Formica fusca - hibernation

[antonboll]

Hi,

I caught a Formica fusca about 1.5 months ago ( http://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=1485&p=9719#p9719 ) and she still hasn't laid any eggs.

I got information in my thread that they rarely keep brood over winter. So my questions is, how do I hibernate her? Now she's just in a test tube with water and cotton. But do I need to do anything else? I've never hibernated a queen before.

Thanks in advance.

Best regards,
Anton

[notmyidea]

You are correct, they don't keep brood over winter. Leave her in a test tube setup for hibernation. That's all she needs. Just make sure it doesn't run out of water. This is what I did and sure enough, the following April after taking her out of hibernation, she laid eggs.

[antonboll]

Thank you for your response.

Is it safe to change test tube to a new one, full with water? And, how warm/cold should I store it? Should I place it in the basement of my apartment building (where my "shed" is) or just room temperature?

Thanks

Best regards,
Anton

[notmyidea]

Thank you for your response.

Is it safe to change test tube to a new one, full with water? And, how warm/cold should I store it? Should I place it in the basement of my apartment building (where my "shed" is) or just room temperature?

Moving queens is always risky as it stresses them but if your current tube is almost out of water then you may not have a choice. Don't hibernate at room temperature. I hibernated mine in a 'beer' fridge at about 10C.

[antonboll]

Thank you for your response.

Is it safe to change test tube to a new one, full with water? And, how warm/cold should I store it? Should I place it in the basement of my apartment building (where my "shed" is) or just room temperature?

Moving queens is always risky as it stresses them but if your current tube is almost out of water then you may not have a choice. Don't hibernate at room temperature. I hibernated mine in a 'beer' fridge at about 10C.

Thank you for your response.

When should I hibernate her? Around October? Also, do I just put her into a dark, colder room or do I need to do anything special?

Thanks in advance.

Best regards,
Anton

[notmyidea]

http://www.AntsCanada.com/ant-care/

This will answer a lot of your questions. Yes, around late October. A cold, dark room is good. Darkness is important! Unlike us, ants feel most comfortable in the dark!!