks! Come to think of it, I think I did see 2 queens in this colony before...

Proverbs 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
    consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
    and gathers its food at harvest.

 

#7 Offline MegaMyrmex - Posted July 28 2017 - 10:03 AM

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True, but isn't this species strictly monogyne? I thibk that they start colonies singularly and alone, but you may be right...

Proverbs 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
    consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
    and gathers its food at harvest.

 

#8 Offline AntsMaryland - Posted July 28 2017 - 10:12 AM

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They start them alone but a new queen might have came and they took her in and eventually they'd kill her. Which could have been the one you caught. Or the other one of you caught a queen that was separate from the colony in a founding stage.


Aphaenogaster cf. rudis 

Tetramorium immigrans 

Tapinoma sessile

Formica subsericea

Pheidole sp.

Camponotus nearcticus

#9 Offline MegaMyrmex - Posted July 28 2017 - 10:16 AM

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Maybe but they seem to treat her with care (i.e. licking her, surrounding her, etc.)

Proverbs 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
    consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
    and gathers its food at harvest.

 

#10 Offline AntsMaryland - Posted July 28 2017 - 10:25 AM

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Well the point is, she's DOOMED! sorry for your loss. ;(


Aphaenogaster cf. rudis 

Tetramorium immigrans 

Tapinoma sessile

Formica subsericea

Pheidole sp.

Camponotus nearcticus

#11 Offline MegaMyrmex - Posted July 28 2017 - 10:52 AM

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Ay ay ay, that's no good...I guess she really is done for since she keeps crawling out of the nest and into the foraging grounds...

Proverbs 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
    consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
    and gathers its food at harvest.

 

#12 Offline AntsMaryland - Posted July 28 2017 - 11:24 AM

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You should let the entire colony go where you found them and let nature live out.


Aphaenogaster cf. rudis 

Tetramorium immigrans 

Tapinoma sessile

Formica subsericea

Pheidole sp.

Camponotus nearcticus

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