|
|
Post by jeoff82 on Oct 3, 2016 19:48:40 GMT
My ligniperdus colony has recently moved into the tubing from the main nest and outworld which is fine, its now pretty cold in the loft where I keep them and they seem to be settling into hibernation. I was just checking over them today and noticed that in the tubing with the queen and workers is a small puddle of fluid, I have no idea what it is, it looks like honey. They do have a constant supply of honey in a dish in the outworld but I wouldn't of thought they would regurgitate honey in the colony nesting chamber would they? They also have a large bundle of larvae which I suppose will overwinter near the liquid. The colony have done well this year otherwise going from 3 workers to now 10 with 2 deaths at the beginning of the summer.
|
|
|
|
Post by Thebugman on Oct 3, 2016 20:00:03 GMT
Have you knocked or disturbed them? It could be formic acid.
|
|
|
|
Post by jeoff82 on Oct 3, 2016 21:10:54 GMT
Have you knocked or disturbed them? It could be formic acid. They are rarely disturbed due to being in my loft with little to no light and no noise. Its possible it could be formic acid, that is something I didn't think about. Strange that's its inside the tube with the queen and brood, the workers seemed to 'step' around it. |
|
|
|
Post by Thebugman on Oct 3, 2016 21:22:52 GMT
Formic acid has a strong vinegary smell. I would try to remove it just in case, if that is possible.
|
|
|
|
Post by Wood~Ant on Oct 4, 2016 7:19:52 GMT
It isn't formic acid, as many of my ants have left small droplets of a milky looking fluid in their nests and tubing. It is either ant urine, or I have known queens to expel liquid from their gaster which I believe is from the egg sac or ovaries, as this is most likely due to them not wanting to produce any more eggs until next spring, I'm not entirely sure as female reproductive organs do things like this. For example, the waters breaking before a birth?
Formic acid is clear and generally sprayed by nearly all Formicine ant species, so I am sure it isn't a puddle of acid.
|
|
|
|
Post by jeoff82 on Oct 6, 2016 6:54:34 GMT
The fluid has vanished!?
|
|
|
|
Post by Wood~Ant on Oct 6, 2016 7:03:07 GMT
If it was amniotic fluid from the queen, it is possible the workers have licked it up to keep the nest clean? To be honest I am not sure if ants do produce this, but from my experience they do exude a milky type fluid which is cleaned up after a few days, most likely expelled from the queen.
|
|
