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My two queen leafcutter ant colony is dying


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18 replies to this topic

#1 Offline antscientist - Posted February 6 2022 - 4:23 AM

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One of the queens died and the fungus condition is NOT good. Workers are dying and it doesn't seem that they are caring for the fungus anymore. I moved them out of their soil terrarium and put them in a plastic container. It's winter where I live so I can't find leaves. Plus, I tried feeding them oatmeal but they just won't take it. PLS HELP.


Edited by antscientist, February 6 2022 - 10:37 AM.


#2 Offline futurebird - Posted February 6 2022 - 5:55 AM

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Is there something at the grocery store that they might eat? Organic greens of some kind?

 

As a more long term solution can you plant some seedlings of plants they enjoy in a small terrium?


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#3 Offline antscientist - Posted February 6 2022 - 7:22 AM

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Is there something at the grocery store that they might eat? Organic greens of some kind?

 

As a more long term solution can you plant some seedlings of plants they enjoy in a small terrium?

ok. I could try.



#4 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted February 6 2022 - 8:27 AM

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Okay, what species are we talking here? 


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#5 Offline antscientist - Posted February 6 2022 - 8:32 AM

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Okay, what species are we talking here? 

Atta Texana. Got it from ants emporium so they aren't native.....



#6 Offline ANTdrew - Posted February 6 2022 - 10:06 AM

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Try some sprouts from the grocery store. Clover sprouts would be ideal, but I bet they’d like alfalfa, too. Is the colony warm enough?
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#7 Offline antscientist - Posted February 6 2022 - 10:28 AM

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Try some sprouts from the grocery store. Clover sprouts would be ideal, but I bet they’d like alfalfa, too. Is the colony warm enough?

Yes. I keep them in a room where they're constantly 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Ok. THX.



#8 Offline Manitobant - Posted February 6 2022 - 10:28 AM

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I wouldn’t keep fungus growers in a terrarium. It isn’t a suitable nest for them, considering how large their fungus grows and how they need special chambers to grow the fungus successfully. This was likely your mistake.

Edited by Manitobant, February 6 2022 - 10:30 AM.

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#9 Offline antscientist - Posted February 6 2022 - 10:32 AM

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I wouldn’t keep fungus growers in a terrarium. It isn’t a suitable nest for them, considering how large their fungus grows and how they need special chambers to grow the fungus successfully. This was likely your mistake.

ok.



#10 Offline NicholasP - Posted February 7 2022 - 12:30 AM

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I also do not recommend a terrarium. In the wild nests can be several feet wide and deep which is something a terrarium simply can't accommodate space for. Especially if there's multiple fungus chambers.


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#11 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted February 7 2022 - 3:58 PM

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If we're talking A. texana, use a traditional Attine nest with plaster.


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#12 Offline CheetoLord02 - Posted February 7 2022 - 5:26 PM

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If you haven't looked over my guide yet, I would highly recommend doing so. It has basically all of the basic info for how your setup should look, and if yours doesn't look similar enough to that, you're not going to have much success keeping them.

https://www.formicul...afcutter-ants™/


If you ask me, it's kind of ridiculous that antsemporium doesn't provide enough info on how to actually keep the ants they sell.


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#13 Offline antscientist - Posted February 8 2022 - 5:02 AM

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I also do not recommend a terrarium. In the wild nests can be several feet wide and deep which is something a terrarium simply can't accommodate space for. Especially if there's multiple fungus chambers.

ok.


If we're talking A. texana, use a traditional Attine nest with plaster.

should I use plaster of Paris or something like that?


If you haven't looked over my guide yet, I would highly recommend doing so. It has basically all of the basic info for how your setup should look, and if yours doesn't look similar enough to that, you're not going to have much success keeping them.

https://www.formicul...afcutter-ants™/


If you ask me, it's kind of ridiculous that antsemporium doesn't provide enough info on how to actually keep the ants they sell.

ok.


few more workers died and I don't think they're gonna survive.......



#14 Offline NicholasP - Posted February 8 2022 - 11:50 PM

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Do not use plaster of Paris. Atta are known to be able to chew through it easily. I'd recommend ultracal or hydrostone.


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#15 Offline antscientist - Posted February 9 2022 - 3:47 AM

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well, my colony died. Rip. :(


Do not use plaster of Paris. Atta are known to be able to chew through it easily. I'd recommend ultracal or hydrostone.

ok.



#16 Offline NicholasP - Posted February 9 2022 - 11:23 AM

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Hopefully Ants Emporium gives you a refund because their atta are not cheap at all even though they fly in the thousands at a time.


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#17 Offline antscientist - Posted February 9 2022 - 1:48 PM

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Hopefully Ants Emporium gives you a refund because their atta are not cheap at all even though they fly in the thousands at a time.

not to sure. I had them for half a year.



#18 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted February 11 2022 - 10:54 AM

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Do not use plaster of Paris. Atta are known to be able to chew through it easily. I'd recommend ultracal or hydrostone.

They shouldn't try to chew through it. Usually they'll be fine with just straight plaster.



#19 Offline Antkeeper01 - Posted February 12 2022 - 8:02 AM

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Do not use plaster of Paris. Atta are known to be able to chew through it easily. I'd recommend ultracal or hydrostone.

They shouldn't try to chew through it. Usually they'll be fine with just straight plaster.

 

they said it was too late anyways the colony died.


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