30 replies to this topic

[T.C.]

Hey people, I have a lasius niger colony of about a 100 workers and the queen. These ants are just terrible. They are actually making me mad. I have their test tube inside a foraging area. One minute they have all themselves inside the tube, I come back an hour later the queen and all her workers have moved themselves and the larvae and puape into the foraging area corner. This isn't the first trouble they have given me. None of my other colonies have ever done what they are doing?  Suggestions?

[Batspiderfish]

They're not really doing anything wrong, only going where they are comfortable. Do you think there could be anything wrong with the tube? does it smell or anything?

[T.C.]

just changed it about 2 weeks ago?

[Kevin]

Did you rinse it with water, test tubes straight from the factory may have a release agent on them

[T.C.]

yep, used boiling water out of the microwave

[drtrmiller]

A picture is worth 1,000 words.

 

Please upload two photos; one of the nest up close, and one wide shot of the environment in the room, showing any lights and other gadgets in close proximity to your setup.

[spider_creations]

If you are really worried about the brood drying out,mist the out world

[Works4TheGood]

For starters, I would provide them with an additioal test tube to move into just in case.

If I were you, it wouldn't bother me so long as I know that they have a perfectly good test tube setup available if they need it. Remember, the reason why formicariums are supposed to have a humidity and heat gradient is so that the ants can pick what's best for the health of the colony. That's what your ants are doing and for whatever reason, they think that the optimal location is outside the tube, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I've seen my lasius colonies do the same with their pupae quite a few times.

[T.C.]

ok, thanks for the help... Truly appreciated

[T.C.]

A picture is worth 1,000 words.

 

Please upload two photos; one of the nest up close, and one wide shot of the environment in the room, showing any lights and other gadgets in close proximity to your setup.

Here is a pic of the tube, i used a light to force them back in to the dark tube and unattached it to the foraging area. I am now having a rise in deaths?

 

http://s44.photobuck...c3.jpg.html?o=3

[Batspiderfish]

These look like Formica, for starters.There really wasn't much reason to force them into the tube -- this is likely related to the die-off. I trust that they also have access to fresh sugary liquid and insect protein? Make up a new tube for them just in case there is something wrong with the old tube that you can't detect. Put it in the outworld with them and leave them alone. If they were captured from the wild, that might be another cause for these deaths.

[drtrmiller]

I didn't see any hydration or drinking water. Dehydration is the most likely cause of acute deaths while in captivity, absent any toxins, which I see no reason to suspect.

[T.C.]

the tube that u see came off of a Marshmallow shooter... lol   So it is super large. I couldn't get the whole thing in the pic however to the left is the water blocked off with cotton

[T.C.]

I put them into a jar with dirt. half of them scurried out in the process, but the queen was fine. I however believe I will let them go here soon. i have too many colonies as it is. Especially since I caught several more queens today!

[T.C.]

UPDATE: Queen died, i think possibly parasites or something was the cause of all previous ant deaths, turned the whole colony loose out side where they have just move under a nearby rock. The wierd part of all this was the queen i found dead  on the cement floor where I must have stepped on her. I could of sware she was in the dirt jar when i closed it.

 

Learnt alot though. Even though I have kept plenty of other successful ant colonies you can never know everything I guess!

[Batspiderfish]

Sorry, but it sounds like this colony took a lot of abuse. They look like they were captured from the wild, you didn't know what species they were (Formica are very sensitive ants), they had a very tiny outworld, they were forced to move from place to place with light, then thrown into a jar,all while they were already experiencing a die-off. That's way too much stress for a colony. You need to be way more patient and gentle.

[T.C.]

(Content removed by author)

Reason: Ignorance

Edited by T.C., September 13 2017 - 9:48 PM.

[Batspiderfish]

Lasius niger is only really found in the Rocky Mountains, so whatever you have is probably not Lasius niger. Like I said, they look like Formica in the picture. I made a lot of assumptions based on what I saw and the way they were described -- I'm glad you managed to raise them from a queen, and also sorry, as getting a colony of this size would require that kind of patience (and a little love). The reasons for them going into decline are probably the same, though, especially if they are Formica.

 

If I am somehow mistaken, and they are Lasius (they would probably be Laius alienus, in this case), you could  remember in the future that social parasite Lasius species specialize in using/making orphaned colonies.

Edited by Batspiderfish, September 15 2016 - 5:53 AM.

[T.C.]

(Content removed by author)

Reason: Ignorance

Edited by T.C., September 13 2017 - 9:51 PM.

[T.C.]

This post bugs me a lot, so that's why I am bringing it back up. I was quite an amateur to ant keeping when I made this post, so I just want to make it clear I am aware the species was formica, not lasius niger like batspiderfish said and like alot of you probably new. Also The colony was handled pretty roughly.   Just wanted to say that I was wrong and like I said I was quite the amatuer at the time. But I have learnt alot in the past 3 months.