It is easier for everyone to live and survive if someone is nearby. That is why some insects (ants, wasps, termites) gather in colonies because such functioning helps to survive better and is more resistant to unfavorable factors than a single organism. By design, society is multiple, and size means a greater rate of population growth, so it can recover the same population size without any major loss if something goes wrong. The colony brought positive results: ants have become one of the most adapted and dominant types of creatures on our planet. Of course, “indestructibility” is not inherent in all types of ants, but only in the most common and common.
Sure, we’ll answer that question, but let’s consider one situation first. You are very fascinated by ants, you have already read all the literature and all breeding rules that are presented on the internet. The search engine showed all topics with different content about ants. You have purchased a formicarium, made with the latest technology that was invented especially for these pets; you equipped the formicarium with a hygrometer, thermometer, fog generator, air conditioning, automatic feeding device and even soft-playing, calming music (even someone told you that this makes ants develop better), in the arena you have attached a lamp with a special image, which is characteristic of the habitat of this ant species … And finally you ordered a small colony of ants. The ants have arrived! Now you will have your own colony that nothing can destroy, the colony will develop and grow because the best (just perfect!) Conditions have been created for it. However, all of this is a bit over the top. In fact, it is enough to meet the requirements for the selected species of ants to the content: diet, temperature, humidity, formicarium. For example, some novice myrmeekeepers, fearing infecting their colonies with parasites, cook mosquitoes and fruit flies, carry out complete disinfection of the scenery in the arena, etc. Please do not forget, however, that ants are naturally resistant and can adapt to different situations, therefore it is obligatory to keep them in sterile conditions.
Even if ideally all requirements are met, sometimes something may happen that no one would expect. When you check your animals as usual, it seems that they are fine … But wait a minute … What about the mother? She … She’s lying on her back and she’s not moving! Nothing happened for a week, but here the mother is dying! Why did this happen?
For this reason, you are looking for the reasons why the most valuable individual of the colony died and you determine the culprit of all misfortunes. This is … a seller! He is guilty in this misfortune! Yes, the seller planted a pig for you, sold a colony with a defective mother! That is why there were so few ants, because all ants have to develop quickly, and there are only 30. A crafty, deceptive seller put a defective insect in a colony that was already on the verge of life and death! Oh, how happy he is now, counting his money with a smirk … And you start to leave negative opinions about this company wherever possible, so that the seller is accountable for his actions.
However, do not rush to jump to conclusions. In any case, should ants begin to die en masse (the death of individual small workers is normal because the initial workers live little) – this is already a warning sign that something is wrong with the living conditions. In this case, you must urgently take some action before the mother dies (she may, however, die under ideal conditions, but we will come back to this topic).
Ants can die from overdrying of the formicarium, from extreme (hot or cold) temperatures, and from poisoning or unsuitable food. This can be avoided if you follow our recommendations on the rules of breeding different ants (including feeding proven fodder in various ways) and handling ant farms. For example, humidity is more important to animals than temperature (both European and tropical species can feel relatively comfortable in a wide temperature range from +19 to +28 degrees Celsius), so they painfully tolerate fluctuations. In order to protect the ants as well as possible in this regard, some of our farms have gypsum layers – gypsum absorbs excess water and then releases it, which allows the non-demanding ants to be left unattended for up to 10 days (if, of course, leave them with a drinker). In addition to providing them with temperature and humidity, peace and quiet play an important role. Ants do not like noise, bright light and vibration, so the formicarium should be located as far as possible from bright light. The place should be constant and move them as little as possible – then you can not worry about the colonies. She will not refuse to eat because of the stress, otherwise poor conditions may result in her death.
And now back to the fact that, despite a responsible approach to business, ants can die for no apparent reason. Due to its diversity and accelerated reproduction. In their natural habitat, ants have many enemies. The mother who leaves the anthill will be eaten by birds, insectivorous mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians, spiders and other ants … Few of the future queens have time to fertilize, throw away their wings and dig a nest.
That is why the queens are persecuted by completely other enemies, the size of which is small and they cannot harm the colony, but the queen is sentenced to death. These are ectoparasites (external) – ticks. Some of them use ants as vehicles, others use ants as food, sucking on hemolymph. The mother, covered in parasites, eventually dies.
But there are also other types of ant killers – endoparasites (they live inside). The queen of ants sitting in a shelter can, unfortunately, catch them, but this disease does not have immediate symptoms. These are all kinds of fungi, worms, larvae of parasitic flies – this can destroy the mother (and not only) even in a well-developed, apparently healthy colony. Unfortunately, such manifestations are not immediately visible. The infected mother lays eggs, new ants grow – everything seems fine, but unexpectedly she dies, condemning her offspring to death, and the parasite that has terminated its development leaves the victim’s body. The dominant species of ants are most susceptible to hidden diseases as well as “slave owners”. An externally infected mother is no different from a healthy one, only inside is a time bomb that could explode at any moment. Depending on the type of parasite, not only the mother can have an internal infection, but also other ants, which after some time of their birth begin to die, infecting all the rest. It also happens that the infection infects a single ant and, after its death, passes deadly disputes to its brethren – therefore the corpses of the worker ants must be removed immediately from the rest of the colony.
So it turns out that the seller is not guilty of the death of the ants, but it may be the fault of the current owner or mother nature, who carefully thought through the natural regulation of the population.
Moreover, being a large company with many colonies available for sale, we strive to sell the strongest and most developed ant families as it is difficult to keep large colonies in perfect condition. However, we also send small young colonies.
Remember – the well-being of your pets depends largely on you. Responsible and correct approach to these pets, careful care of them from the moment they are entrusted only to you – is a guarantee of the stable development of the colony.
Health for your ants!
