Last week, I conducted an experiment where I attempted to mix 7 ant colonies together
in a single arena, we called the Camponoseum.
The outcome was pretty intense, but what shocked me most was what happened after last week’s
video.
The outcome was both horrifying and a big surprise!
Welcome to Part 2 of 7 Ant Colonies in 1 Arena, here on the AntsCanada Ant Channel.
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Welcome to the AC Family!
Enjoy!
AC Family, let’s get right to it!
After the craziness of last week’s episode, the outcome of our little experiment of mixing
7 ant colonies together in hopes that they were a polygynous species of ant, i.e. an
ant species which allows multiple queens per colony and would allow for separate colonies
to peacefully band together to form one huge supercolony, was quite shocking and a bit
of a nightmare… for me anyway!
But do stay tuned until the end for a special surprise reveal, as well as for the VOTE where
I’ll be needing all of your help to make another important decision regarding these
ant colonies!
Now before I explain what happened as a result of keeping the 7 ant colonies together in
the Camponoseum, for those of you who are new and are wondering what on Earth is going
on here, I raised some ant colonies in test tubes from captured queen ants 74 days ago
during their annual mating nuptial flight.
When the ant colonies were an ample size and ready to begin foraging outside of their birth
test tubes for food, I wondered if these ants of ours, as mentioned were a “polygynous”
species, meaning the species would allow for many egg-laying queens to exist amicably in
a single colony, and furthermore, if the ant colonies would join forces and act as one
supercolony, which actually happens in some species.
If we could get all 7 ant colonies to band together, I wouldn’t have to let any of
the ant colonies go, which was what was supposed to happen because I don’t have a need for
many separate ant colonies, and it would have been super cool to own a massive supercolony
of carpenter ants with 7 queens in it!
In fact, I’ve successfully achieved polygynous colony fusion several times on this channel
with some well-known polygynous ant species.
But our experiment this time was a bit different from our colony fusion experiments of the
past.
I went into this experiment blindly, without knowing whether or not the ant species I had
were indeed polygynous.
I only had a hunch that they were, based on what I saw with the wild colony at my place
from which our queen ants originally came.
Plus, I knew there were many polygynous carpenter ant colonies in my country and I highly suspected
our ants were one of them!
So, in good scientific fashion, I went ahead and designed an experiment where I would mix
the ant colonies into a single space and see what would happen.
The scariest observation came when one ant was held hostage by another ant colony that
had unintentionally wandered into the wrong ant nest.
The ant wasn’t killed, but the moment was definitely tense!
Thankfully, it eventually escaped when its capturer let go in attempts to feed from it,
but the altercation left me confused.
I wasn’t sure if this rather tense interaction between the ants of two colonies meant that
our ants were polygynous and would eventually peacefully band together, or if they were
hostile and would eventually kill each other.
So I ran a poll in the comments section and to my surprise, out of nearly 30,000 votes
only 2,800 of you voted to air on the side of caution and separate the colonies before
any precious ant lives would be lost.
Carlos Rodriguez wrote: “I know you've done this before with the Golden Empire and succeeded
with it, but after what happened just now I really wouldn't risk anymore ant lives and
just split the test tubes apart again from the bin.”
But Carlos was part of the tiny minority who felt this way.
The rest of a whopping 27,000 of you, voted to keep them all in the Camponoseum and continue
with the ant colony mixing experiment.
Tyler Potts wrote: “That interaction didn’t seem hostile, being outnumbered 4-1 plus the
queen and surviving says something.”
Trond O Jensen said: “This channel is all about ant education, keep them together is
the only way to learn more about their behavior.
If you are ok with it not having the best outcome that is.”
Some of you had some interesting theories and predictions.
Marble said: “Since all the colonies are too weak, they would not bother risking taking
over other colonies, thus showing no serious aggression.
Thus, this is the best time to keep the existing setting so they have time to form [an alliance]
instead of war.”
But AC Family, for those of you who shared Marble’s hopeful outlook on the experiment,
I’m afraid I have some shocking news.
