4 replies to this topic

[ilyfisher]

When I got my queen she had two workers. One died in honey on the way home and the other died today from unknown reasons. I put sugar water in a small plate and I wet a cotton bud everyday with water. I had to transfer them to a new set up because the test tue they were in had mold in the water. This is my first colony and the queen in fine for now and still laying eggs. Why could my worker have died?

[antsandmore]

there are many reasons that worker could have died, but If you don't see any thing that you might have done wrong in your setup, it could just be that it died of old age. Other than that, it could be that the honey had pesticides or chemicals in it. there could also be some other reason, but I don't see any other possibilities for now.

[Lillyrose]

It could have been stress, they're in the founding stage and they're being carried ... and their home changed... that's hard on them. If that's the case let them calm and lay more eggs and it should be fine.

[JoeByron]

I wouldn't advise transplanting them with food ever. 

[drtrmiller]

When I got my queen she had two workers. One died in honey on the way home and the other died today from unknown reasons. I put sugar water in a small plate and I wet a cotton bud everyday with water. I had to transfer them to a new set up because the test tue they were in had mold in the water. This is my first colony and the queen in fine for now and still laying eggs. Why could my worker have died?

 

Most worker ants--and especially small species--are extremely short lived and fragile.  They are made to work like machines until they wear out.  They are not durable like dogs and cats.

When we place them in test tubes where they cannot escape if the conditions become unfavorable, it's little different than leaving a pet in a car with the windows rolled up on a hot and sunny day.

 

There's nothing you can do except observe, learn, and adjust so that hopefully your future ant keeping is more successful.