10 replies to this topic

[Pyrosmog]

So when I went to check on my ants this afternoon they were all dead. Prior to this they seemed healthy. The one that caught me most off guard was my pogonomyrmex Occidentalis queen. She seemed to be doing well last time I checked on her on Thursday. She was in a test tube setup connected to a tiny out world to allow her to forage if she wanted. Any ideas on what the cause of death could be? Also is October too late in Utah to collect more queen ants? Any hrlp/ suggestions would be great as I'm pretty new to this.

Thanks,
Pyro

[Kevin]

If they are in test tubes maybe you didn't clean them properly, or maybe it was too hot or cold.

[Pyrosmog]

I cleaned the test tubes like I would dishes and rinsed them thoroughly. They have been at room temperature since I collected them (70-75° F) did I need to do things differently?

[MrILoveTheAnts]

Try placing her corps on a damp tissue for a day, see if she revives.

 

In the mean time: How long did you have her for? Does she have brood/workers? What did you feed her? Did her setup have anything such as rubber, glue, or any kind of plastic newly added from the time when she was doing well?

Edited by MrILoveTheAnts, October 1 2016 - 4:08 PM.

[Pyrosmog]

Today marked a week. I haven't changed the setup since she was doing well. I offered her(and she accepted) a few small seeds and some honey. She didn't have any brood as far as I could tell. Both the tube I was keeping her in as well as the out world were plastic. The tube was connected to the out world via some plastic tubing.

[MrILoveTheAnts]

Sounds like she died from something on the seeds you gave her. Because it's likely a dietary issue I don't think there any way to save your queen. But try placing her on a damp tissue in a container for a day. If she comes back to life that's great and it was likely due to some fume or heat issue in the setup. If she's remains dead then no harm done.

 

If the plastic test tube or the container were an issue then you would have likely noticed it that day. I was looking for something like a rubber or plastic cap you might have been using as a feeding dish. Certain materials give off odd fumes that seem to only effect some ant genera (Myrmica and Camponotus in particular I've noticed). When this is the problem ants go into a dead-like state and placing them on something damp seems to revive them. 

[Pyrosmog]

Thanks for the info. I'll give the tissue thing a try, but my hopes are low. I'm a little sad she died though as the ant catching season is pretty much over where I live and I was really hoping to get into it this year. I guess I'll have to pay more attention to what I try to feed my ants in the future maybe I'll have more luck next year.

[Chandlerk]

I thought a couple of my B. depilis queens died last week. 

I put them on a sheet of printer paper to take pictures of them, several hours later one was missing and another one was walking around the paper.

 

Maybe they went into hibernation??
 

[Pyrosmog]

I wondered if it were hibernation but it's still pretty warm where I live ~75° F at the moment

[MrILoveTheAnts]

I thought a couple of my B. depilis queens died last week. 

I put them on a sheet of printer paper to take pictures of them, several hours later one was missing and another one was walking around the paper.

 

Maybe they went into hibernation??
 

Plastic or rubber caps to test tubes sometimes does them in. Sometimes people go crazy with industry strength glues that have toxic fumes while they dry for the first 24 hours. There are also pesticides, and surprisingly worse, herbicides that ants get exposed to.
 

Alternatively if you find seemingly "dead" queens in a swimming pool, you can often place them on a sheet of paper or tissue, someplace for them to dry out. The wet tissue is to ensure they don't dry out. After an hour to a day they sometimes revive. Doesn't guarantee they're mated with but sometimes they are and you can really clean up.

Edited by MrILoveTheAnts, October 1 2016 - 6:09 PM.

[Works4TheGood]

Did the cotton in your test tube setup have moisture at both ends?  Many (perhaps most) deaths happen from a poor test tube setup where the cotton wasn't pushed deep enough for moisture to show up at both ends.

Was the test tube exposed to any warmth?  A source of warmth will cause heat to build up and eventually roast the queen.

Plenty of deaths are due to the way in which the queens are captured.  Any physical damage, such as gently holding the queen gently between your fingers, will result in the queen's death.

Were the queens initially placed in the same container?  They will bite each other in self defense when too crowded, resulting in both quick and slow deaths.

Were the queens capture on or near a surface treated with insecticides within the past few weeks?  I've lost a queen before because of this.