30 replies to this topic

[benjiwuf]

that's exactly what i was hoping for. thank you for FINALLY offering some validity to this claim and providing a study. i will read through this thoroughly.

[AntsMAN]

The yellow mold is starting to do its thing and a lot more workers have died.

I'm thinking I exposed them to cold before they had a chance to build up their cold defense, along with insufficient resources caused the mass death. Leaving the remainder of them weak and dying when they came out. And now they are still dying because I shortened their lifespan.

My other colonies were in a smaller nests that held the humidity a lot better and had better insulation. And where they were small, they got the sufficient amount of resources.

Next year more time needs to be put into preparation.
 

Edited by AntsMAN, February 21 2017 - 9:46 AM.

[Serafine]

Tree sap is easiest to get from pines. Also look that you take that it from conifers (needle trees) not from leaf trees.

[AntsMAN]

I looked in today and the queen was dead and the mold has taken over. I put the remainder of the colony in the freezer.

[CrazyLegs]

Sorry to hear that AntsMAN.

[AntsMAN]

I'm starting to realize the odds of getting a colony to a few years old or more is low. What are the odds of getting a queen to live her full life span?

[CrazyLegs]

I can't say for sure but I would confidently say that most domesticated animals have shorter lifespans than their wild cousins, provided they aren't preyed upon beforehand. Usually due to poor diets that don't resemble the foods available in nature. You have given your ants a very varied diet though so I can't imagine you have done anything wrong. I can't help but share some of my dinner with my eclectus parrot even though she shouldn't be eating crispy skinned salmon with hollandaise, she just loves to eat with the flock.    If I could keep an ant colony for two years I would be satisfied with a good run. 

[Martialis]

I can't say for sure but I would confidently say that most domesticated animals have shorter lifespans than their wild cousins, provided they aren't preyed upon beforehand. Usually due to poor diets that don't resemble the foods available in nature. You have given your ants a very varied diet though so I can't imagine you have done anything wrong. I can't help but share some of my dinner with my eclectus parrot even though she shouldn't be eating crispy skinned salmon with hollandaise, she just loves to eat with the flock.    If I could keep an ant colony for two years I would be satisfied with a good run. 

 

Many domestic animals actually live longer.

[CrazyLegs]

Yes, but only because they are sheltered from physical dangers.

[MichiganAnts]

honestly i don't think its 1 thing that will kill a queen/ant/human.. its always a serious of small/large/mixed things that compound and spiral out of control. you could of done everything 100% correct, but she had bad genes or something like that. My goal is to at least get colonies to reproduce

[AntsMAN]

On a positive note my other colony of the same species is doing really well. I wish I could get a good picture, 50+ workers and three massive piles of eggs the most I've personally seen from a colony of  this age. Hibernation done wonders for these guys. They were kept the same as the others. I'm thinking you are correct in assuming genetics, I'm going with the same assumption.