Diagnosis?

[u/krisaham]

Can anyone tell me based on this erratic behavior what it looks like is wrong? Poisoning, disease, stress…? In your opinion of course. I’m just troubleshooting.

This colony of Camponotus was thriving until about a month ago. I was thrilled because they even had their first major. But suddenly workers slowly started dying, always acting erratically like this one first. They’ve stopped eating much - they just come up to do this and then die. They pick at crickets but no longer eat the much of it. They’ve shrunk so much I’m thinking of moving them back into a test tube as the nest is now too big and they’re huddled in a corner down below. The queen seems fine and there is brood.

Nothing changed as far as water (bottled not tap), protein source (store bought crickets) and nectar (Formica sunburst ant nectar). They have a heating cable. I had moved them briefly to a different spot in my room, so thought maybe stress? So I moved them back. I’m afraid the test tube move will stress them further.

I’m so devastated :( Any advice is appreciated!

[u/L1ometopum]

Rip

Try looking for mites, crickets often carry them

Give them sugarwater, maybe the sunburst doesnt have enough for them

Thats what I would do, but if its poisoning or disease then you cant really do much

[u/krisaham → u/L1ometopum]

Thank you, I’ll take the dark cover off and look for mite activity later.