5 replies to this topic

[Ltislander]

I've been keeping a Floridanus colony since October and they have had 2 mass die offs since then. They seem to hit 30 workers, stop growing for a month or so, and then 60-70% of the colony dies off. They have been kept in 2 different mini hearths, and I am out of ideas of how and why they are dying off. Any advice? 

[Manitobant]

I'm thinking it has something to do with nest space. A 30 worker camponotus colony is WAY too big for a single mini hearth, and they wouldn’t have enough space in the nest to continue growing.

Edited by Manitobant, April 18 2022 - 4:29 PM.

[Ltislander]

I'm thinking it has something to do with nest space. A 30 worker camponotus colony is WAY too big for a single mini hearth, and they wouldn’t have enough space in the nest to continue growing.

That could have been it, although it seemed like they had plenty of space. Next time they recover I'll move them sooner. 

[Ltislander]

Any sugar sources? Replace every 3 days to be safe is what I have heard. My ants use it much faster, so I don’t need to. If I am going to be honest, I put my 12 worker colony in a medium aus ants nest, and they THRIVED. In just a month they reach 50 workers and a many more cocoons. Maybe they like spare space…

I provided plenty of sugar for them, so that's not the issue. I guess they like a lot of space, so next time I guess I'll move them into a larger nest.