ANTSTORE World of Ants

[Psynapse85]

Hi, I have a colony of Lasius flavus for 4 months in a test tube...they were 12 workers at the beginning, started to die (4), the queen layed some eggs, but they didnt hatch. The tube is in the arena (plastic one - in a dark place) and they have dead insects, honey with water, sugar, water gel and the room temperature is 25ºC. Now, my workers leaved the queen and just disappeared. I can see some holes in other tubes that I put in the arena with cotton (and water), but I cant see them. What am I doing wrong? I choose lasius for being easy to keep, but this is a tiny nightmare (and frustrating )...Iv tryed to put water in the first tube with a needle, but that caused a lot of stress in the queen, so I stopped, thinking that the workers could collect their water and humify that nest...but it seems VERY dry. In 4 months, I just could see the queen eat an insect 2 times...all other were laying dead in the arena...

Should I move the queen to another tube? How can I do that? How can I moist the cotton in the dead end?

TY, and sorry for my bad english

[SteveUK28]

Well you can try placing another new test tube into the arena and if the queen wants she will move. I do not have any real experience with flavus myself but i know they are much like Lasius niger. By what you say it sounds to me that the queen may not be fertilized, where did you get her? I dont think you have done anything really wrong tbh.. it just might be bad luck.

Your english is also not that bad I hope either she lays for you soon and you have workers.. or you do not give up and try again.. maybe with Lasius niger.

[Psynapse85]

TY!

The queen was laying eggs and I bought her with her colony of 12 workers. Some became larvae, but didnt grow. Now, I just have 4 workers (from 12) and they moved yesterday to another tube, with the queen (by their will). Hope better this time