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Queen Keeps Pulling on Cotton
Started By
Patorikku
, May 2 2020 9:41 AM
7 replies to this topic
#1 Offline - Posted May 2 2020 - 9:41 AM
I have a C. Discolor that I’ve had for about 3 days now. She has been tubed but once to twice a day I am having to fix the cotton balls as she keeps pulling on them. I am wondering if the space provided is too big or if this is just common behavior. My C. Pennsylvanicus has about the exact same room and within a day she was already laying eggs and after a week she already has 7. But this queen is just tugging away. Any advice?
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#2 Offline - Posted May 2 2020 - 9:42 AM
My guess is that she's just trying to dig out her founding chamber and doesn't realize you already made her one. My P. imparis does this too.
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#3 Offline - Posted May 2 2020 - 9:57 AM
her tube does look a bit big.
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#4 Offline - Posted May 2 2020 - 10:14 AM
Yeah, I would recommend using a standard sized test tube for these. She probably doesn't feel completely comfortable in such an open space.
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#5 Offline - Posted May 5 2020 - 10:11 PM
Yeah, I would recommend using a standard sized test tube for these. She probably doesn't feel completely comfortable in such an open space.
I have since provided her with a smaller, properly sized test tube and she’s actually gotten worse at pulling the cotton. I know Camponotus are known as cotton tuggers, but I’ve had her for almost a week now and she just keeps attacking the cotton. She even got tangled in it and I had to untangle her and reset the cotton ball.
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#6 Offline - Posted May 6 2020 - 3:46 PM
Best advice I can give you is to stop looking at the queen and leave her alone in a dark, quiet and hopefully warm place for at least a month. She is not going to escape. I have screwed up plenty of founding queens by bothering them too much. My founding success rate is much higher now that I have learned to leave them alone.
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#7 Offline - Posted May 7 2020 - 2:09 PM
Also make sure the water is wicking all the way to the cotton surface.
Though I gotta say, sometimes ants just seem to go cotton crazy and they waste tons of energy on it.
Formiculture Journals::
Veromessor pergandei, andrei; Novomessor cockerelli
Camponotus fragilis; also separate journal: Camponotus sansabeanus, vicinus, quercicola
Liometopum occidentale; Prenolepis imparis; Myrmecocystus mexicanus
Pogonomyrmex subnitidus and previously californicus
Tetramorium sp.
Termites: Zootermopsis angusticollis
Isopods: A. gestroi, granulatum, kluugi, maculatum, vulgare; C. murina; P. hoffmannseggi, P. haasi, P. ornatus; V. parvus
Spoods: Phidippus sp.
#8 Offline - Posted May 7 2020 - 2:31 PM
My camponotus always seemed to pull on the cotton.
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