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dudamota: Queen ATTA spp eating all eggs (16. Nov 2010 21:01)

Hi,

I new in the Ants World and i am from Brazil.
I just got one Atta ssp queen.
She had no wings, and she was digging.
So i think she`s fertilized. She`s HUGE.
The problem is...
She`s depositing eggs.. But in separated places..
She doesn`t look like care about their eggs.
So the eggs keeping disappearing.
I saw the small eggs,,, and in the other day the eggs miss.
What can be ??

Thanks and i sorry for my english.

baumarkthammer: Re: Queen ATTA spp eating all eags (16. Nov 2010 21:36)

Does she still have her fungus?
That is very important for the queens. Without fungus they can´t found their own colony.

dudamota: Re: Queen ATTA spp eating all eags (17. Nov 2010 14:57)

Other problem is..

I bought the "famous" ant works gel...
So i placed de queen there...
She was accting wierd so i took her off and put with red sand aquarium.. She`s still there now.
I readed before that this gel has some product wich kills fungus..
This product on gel do not let the fungus grow to not cause diseases in the colony.
So i think this product kills the fungus that my queen had.

I had the atta spp queen before and her fungus was immediate growing at beggining.

I saw today and she laided 6 eggs,,,

Let`s see if they not disappeared..

baumarkthammer: Re: Queen ATTA spp eating all eags (17. Nov 2010 15:36)

If she hasn´t any fungus she can´t grow any. She has to take it from the nest she was born with her (inside her) to found an new colony. You now have to add new funugs or she will die if she hasn´t got any fungus left.
You can use the fungus of nearly every Atta species because it is nearly the same one as far as I know. Only adding fungus of Acromyrmex and of all lower Attini (Apterostigma, Chyphomyrmex and so on) doesn´t work.
I hope that helps you.

dudamota: Re: Queen ATTA spp eating all eags (17. Nov 2010 17:23)

Maybe if some works grow up they can start to cultive de fungus,,
I will leave some plants close for the works create the fungus..

It`s impossible to find atta spp fungus...
They are too deep to get...

I just have to pray to my works grow up fast.. And get some plants and start the fungus colony..

Any suggestions ??

baumarkthammer: Re: Queen ATTA spp eating all eags (17. Nov 2010 17:38)

That is not possible. They have to have a small pice of fungus to start cultivating it, they can´t just generate some.
There will be no workers without fungus, that is also a problem.

You have to add sime fungus.

dudamota: Re: Queen ATTA spp eating all eags (17. Nov 2010 17:57)

So HOW can i find this fungus ??

I have i friend who has a real farm and i saw a live atta spp colony there.

If i I grab a shovel and dig realy deep maybe i can find the fungus right ??

I just have to pic a little piece and put close to my queen ??

Iam just worried how DEEP i have to dig..

uta: Re: Queen ATTA spp eating all eags (17. Nov 2010 18:11)

Hello dudamota and welcome :sign_welcome: in our forum!

I bought the "famous" ant works gel...
So i placed de queen there...

Please don't use ant works gel-farm for antkeeping. You can use sand/loam or granulated material as example.As baumarkthammer says: it is important, that the queen get some fungus or she will die.
For short time untill you have fungus, you can give the queen honeywater.

Good luck! :)

baumarkthammer: Re: Queen ATTA spp eating all eggs (17. Nov 2010 18:33)

Well I would digg up a big colony only if I had no other chance.
If I was you, I would search small nests. The problem is to discover them, what can be a problem as big as digging in a big colony.
Besides you would have to digg very deep I don´t think you would like all the ants (especially the soldirs) to bite you.
So maybe invest some time in searching a small colony.
I´m sorry that I can´t help you more, I have never been to Brazil and can´t tell you how the nests look.

dudamota: Re: Queen ATTA spp eating all eggs (17. Nov 2010 18:39)

I was very nervous when I discovered the truth about this gel..

I read several posts here saying how much is bad this gel..

And I bought two of these ant works gel and here in Brazil is much more expensive..

Is very disappointing to know the truth.

But Why ?? Why is so bad ?? The gel for me is not for FOOD... it was just for dig..

If i keep the ants in the gel i will keep provind protein and suggar...

So why the ants will die some way..

Obs : I tried putting a drop of honey near my queen and drop fell on her head .. :cry:
she was disgusted at the time but she recovered well from disaster


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