Camponotus nicorabensis.

[krautman]

Hi everyone.
               My Camponotus nicobarensis are dying. The workers are behaving very strange, they are circling around themselves and are finding it difficult to get back up if the fall on their backs. Eventually they die. I have had them 6 months and up to this week they have been doing great, lots of brood and very active. The arena is planted with real plants and is kept at a constant 24-26c. The nest area is separate to the arena and is a y-tong nest this is heated at around 24-26c. There is fresh water and sugar/honey water and they are fed small crickets and flies when required. They seem to be being poisioned if I was to guess. I can't understand it as they have been doing really well upto a week ago.

[Jonzii]

Is there anything that you have introduced within the last week? New plants, or new food?

[krautman]

Hi.
     I think I know what the problem is, a week ago I had to be treated for scabies and the cream I had to apply as permethrin as one of the ingredients . I can't remember if I actually did anything with the colony but I may have changed the water or gave them a fly. So I may have sentenced my colony to death.

[Wood~Ant]

When I read this I thought there must be some kind of contamination from a chemical, and it probably was the cream on your hands that polluted the food as you can see here that Permethrin is used in insecticides. Insecticidal usage.

 Sorry to hear your ants are dying, but it does teach us all a lesson about being very careful how we handle anything given to ants when we have any kind of chemicals on our hands.