13 replies to this topic

[Vendayn]

http://www.formicult...-1-27-16/page-2

 

Post number 28 you can see pictures.

 

The colony seems really healthy overall, queen is laying some eggs (though not many, only has laid around 5 since I got her on the 17th, but its probably the time of year), workers seem healthy. Except, the workers don't seem to climb up the sides easily and stumble around everywhere. I didn't mention that in my journal, kind of forgot till I saw it happen. Maybe they aren't good climbers, but I also noticed one worker walking backwards and viciously cleaning her own head and stumbling around, almost attacking her head even. It is NOT mites, there are no mites on them or anywhere in the container. In less than a day (I saw the worker doing that yesterday), they have destroyed half the pupae and are now in process of destroying the larvae. There were more than 10 pupae in there, now there is 6. They have also been doing this to the larvae now, but not as much. A worker will pick up a larvae or pupae and carry it all around the entire container. Sometimes drop it far from the fungus, then another worker picks it up. Then two or more (saw four at once at one time) will start pulling the pupae apart in all directions.

 

The workers overall seem healthy enough, they never did seem to climb up the sides when I first got them, so that is probably normal. The queen looks fine enough. The fungus is super healthy as you can see from the pictures, the fungus is growing SUPER fast. Very healthy. None of the food I put in there is bad, and I definitely wash it all before hand and never get food from outside either. And the fungus is very healthy anyway.

 

Anyone know why they'd start destroying their own brood? And not sure what was up with that one worker, but I looked earlier and she still seemed to be viciously cleaning her head for some reason (but not as much). Not sure what is up with that, when there aren't any mites on her.

 

Only thing my dad and friend can think of, is maybe there is a tiny parasite or some kind of sickness. Since one wouldn't think a healthy colony would start just destroying more than half the brood they had. And dunno where the parasite would come from, guess they can come from anywhere if that is what it is.

 

Anyone else have any ideas? I've seen a lot of Acromyrmex colonies and I've never heard them doing that when the colony was big. Is that just what small colonies do or something?

[Vendayn]

I know Drew says its normal for this species, so maybe it is. But, I've had tons of ants and they've never done that. Nor ever seen any worker walk backwards nearly attacking their own head, which was weird too. But, maybe Acromyrmex are just strange. Still weird they'd destroy half their entire brood, and are still in process of destroying more of it.

Edited by Vendayn, January 30 2016 - 11:19 PM.

[dspdrew]

I don't know if it is normal. I just said I see it happen sometimes, and it's always just a temporary problem.

[Vendayn]

Since posting they dismantled another pupae, and a worker is carrying another pupae all around for some reason like they did with the ones they destroyed. Weird. I'll see what it looks like tomorrow, but it went from 6 pupae (from posting) to soon to be 4 pupae left. Wonder what's going on. The brood pile they had is way smaller than I saw it yesterday. They were healthy for quite a while (since the 17th), not too much egg laying, but the fungus is really healthy and I don't see any reason they'd suddenly start destroying their brood. Really strange. They had a huge pile of pupae yesterday. Ah well, at least the fungus is growing nicely lol. And the workers and queen don't appear to be dying off, though workers do seem like they are walking around a bit weird.

I did wash everything, and never gave them anything outside. Everything I gave them is considered food grade, so should be fine. Plus I'd think if it was bad food or the environment for some reason, the fungus wouldn't be so healthy and the ants would be dead.

 

But guess you are right, see what happens. It doesn't look very happening though, and none of my other ants ever started destroying brood out of nowhere. No idea why, since the pupae weren't deformed or anything. Hopefully its temporary, but at least today (well yesterday now that its past 12), brood count is very quickly dropping.

 

Plus, it doesn't help the queen very barely lays eggs (like I said, maybe just time of year). So them destroying most of the brood, doesn't seem very good when there is even less eggs/larvae to replace it

 

Well, I'll just keep an eye on it next few weeks and see if they don't recover and queen produces new brood.

Edited by Vendayn, January 31 2016 - 12:24 AM.

