5 replies to this topic

[BleepingBleepers]

So I noted in my journal that I had two deaths due to my mishandling. I'm usually VERY careful around them. Time line:

 

https://www.formicul...-ca02/?p=234278

 

 

I was doing Outworld maintenance when it happened, I was sad but also somewhat surprised at how easily they were killed.

 

EDIT: Just to clarify, these are just regular minor workers and this is about carpenter ants.

 

Ant #1, I was cutting the vinyl traveling tube to size and she was near it examining it. The ant didn't look hurt whatsoever, can't be the scissors nor the pinching of the tube due to the scissors squeezing in. Maybe the slight jolt?

 

Ant #2, accidentally gave her a light squeeze as I didn't see her sneak between my fingers. I immediately let go, her legs were a bit hurt and seconds later, died.

 

Thing was, both ants physically look almost perfectly intact. I didn't notice any 'smushed' parts, liquid leaking out (though I didn't confirm under a microscope or anything as I don't have one), twisted limbs, nothing. Head looked fine too.

 

I have these small, wild, 3mm or so dark ants that live in my area and I thought my carpenter ants, being SOOOO much bigger, would be a lot tougher. These 3mm ants, I can squeeze with a slight bit of force between my fingers and they'd still be alive (maybe injured but alive), but these big ants died from just that? Probably bigger body / gaster made them easier to squish but then again, I did mention they didn't look smushed at all.

 

It almost feels like they freaking died of a 'heart' attack though ants don't have a heart like we do.

 

Like they died of terror and shock   

 

 

Edit: I guess I'm just mainly wondering if anyone notice the same with their medium large ants or are your ants tough as nails?

Like my ecto ants, I think they're tougher, I've dropped a plastic feeding tray full of water on one and she didn't come out injured, she came out fuming and ready to kill.

Edited by BleepingBleepers, February 13 2024 - 9:37 PM.

[futurebird]

They are so delicate. The larger ants seem to injure more easily not less. I once had a major die due to ... falling. She was just a very big fat major and jumped off the shelf cracking her gaster. This is why I don't use tweezers and only use my fingers to pinch if there is no other option. I find a small clear or mesh lid is an ideal way to catch ants without harm. A paint brush or a feather are good too. 

 

I don't know if being scared to death is a thing. Ants have many close calls in the wild and I think it takes more like sustained stress to kill a queen "by stress" (for example too many vibrations and too much light for a shy species may cause them to never rest and thus die sooner)

 

But queen ants have close encounters with birds and all kinds of horrors and go on to live long lives. It's probably just too much pressure in the wrong spot. It feels awful when a queen dies. I recently made a mistake with tubing that killed one of my favorite queens. Don't feel too bad. Get a feather or paint brush. Get a little clear lid and a card. 

[Artisan_Ants]

I had a similar incident too. But it wasn’t with a queen. Instead it was with a worker… I was moving my C. chromaiodes into a new test tube, and I taped the connection from one test tube to the other one. There was this one worker who lived to explore (likely the first and oldest worker at that time) and found every way to escape their test tube when it wasn’t taped. I found her crawling everywhere like on boxes when she did. I finally taped two test tubes, and that's when trouble struck. The worker got stuck… I removed her as best as I could, but she ended up wounded; yet I still put her in the test tube with the rest of her colony. A day later, I checked up on her to see if she was alive, and to my surprise, she was. But then later that day, she unfortunately died, and for her protein and carbohydrates, was eaten by the rest of her sisters…

[ReignofRage]

It should be noted that many of the Tanaemyrmex and other Camponotus from California have a strong affinity for spraying a visible stream of formic acid at whatever touches them - especially when there is any sort of "pinch" or "squeeze." Sometimes it will even leave a wet spot on your skin if it happens while physically grabbing the ants with your hands. It may be possible that the workers sprayed their own face and killed themself. I've had it happen when grabbing Camponotus workers of the following species: absquatulator, anthrax, clarithorax, dumetorum, essigi, fragilis, hyatti, johnsoni, laevigatus, laevissimus, maritimus, ocreatus, sansabeanus, sayi, semitestaceus, us-ca02, vicinus, yogi, and a few undescribed Tanaemyrmex. If they directly spray a large quantity straight into their own face, it can a rather quick death sometimes.

[BleepingBleepers]

It should be noted that many of the Tanaemyrmex and other Camponotus from California have a strong affinity for spraying a visible stream of formic acid at whatever touches them - especially when there is any sort of "pinch" or "squeeze." Sometimes it will even leave a wet spot on your skin if it happens while physically grabbing the ants with your hands. It may be possible that the workers sprayed their own face and killed themself. I've had it happen when grabbing Camponotus workers of the following species: absquatulator, anthrax, clarithorax, dumetorum, essigi, fragilis, hyatti, johnsoni, laevigatus, laevissimus, maritimus, ocreatus, sansabeanus, sayi, semitestaceus, us-ca02, vicinus, yogi, and a few undescribed Tanaemyrmex. If they directly spray a large quantity straight into their own face, it can a rather quick death sometimes.

Hmmm, very interesting!

 

So it basically shot itself with its own 'gun' in a sense.

 

It does seem to more explain what happened to ant number 2, but not so much ant number 1 that was just idling in the traveling tube. Even ant number 2 I kinda feel like it is a bit unlikely that was the case but it is a possibility!

 

Feels like in this case, their spray seems to work more against them than for them.

 

I've always wondered about the negative side effects of formic acid on ants, like how much can they tolerate and how much until it affects them negatively healthwise (lifespan and functioning normal, etc). I know in the wild, the smell shouldn't be nearly as bad as they can open up tunnels and the substrate and surrounding areas, including live plants suck up all that stuff. With us, it's kinda bottled up in our man made nest. I've read around that some colonies have been wiped out because of it, but at what point is it just not so good? Formic acid, I heard, lasts for months.

[The_Gaming-gate]

One of my friends was messing around with carpenter ants near his house, and killed a major by simply lifting it. The ant was intact, just like yours, but it simply- died.