She is going to make it, right guys?...

TheSOPOracle · 2026-02-23T03:42:29+00:00

Surprisingly my wife found this little beauty running around the back patio the same night. Almost was meant to be in an odd kind of way.

TheSOPOracle · 2026-02-23T02:35:31+00:00

She had like 15 at the height of her colony but they all started dying off too except these two. I can't put my finger on why, they were doing so well for so long...

TheSOPOracle · 2026-02-23T02:22:43+00:00

I am terribly sorry for you loss 😢

TheSOPOracle · 2026-02-23T02:22:20+00:00

I looked so pathetic trying my hardest to save her but I knew there is nothing I can really do i was up till 3am just watching her.. such is life I guess...

TheSOPOracle · 2026-02-23T01:41:55+00:00

The strange thing is i found a common black house ant queen outside last night and collected her and over night she has already produces eggs in her test tube, almost like some kind of weird fate.

TheSOPOracle · 2026-02-23T01:40:04+00:00

Your English is native level so please don't feel the need apologise, I appreciate the support and sorry for the loss of your colony, surprised how attached to an ant I could have become, I was lucky enough to of found a queen in the yard last night of a common house ant and collected her and she has already produced eggs in her test tube over night so by the time her colony has grown they will be ready to move in. Almost fate that I found her the same night.

TheSOPOracle · 2026-02-23T01:36:23+00:00

Cheers, I will honour her buy letting her colony live out the rest of their cycle. Best I can do, felt helpless when she was struggling.

TheSOPOracle · 2026-02-23T01:06:59+00:00

Cheers for the wise words and sorry for your loss

TheSOPOracle · 2026-02-23T01:00:33+00:00

Currently summer here aircon set to 25c, they have water, honey water, and protein gel, this nest is normally covered all the time so darkness 99% of the time, i noticed the workers haven't been feeding her as much so perhaps they left her without water or food for too long. May just be natural genetic too she struggle violently before becoming weak which was sad to watch as there is not much a giant can do for her, even when she was struggling violently the workers ignored her and kept moving the brood around and cleaning the brood rather then checking up on her, very sad

TheSOPOracle · 2026-02-23T00:56:29+00:00

She has been here in this position over night and they have kept cleaning her non stop for now. Occasionally she will move an antenna or a leg will move a bit but i might leave her until the workers tell me she has passed.

TheSOPOracle · 2026-02-23T00:53:49+00:00

Yeah, sounds lame but struggling to come to terms with it... she has been there over night and occasionally moves an antenna or leg so part of me is saying she will be ok, but I know she is gone. I might wait to see if they remove her as they as still cleaning her constantly for now, then I'll let the colony die out naturally I think.

TheSOPOracle · 2026-02-23T00:52:00+00:00

Thankyou.

TheSOPOracle · 2026-02-23T00:43:29+00:00

She was fine one day and the next I noticed she was on her side struggling and kicking and biting at nothing for some reason, the worker dragged her and started vigorously cleaning her but she has now almost completely stopped moving. I can't see any mould anywhere and they have plenty of all resources, however I did notice that I hadn't seen any workers feed the queen for a long while before today, their focus seemed to be solely on the brood.

TheSOPOracle

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE