ANTSTORE World of Ants

[elmnt]

Hello, I'm new here ( though I have been reading the forums for a long time) and I recently caught a Tetramorium caespitum queen. She has 3 workers with her and some eggs . I have been giving them many insects (flys, spiders) and my queen has gotten a little fat and I was wondering if I should feed them less or is she just storing food? I would also like to know if the insects I'm feeding them contain to much fat? Also, should i get rid of the head of the spider so they wont get the venom? Sorry I'm new at keeping a queen. Thanks

[donbilbo]

They cant get fat. If they need food they eat, otherwise they just let it rot. As far as i know venom from spiders or bees has to be injected into the body by a sting or bite, if they just swallow venom it does not bother them at all.

[elmnt]

Well I mean since i have gotten the queen her gaster has gotten much bigger and you can see inbetween the exoskeleton.

[Cordovan]

Hi and in this forum elmnt!

So far haven't heard of any risks from spider venoms, you shoudl just be certain about the kinds of insects you feed the ants, as several insects have "defense secretions" that may still harm the ants after death of the insect. Just be sure about the insects you feed and you/the ants should be fine...

That the ants are feeded too much is quite normal in private antkeeping, they would never find that much food that easy in nature... Don't worry, if the queen is growing fat, she will lay a whole lot of eggs in the near future...

Good luck with your colony!

[elmnt]

Ok thank you!

[SteveUK28]

Hello elmnt and to the forum.
I agree with everyone else i dont think it is a problem feeding them the insects that you are, if your worred then just stick the insects into some boiling water for a couple of seconds.
I hope you get a nice colony from her, and please take some pics and share them with us.

[jeoff82]

Maybe she is the host for some parasite, she could of picked up from the dead bugs.

[Messorus]

Hello
This thing happens at ant queens, which are very good feeded by proteins Ovularia gets bigger and she will produce more laying than other queens, without this thing but still in her age, so don´t worry(,be happy ) about fat(insects can get fat, as others said) It´s very interesting thing, because it happened at few of my queens and than they wasn´t feeded, she got this thing and than I was wondering why she´s so full, when I wasn´t feeding her colony last time I knew also a name for this, but I failt it sry

[JimmyVe]

Hello elmnt and welcome.

It seems your are doing a good job. Good luck.

[bryguy97]

Welcome!

when a queen ant get's "fat" it means that she is probably producing eggs at a higher rate. A lot of the time, fat queens lay the most eggs!

[Zagone]

And just like workers when a queen stores up extra food she'll get 'fatter' too, infact that's generally the most probable cause. Especially in young colonies the queen works as a kind of storage tank for food.

[bryguy97]

Don't know.... Seems to make sense...