3 replies to this topic

[charliebynar]

Hello all,

 

I am new at ant keeping and need some help! I have 5 Myrmecocystus Mexicanus queens that have a small number of workers that have hatched from pupae donated from wild colonies. I have not been able to have the queens develop their own workers and not sure of the problem. Perhaps protein or nest material or humidity. If any of you have tips on this subject please let me know.

 

Thanks,

 

Charlie

[T.C.]

Is it just not laying eggs, or larva dying off or what?

[charliebynar]

I just don't know basics it seems. How much water to add to the dirt or sub straight depending on what is used. I don't know what to feed them. I just read Drew's journal on Myrmecocystus mexicanus so that was helpful.

None of the queens have produced their own workers. Either I don't keep them damp enough or the right food or something else. Yikes. This is a bit challenging, I don't want the queens to die. I offered a bit of turkey which one of the workers went for, that was good. Of course they all love apples.

[Scrixx]

The best way to house ants is to provide a gradient for humidity so they can decide where to go themselves. They know what's best for them. Even in a test tube setup I will find queens hugging the cotton and some queens halfway down the tube. For a dirt setup, just wet one side and the water will spread by itself and make a gradient.

 

Myrmecocystus mexicanus are fully claustral so they don't need to eat until their first workers. I couldn't get mine to accept any sugar water immediately but they accepted it about a month later after I kept offering it. I feed mine pieces of crickets, the queens don't eat it directly unlike my Pogonomyrmex colonies.

 

If they still aren't founding successfully despite getting brood boosted then it's probably out of your control. Things we can't control like infertility, failed genes, individual differences can all affect success. It sounds unlikely that all 5 of your queens are infertile but it is still possible. I wouldn't toss them unless they die since I have a queen that produced workers after I gave her a new test tube setup. So you can try moving them to a setup.