6 replies to this topic

[Vuldriel]

Recently I've been trying to move my growing colony of Trap-Jaw's into a new test tube. The move started when I placed lights and exposed the old setup, and only after they spent a few days getting used to the attached new home. Over a period of a few days I would come and turn my bright phone flashlight on the ants, and after they got done being all agitated I would leave a different less bright flashlight on the old setup so it stayed uncomfortable. Over about a week I would come in every now and then and scare them with my bright phone, and the workers began trying to move some brood into the new tube. The queen was very reluctant to move anywhere, however, and would always bring brood back into the old nest, but today seemed to be the breaking point for the workers. When I brought my phone to bear, and lit up the old place, the workers first took the brood into the new nest, and then upon realizing the queen was indignantly sitting in the old nest, one of the workers physically picked the queen up with her mandibles and carried her into the new nest. Is this okay behavior? I found it interesting that the daughter would up and pick up her mom, not that social structure is the same as for us. 

[Chicken_eater100]

i say it's pretty normal.  i saw a couple worker ants come out of a nest with them holding queen and transporting her to another nest.  tried to catch

her but the ants would just bite me.

[Flame.Hyped]

Yes, that's very normal behavior for ants as queens are usually more reluctant to move.

[Scrixx]

A worker picked her up? I guess that could be possible for trapjaw ants. I can't see any workers of the species I have able to lift a queen. Maybe dragging her but not lifting. That's pretty cool you were able to see that though! Drew has a video of a Honeypot colony and the workers dragged the queen down into a formicarium.

[Chicken_eater100]

A worker picked her up? I guess that could be possible for trapjaw ants. I can't see any workers of the species I have able to lift a queen. Maybe dragging her but not lifting. That's pretty cool you were able to see that though! Drew has a video of a Honeypot colony and the workers dragged the queen down into a formicarium.

there were multiple workers, at least 4 of them.

[Ants_Texas]

Recently I've been trying to move my growing colony of Trap-Jaw's into a new test tube. The move started when I placed lights and exposed the old setup, and only after they spent a few days getting used to the attached new home. Over a period of a few days I would come and turn my bright phone flashlight on the ants, and after they got done being all agitated I would leave a different less bright flashlight on the old setup so it stayed uncomfortable. Over about a week I would come in every now and then and scare them with my bright phone, and the workers began trying to move some brood into the new tube. The queen was very reluctant to move anywhere, however, and would always bring brood back into the old nest, but today seemed to be the breaking point for the workers. When I brought my phone to bear, and lit up the old place, the workers first took the brood into the new nest, and then upon realizing the queen was indignantly sitting in the old nest, one of the workers physically picked the queen up with her mandibles and carried her into the new nest. Is this okay behavior? I found it interesting that the daughter would up and pick up her mom, not that social structure is the same as for us. 

Definitely normal behavior for certain species. Myrmecocystus sometimes pull their queens. I find it quite hilarious.

[MegaMyrmex]

I believe that for ponerine ants, this behavior is quite common, but i could be wrong...also, if they sort of dragged her then that is very normal, it happens with my lasius and tetramorium all the time.