4 replies to this topic

[VonKnox]

Okay so I am a brand new ant keeper and my queen (Lasius Niger) that I had acquired has died. I have no idea what happened or why, I can only assume it is because of stress or something related. The workers moved the queen to a new test tube set up I adjoined to it because the original started to mold. The queen for days afterwards was visibly unsettled in the new tube. I after about a week connected the test tube to formicarium with a "underground" nest portion and an "above" ground outworld. The workers moved the eggs and larvae into the underground portion. For days after the queen wandered the entire nest, from outworld to test tube to underground area. She never sat still, a few days ago I found her on her back to which I left her and checked on her the next morning, she was upright and again continuing to pace. The next day she was deceased and the colony had eaten her head.
My question I guess is what can I do better next time and what do I do with the remaining, leaderless colony?
https://imgur.com/LiImmzL

Edited by VonKnox, March 5 2022 - 4:19 PM.

[Skwiggledork]

You may not have done anything wrong. Sometimes queens just die, but I have some follow up questions just in case there is something that can be improved. 

Did you wash the new test tube setup or nest with anything before moving them in? How often were you checking on the colony? You said the queen was visibly unsettled in the new tube and would wander the nest. It could be that she didn't like something about them, or could be reacting to being checked on. How long ago did you get or make the nest? Some materials need time to air out. What were you feeding them? If it was anything from outside it could have been contaminated with pesticides. 

As for what to do with the remaining colony, ultimately they are doomed. You can continue to care for them until the workers die off, or freeze them.
 

[United-Ants]

keep the workers for a while  if you find a parasite queen  the workers 

[Floridaantz1000]

I’m sorry to hear your queen died.

[AntsDakota]

keep the workers for a while  if you find a parasite queen  the workers 

Yes; I'm assuming you're in Europe (due to the species), so you should probably be able to by another colony, or perhaps even a parasitic queen. I know there are large ant shops in the UK and Germany at least.