26 replies to this topic

[SYUTEO]

Yesterday, I moved my Weaver ant queen (Oecophylla smaragdina) to a new test tube because her old setup is getting moldy. But today, I saw her at the cotton blocker and she wasn't moving a lot despite this species having great vision and are very protective of their brood, one of her legs are also not working properly and she couldn't walk, I tried feeding her some sugar water to hopefully regain her strength but to no success, I decided to move her and her brood to their old setup with a new piece of wet tissue paper which is what most antkeepers have success with raising this species but she still hasn't recovered and she can still only move her legs. Is there something I can help her recover? Is moving her to a test tube setup a big mistake? Please help me, I don't want to lose another queen of this species 

[CheetoLord02]

Probably gassed herself with formic acid. Put her in an area with good airflow and hope she can recover.

[ANTS_KL]

Cheeto is right. That is what happened and I recommend you follow his advice. When she seems better use the setup I recommended and she should be good.

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[SYUTEO]

I opened the lid of the enclosure for some time and she is starting to become more active but she still couldn't walk nor open her mandibles, I'll wait till the evening and see if she recovers. I hope she does.

[ANTS_KL]

I opened the lid of the enclosure for some time and she is starting to become more active but she still couldn't walk nor open her mandibles, I'll wait till the evening and see if she recovers. I hope she does.

Season for weavers is over fyi. Young colonies should be scattered here and there but no queens anymore. But C. affinis is starting to fly and I got a queen! Let's hope your queen recovers cuz if not you gotta wait for next year.

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[SYUTEO]

Unfortunately, she didn't recover and she died   . I'm still not 100% sure what caused her front legs to not function properly and unable to open her mandibles, maybe next time I should not move another weaver ant queen to a test tube anymore. She left behind some eggs and larvae that might still be alive but I don't know what to do with them.

 

Edit: I'm such a loser!

Edited by SYUTEO, June 13 2021 - 6:00 PM.

[ANTS_KL]

Leave them near a weaver ant colony in the wild and the workers should adopt them

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[ZTYguy]

Don’t be to hard on yourself. Now you know and I bet you can get one next year. Or try and find a local nest and watch them grow until next year. Happy anting!

[ANTS_KL]

Weaver ants are very hard to find so fingers crossed you can find new ones. Btw they may still be flying now so don't lose hope. (They fly almost year round occasionally)

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[ashley1505]

Probably gassed herself with formic acid. Put her in an area with good airflow and hope she can recover.

Hi! May I know what it means by the weaver queen gassing herself with formic acid? Why would she do that?
I found a weaver queen today and placed it in a big plastic bag to bring home (reached ard 20 min), occasionally opened the bag to ensure she has fresh air. But by the time I reached home and set up the test tube for her, she looks extremely weak and her 4 hind legs were folded inwards. She tried to walk with front legs only. When I found her, she was walking ard actively, wings held up high ard 60 deg from horizontally, like a boss.
Any idea what happened? Do they die from captivity? This is the 2nd queen I found that becomes weak after a while.

Edited by ashley1505, June 20 2021 - 2:56 AM.

[ANTS_KL]

Probably gassed herself with formic acid. Put her in an area with good airflow and hope she can recover.

Hi! May I know what it means by the weaver queen gassing herself with formic acid? Why would she do that?
I found a weaver queen today and placed it in a big plastic bag to bring home (reached ard 20 min), occasionally opened the bag to ensure she has fresh air. But by the time I reached home and set up the test tube for her, she looks extremely weak and her 4 hind legs were folded inwards. She tried to walk with front legs only. When I found her, she was walking ard actively, wings held up high ard 60 deg from horizontally, like a boss.
Any idea what happened? Do they die from captivity? This is the 2nd queen I found that becomes weak after a while.

It because weaver ants need a LOT of space if you are just taking them home. The queen is trying to "attack" whatever is holding her with formic acid, only to die from her own weaponry. It's never happened with me cuz I always immediately place them into a founding container the moment I find them. And fyi I use medium sized deli-containers with wet paper towel at the bottom. That is the only method of success I have had. Please don't make the same mistake of keeping a weaver queen in a small container for everyone reading this post and has this happened to a queen before.

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[ashley1505]

Oic, thank you Cheeto for explaining. I'd actually chanced upon it so the only thing I had to hold it temporarily was a plastic bag so I made sure the bag was puffed while I brought it back to place in a test tube set up. It'd started to decline while waiting in the plastic bag. I didn't realise it could happen so fast. I tried to move it to a rolled leaf placed in a plastic container with lots of space and uncovered, in hope she recovers, but unfortunately she's died. The first queen flew into my neighbour's balcony and we simply placed it in a test tube setup right away. Thank you for the space tip, I'd be sure to do so for the next one if I find any again. Really hate to lose another beauty like this.

[ashley1505]

This was the last set up I used for her 'recovery'. Is this the type of delibox u r referring to?

This was the last set up I used for her 'recovery'. Is this the type of delibox u r referring to?

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Edited by ashley1505, June 20 2021 - 4:48 AM.

[ANTS_KL]

This was the last set up I used for her 'recovery'. Is this the type of delibox u r referring to?

This was the last set up I used for her 'recovery'. Is this the type of delibox u r referring to?

No. Also I'm not Cheeto I'm ANTS_KL. Do you know what's a delicup? The one I'm talking abt is just a big delicup.

Edited by ANTS_KL, June 20 2021 - 10:40 PM.

[ashley1505]

Sorry, u r right. Thank you Ants KL!

[ANTS_KL]

Sorry, u r right. Thank you Ants KL!

Welcome!!

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[ashley1505]

Hi Ant KL! May I seek your advice urgently please? As luck would have it , my son found another weaver queen! We took heed on your tip that it needs lots of space, so this time we place it on a leaf in the open... can you please share with me how the founding setup should look like? Can I place it in a rolled live leaf on a small tree?

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Edited by ashley1505, June 26 2021 - 7:16 PM.

[SYUTEO]

You can just place her on that plant and she will found her colony like that, but the problem with that setup is that you might not know where she is founding her colony and you need to make sure that predators especially birds and other ants don't come and eat her.

Edited by SYUTEO, June 26 2021 - 7:21 PM.

[ashley1505]

I can place talcum powder n rubbing alcohol around to prevent other insects from coming in... I'll try to look for a suitable tree

[ashley1505]

If in a tank set up, just wet tissue and a toilet roll is good enough? Do you have any photo of a good set up that you can share with me please?