75 replies to this topic

[sirjordanncurtis]

Wow, most of those majors are really huge!

[anttics]

I know. The biggest one is around 10 to 12mm. They are as big as my veromessor pergandei queen, and a bid smaller than their queen. This ants are not that interesting, but I think they are the pretties ants in California. Their antenna look like large eye brows.

[anttics]

I wanted to check on them now I regret it. There are many eggs. Only one larva I could see, and one larva being eaten by a worker. There is still something wrong. I took 3 pics really quick, not to disturb them much. Here is the pic of the only larva alive. taken to were one larva is being eaten.





I will not disturn them anymore. The queen seems ok laying eggs. The workers do not feel safe, since they keep killing the larva. Not to sure what to do. So I will leave them be. If all workers die off. I hope she can restart again. Or hopefully they will get better. But i doubt it now. They are compelle to kill off any larva. While eveyday 1 or 2 workers die. The colony is around 80 I'm sure they are bellow 100

Edited by anttics, October 6 2018 - 9:08 AM.

[YsTheAnt]

I would move them back to test tubes and a bin if I were you.

[anttics]

I have moved them 3 times in 2 months. They were doing great 300 workers. Brood. I moved them to something bigger. Mass deaths the next day. I Moved them back to original set up. No change still 5 to 10 workers a day dying. Moved them to. current set up. Now only 1 or 2 workers die daily. since that first move. No larva has made pass 2mm in length. They immediately eat them, a week after they become larva. I check on them every 2 weeks. rarely once a week. I'm being generous by saying there are 80 left. They will not survive another move. I have read journals from other fragilis colonies. Once they start dying down like this. They are doom. Ill give them a 10% chance of survival. I'm being generous. Next year Ill try with a fresh colony. I will be more careful. You learn by killing poor colonies. This colony failure was my first mistake. The other colonies I lost was a cockerelli, and salsabeans who got attack by argentines. People do not let me scare you. This species are easy and hardy. Despite the name. I messed up using contaminated grout. 2 months have pass, and the firebrick cover with grout still has a weird stench. I recoment this species a bit boring, but beautiful. Perfect for display in an terrarium.

[YsTheAnt]

Honestly, please give it a shot. I have had queens recover from this many times, just try this. They will die anyway from the current situation, so might as well give it a shot.

Chill the colony for five or so minutes, to the point where they are sluggish but still moving. Set up a multi test tube outworld setup, then gently dump the entire colony out. Provide them with fresh food, hummingbird nectar, crickets, mealworms, sugar, a bit of everything. Keep them in a dark warm place and leave them alone for a week, then check back and see how they are doing.

I really think it is worth a shot. Would hate to see such a beautiful colony decline.

Edited by YsTheAnt, October 6 2018 - 8:28 PM.

[nurbs]

The additional deaths are ones that may have already been poisoned and were doomed anyway. Hard to say. The workers that are eating the brood may be sick. You may get more deaths til the colony recovers.

[anttics]

The additional deaths are ones that may have already been poisoned and were doomed anyway. Hard to say. The workers that are eating the brood may be sick. You may get more deaths til the colony recovers.

I was thinking the same. They are stress, or sick. Ill check on them in 2 more weeks. If they are still eating larva. Ill
Try my options. Maybe put them in a pencil formicarium. Something I notice no majors had died. Only the minors, and medians. Maybe once all the sick are gone they will recover. I'm worried about the queen. She is always underfeed. Compared to other fragilis queens. her gaster is half the size. Only time will tell. Ill update in 2 weeks.

[anttics]

Great news they have many tiny larva. I have not seen this amount of larva since the poisoning. Its been 2 days with out deads. Sadly most minors are gone. Only mediams, and majors survived. As I expected the larger the ant the longer it lives, and resistance to chemicals, are much higher. They are not out of the woods yet.









I got this colony with 50 workers. In 2 months they went up to 300 workers. Then 2 months of dying, and not a single larva only eggs. Has put them at 80 to 100 workers

[YsTheAnt]

I would add some substrate to the formicarium. It is possible the workers are dying from acid poisoning. Just cool them and then dump some in if you want to do this.

[Rstheant]

You might want a more professional nest from tar heel, because my M. Navajos that I got from Nurbs have gotten small repletes. Or you can just use a box box container etc.
Love the colony though

[Rstheant]

I would add some substrate to the formicarium. It is possible the workers are dying from acid poisoning. Just cool them and then dump some in if you want to do this.

Yeah, most ants don’t do well in acrylic nests.

[anttics]

I know about the acid. But this ants were raise from 50 to 300 workers in a test tube set up, with out any sand. They are recuperating from poisoning from 2 months ago. It would be ideal. Yet i have to leave them alone for a few months. So far they seem to have settle.

[anttics]

Well I'm happy to say. This colony is making a come back, if thw queen survives. They are taking protein again. And deads have stop for a week. Workers are around 80.





I counted around 26 larva with a few eggs. The Queen seems feed. Not like other queens I seen. Who have twice the size of her gaster. So hopefylly she will lay more soon. Or she will go to ant heaven. I have hope she will make it.

[sirjordanncurtis]

Well at any rate, they don't seem to be lacking very much in food. I'd say just keep on giving them a ton of food; they'll register that and start feeding and growing their larvae more. Your queen looks pretty skinny though, what kind of protein do you feed them, and how often?

[anttics]

Sirjirdan. I give them apples, and hum. B. Nectar. For protein they are taking more now. The larva are growing fast. Most double in size in 2 Days. Due to the dead of 200 minor workers. I'm 100% sure all workers will be minors. So ill probably have 50 new workers by halloween. Or early November.
I agree about the queen. She seems to be underfeed. She is producing a few eggs I seen them. Yet not like before. In 2 months they went from 50 to 300. She is still recovering from posisoning.

I ussually feed them crikets which they love, Mealworms, I tried fruit flies. They trash then everytime. I'm gonna try a mix of pretein, hum. B. Nectar, and water. To see if it helps the queen. My veromessor pergandei love it. I have seen 9 to 10mm majors. as big as my cockerellies small workers Who hate the mix. Ill post some pics of larva later on.

[anttics]

Well the colony is settle. I can check on them more often now. Here are a pic of the larva. They are growing quick. Still their protein intake is low. They feed them mostly nectar. I guess they use the protein when doing majors.







Here is the model queen she is aleays skinny. Shr has not laid in a few days. Ill keep momitoring her progress

[anttics]

As expected minors are being bread. There are too many majors. Here are some pics





There are also a few new eggs. I guess my queen is the skinny type. I can say now they will be ok.

[sirjordanncurtis]

Wow, here's evidence of just how fast ants can grow once their colony becomes stable again. Also, I wouldn't really worry about your queen. Camponotus fragilis are part of a subgenus which are known to be skinnier than other carpenter ants.

[anttics]

Wow, here's evidence of just how fast ants can grow once their colony becomes stable again. Also, I wouldn't really worry about your queen. Camponotus fragilis are part of a subgenus which are known to be skinnier than other carpenter ants.

Your right she just laid a bunch of eggs. I counted 50 eggs. In 2 momths if all goes ok. They should pass the 300