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odesssus: swollen ants? (16. Aug 2010 00:28)

iv'e just looked in the nest of my Ca mpontus herculeanus and it looks like all the ants in there have fat or swollen gasters. i can see white lines on them what is going on ???

baumarkthammer: Re: swollen ants? (16. Aug 2010 02:59)

They are saving food, thats normal specially for all Camponotus species they use their bigger workers often for saving food.

odesssus: Re: swollen ants? (16. Aug 2010 03:41)

also they have stoped coming out are they getting ready to hibernate?

baumarkthammer: Re: swollen ants? (16. Aug 2010 03:47)

Not jet it is much to early, they just aren´t hungry. Your colony probably isn´t that big so they don´t need so much food.
How big is your colony and what did you feed them?
Camponotus are ants that don´t eat very much protein compared to the amount of sugar in form of liquid they eat. So it is possible for them just to sit in the nest for some time.

odesssus: Re: swollen ants? (16. Aug 2010 12:05)

when i got them there was around 15 some have died but when i looked in the nest i saw very small ants that i think are young ones but the colony are no bigger that 15/20.

odesssus: Re: swollen ants? (16. Aug 2010 12:08)

ive been feeding them honey and spiders and mealworm but they dont like them much they love the honey. only one ant comes out for 5 minuets it's the same ant a small worker he has a look around then goes back in .