[david0426]

I just bought my colony today. I'm having the same problem. I saw one of the worker carried an egg to the forage area and threw it away. I also observed there was 2 workers that was walking backward and rubbing their heads. I even found those 2 rubbing each other back for some reason. About 3 or 4 hours later I found 2 dead workers in the forage area.  I'm also a little nervous cause the queen haven't been moving at all.

[Sisyphe]

Do you know the vendor well?

 

Selling a leaf-cutter queen just alone is not very successful. But cutting a piece of fungus in a mature colony and giving it to a single queen along with several workers can add worth to your queen... Along with paving the road to a genocide in your foundation.

[david0426]

He sold it with the fungus, the colony seem to be doing ok now. I see the queen finally laid new eggs. It might have just been the new environment drove them a little crazy for a few hours but they calmed down and everyone doing their jobs again.

[dspdrew]

Do you know the vendor well?

 

Selling a leaf-cutter queen just alone is not very successful. But cutting a piece of fungus in a mature colony and giving it to a single queen along with several workers can add worth to your queen... Along with paving the road to a genocide in your foundation.

 

I'm the one who sold them to these guys. I only sell healthy colonies with fungus gardens and multiple workers. Most of my friends have colonies they got from me also and they're all doing great. I myself have three personal colonies of over 1000 workers each. I actually start every colony with donated fungus.

[Sisyphe]

Selling a leaf-cutter queen just alone is not very successful. But cutting a piece of fungus in a mature colony and giving it to a single queen along with several workers can add worth to your queen... Along with paving the road to a genocide in your foundation

 

I'm the one who sold them to these guys. I only sell healthy colonies with fungus gardens and multiple workers. Most of my friends have colonies they got from me also and they're all doing great. I myself have three personal colonies of over 1000 workers each. I actually start every colony with donated fungus.

 

 

 

Fair enough. I certainly didn't want to throw some random accusations, but many German vendors boost the colonies they sell, which sometimes leads to the destruction of the brood by the foreign workers.

 

How do you sell btw? I've always heard that American laws regarding the selling of ants was particularly harsh.

[dspdrew]

Yeah, we've all heard about the German vendors that sell infertile alates as queens and do other shady stuff.

 

What's harsh is actually interstate transport laws, not selling, unless it's a class A pest (currently four species of Solenopsis), then those aren't even allowed to be kept at all. What I do is sell my extra colonies, and any other ants I don't feel like taking care of anymore. I only sell locally, and don't ship anything. I actually meet the people I sell to in person, and a lot of them are my friends really.

[honourable]

My acromyrmex from drew does funny things too. but as i watched them it became clear that they will rebound and become normal again. they seem to have more personalities than some of my other ants. i saw 2 workers carrying two pupae away from the nest and after i while i lost track of them. then there were about 5 ants fighting each other.

one ant bit one, another bit it, and yet another bit that ant! its a 3 congo line of ants. one ant is carrying our her dead mate that's attached to her leg right now. [: "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"

the fungus is growing, but it is in a test tube so i don't expect too much. plan to move it out to a bigger place. as long as the queen and fungus is doing well there's not too much to worry. keep ants should be fun and not stressful - i think.

[Vendayn]

Yeah, I think it ended up just a weird occurrence. Today they are acting "normal" again and not doing anything weird like destroying pupae. I got really worried though, because never seen an ant colony do that.

[Sisyphe]

I actually meet the people I sell to in person, and a lot of them are my friends really.

 

 

 

 

 

That explains why you're not concerned with shipping laws.

 

Strangely enough, most French (amateur) vendors ship their colonies even though the country is way smaller than the US. I guess we're just lazy.

[Subverted]

Strangely enough, most French (amateur) vendors ship their colonies even though the country is way smaller than the US. I guess we're just lazy.

 

I think that you misunderstood, he only sells colonies within the state of California and afaik only in Southern California (around Orange County).

 

For most other insect related hobbies shipping things is totally legal (or less illegal...) and its a common practice to send things from one state to another.