Due to popular vote, I allowed the ant colonies to remain in the Camponoseum overnight, and
AC Family, check out what I saw in the test tubes the next morning.
Ant Colony 1.
All the workers were full of food, but my heart dropped when I saw this.
The head and thorax of an ant that had been mercilessly torn in half.
Colony 1 had committed ant murder overnight.
I was so saddened by this.
I felt so bad for conducting this experiment.
It seems these ants, or at least this colony, was not willing to form an alliance with other
ant colonies.
I wondered which colony this murdered ant belonged to.
I looked into the other test tubes and was devastated once more when I saw this.
Another murdered ant in Colony 4.
Its carcass lay lifeless in the colony’s garbage dump.
Which ant colony did this ant belong to?
I looked around further.
Another dead ant carcass spotted in Colony 6.
No!!!
Whose colony did this dead worker belong to?
I eventually found my answer.
I nearly cried when I checked up on Colony 8.
Each member stood still as I scanned the test tube.
It seems overnight, Colony 8 had lost workers and to my utter shock, all its brood!
This means that one or more of the ant colonies had raided this ant nest, kidnapped all the
babies, and murdered the colony’s workers.
The guilt I felt from seeing all of this was unbearable.
I decided to separate all 7 ant colonies and not pursue with the mixing.
I think I had enough evidence to determine that these ant colonies of ours were not peaceful
to each other, and would not blend together.
This species of carpenter ants of ours were indeed monogynous, not polygynous.
Thankfully, a few days after this mixing, I checked on Colony 8 and was pleased to see
that the queen had already begun to lay eggs to rebuild the initial army she had lost.
I knew Colony 8 would soon bounce back.
I would be feeding this ant colony extra food, as my way of saying sorry and making things
right.
Now, AC Family, at the start of this video I mentioned that there would be a surprise
reveal, as well as an important vote.
I’ll start first with the surprise reveal.
Remember Queen 5, how she was behind on raising worker ants and we suspected that perhaps
she hadn’t mated during her nuptial flight, and were waiting to see if her first adult
ant would be a male ant, because if it did turn out to be male, it indeed meant she hadn’t
mated and couldn’t possibly create her own ant colony?
Well, the first cocoon finally hatched this week, and this is the official gender reveal.
It was a male.
We were right, and sadly it means all these babies are male ants, and that she hadn’t
successfully mated during her nuptial flight 74 days ago.
If you’re new to ants and don’t understand how an unmated queen can go on to even give
birth at all, it’s strange I know but in ant genetics, unmated queen ants can actually
go on to lay eggs but they can only become male ants.
Queens need the sperm of a male ant during her nuptial flight to produce females, i.e.
worker ants, and so this queen here is pretty much doomed to die because male ants don’t
do any work and won’t be able to take care of her.
How sad.
I think I’ll hold on to her for a bit longer and see if maybe worker ants hatch from any
of these other cocoons, but if not I may bury this test tube to allow her to die naturally
in the wild.
Unless you guys have some other suggestions?
Like Tron O Jensen mentioned in his comment, sometimes the result of an experiment might
not have the outcome we want, and I was certainly reminded of this fact this week.
I’m glad I separated the ant colonies while they were each still stable.
I fear if I kept them together any longer there would definitely have been much more
blood shed.
I appreciate all of you who participated in the vote last week, but for those of you who
were hoping to see a full out ant war, I hate to disappoint you, but I’m afraid I just
can’t allow myself to do it.
I do have footage of a wild ant war of fire ants here if you would like to see what an
epic ant war is like.
But now for another important vote, guys!
Now, I feel at least one of our ant colonies might be ready for a home upgrade.
Several of the ant colonies have many workers now and I think it’s time to attach one
of these birth test tubes to something a bit more homey.
But my question for you guys is, which colony should receive their new luxury at farm mansion,
this AC Ant Tower?
Please VOTE in the pinned comments below, and as usual, AC Family, your wish will be
my command.