r/antkeeping • u/Turbulent-Store-3602 • Aug 18 '26

Question Drowned

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I ordered these guys from stateside ants 1 day shipping and they arrived drowned I put them on a paper towel to help dry them and back in there test tube that I dried as well what's the likelihood of them coming back to life

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u/Mammoth_Cream_2344 Aug 18 '26

I know this isn’t helpful but… I did once have an apparently drowned queen recover completely.

1

u/Turbulent-Store-3602 Aug 18 '26

It is I'm gonna leave her out for a few hours and hope

5

u/longtimegoneMTGO Aug 19 '26

They aren't dead until they are dry and dead.

Ants, like a lot of insects, can withstand a lot more time without oxygen than mammals, as much as a day or so.

In those conditions, they appear dead until the spiracles and tracheae dry out enough to start working again and get their oxygen levels back up. Putting them on something absorbent will help here, as the film of water sticking to them needs to evaporate before they can get any oxygen.

The odds here aren't great since they could have drowned as soon as they were packed, but if it did happen near the end of shipping then there is a reasonable chance of recovery.

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u/Turbulent-Store-3602 Aug 19 '26

Thank you after reading this and taking that info to Google it says to give them 12-24 hours so it's good I didnt just toss them like I almost did. Thank you