- Joined
- Jun 21, 2023
- Messages
- 1,086
Probably abandoning the nest because you created a stressful environment.
They're supposed to be left alone until they establish their brood. When I kept ants, I only fed and checked them once a week, and even that was too much stress for my Myrmecocystus queen.
She stopped laying for a month because I kept trying to feed her twice a week. Noob mistake. I left her alone in the dark and she preferred that. Started laying again, and once she had about 10 workers, she didn't slow down again.
Given enough time and stress, you'll "check on your queen" literally to death.
They are not like Tarantulas, you can literally stress them to death just by shaking the enclosure or exposing it to dim light.
Hone your expectations. These are not a pet to be handled or interacted with. They are for display and observation only, and that applies to the colony, not the queen.
You can literally observe your queen to death, and you wouldn't be the first or last person to do so.
Head over to Formiculture and read up on the basic care for a test tube colony. You'll see nobody successful is checking them daily.
If you NEED daily stimulation for your endorphin release, then get 7 test tubes and maintain each one on a different day. Otherwise I don't expect this colony to survive long with the constant environmental pressure you're applying to the queen.
They're supposed to be left alone until they establish their brood. When I kept ants, I only fed and checked them once a week, and even that was too much stress for my Myrmecocystus queen.
She stopped laying for a month because I kept trying to feed her twice a week. Noob mistake. I left her alone in the dark and she preferred that. Started laying again, and once she had about 10 workers, she didn't slow down again.
Given enough time and stress, you'll "check on your queen" literally to death.
They are not like Tarantulas, you can literally stress them to death just by shaking the enclosure or exposing it to dim light.
Hone your expectations. These are not a pet to be handled or interacted with. They are for display and observation only, and that applies to the colony, not the queen.
You can literally observe your queen to death, and you wouldn't be the first or last person to do so.
Head over to Formiculture and read up on the basic care for a test tube colony. You'll see nobody successful is checking them daily.
If you NEED daily stimulation for your endorphin release, then get 7 test tubes and maintain each one on a different day. Otherwise I don't expect this colony to survive long with the constant environmental pressure you're applying to the queen.
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