9 replies to this topic

[YsTheAnt]

So my novomessor colony is connected to an outworld via vinyl tubing, but something seems amiss. My whole room smells of some rotten-fruit type smell, and I traced it down to their outworld. the weird thing is, that after I washed it out completely, and let it soak, the day after I connected it to their nest, it started smelling again, which really confuses me. The only other thing that could smell would be their nest itself, but I don't understand what exactly in their nest could be smelling. It is a firebrick nest They do leave some scraps from protein meals in their nest, but always move them out all at once about once a week. I doubt this small of a pile would cause such a rancid smell. Does anyone know what could be causing it, and how I could fix it? Any help would be appreciated !

Edited by YsTheAnt, February 27 2018 - 5:15 PM.

[gcsnelling]

I have never noticed an aroma for this species but it would not surprise me if they had one.

[nurbs]

They do not have odors. Still have over 30 of these, all doing quite well, and none of them have a smell or emit any kind of odor. 

 

Maybe the firebrick or material you used is emitting the odor?

 

If this rotten fruit smell is in your entire room, it could well be something else. Maybe a dead rodent in the walls?

[T.C.]

They do not have odors. Still have over 30 of these, all doing quite well, and none of them have a smell or emit any kind of odor. 
 
Maybe the firebrick or material you used is emitting the odor?
 
If this rotten fruit smell is in your entire room, it could well be something else. Maybe a dead rodent in the walls?

Dead rodents smell nothing like rotten fruit, trust me.

[nurbs]

Maybe he's been eating Durian? I personally love it. Used to eat it in the kitchen just to [censored] off my brother.

 

[dspdrew]

I knew someone who once found an old piece of meatloaf behind his couch. He couldn't figure out what was stinking up his room until then. You sure some of your dinner didn't fall somewhere you didn't notice? That would definitely do it.

[drtrmiller]

My kitchen smelled like pee until I found a small leak under the sink. That said, there's tons of organic compounds that aren't simply going to rinse away from an absorbent material like fire brick. Most ants don't have a detectable odor until they are massive in population, so it's almost certainly not that.

[YsTheAnt]

Yeah, I think it might be the nest then. After washing the outworld it became less noticeable, but definitely still present. I guess I'll attach another nest and see what they do.

I don't eat in my room lol, for that very reason. And, me and all of my family say it's coming from the outworld. I'll see if moving will help...
Oh and I have never eaten durian

Edited by YsTheAnt, February 28 2018 - 7:33 AM.

[Jadeninja9]

Do you think they could have left food and the nest causing it to rot?

[YsTheAnt]

No, they clean it out once a week, everything is removed from the nest one day, and I clean it up shortly