Is there a way to tell if the queen I caught is fertile? Like will she get rid of her wings soon or something if she is? Should I just keep looking for queens in-case she isn't?
I found her wandering on a sidewalk by herself in the morning. She didn't try to fly away or anything so I assumed she was looking for a place to make a nest.
Queen Question
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- Batspiderfish
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- Location: Maine
Re: Queen Question
We know of no way to tell except after it is too late, when her brood develop into layabout males.
If you enjoy my expertise and identifications, please do not put wild populations at risk of disease by releasing pet colonies. We are responsible to give our pets the best care we can manage for the rest of their lives.
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Re: Queen Question
Oh so they lay eggs even if they are infertile, they are just only males? If I get a male from the same species and put him in the test tube will it force them to mate? (haha I know that sounds weird but if it works then I'm game)Batspiderfish wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2017 7:18 pmWe know of no way to tell except after it is too late, when her brood develop into layabout males.
- Batspiderfish
- Posts: 3315
- Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:47 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: Queen Question
It definitely doesn't work for a vast majority of species. I don't mean to imply that "infertile" is synonymous with "unmated" but literally nobody in ant keeping has ever been able to prove that infertility is why their queen failed.
If you enjoy my expertise and identifications, please do not put wild populations at risk of disease by releasing pet colonies. We are responsible to give our pets the best care we can manage for the rest of their lives.
- idahoantgirl
- Posts: 1521
- Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:52 am
- Location: Idaho, USA
Re: Queen Question
Yeah putting a male in with your queen could never work
Proverbs 6:6-8
Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
Keeping Tetramorium immigrans, Tapinoma Sessile
Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
Keeping Tetramorium immigrans, Tapinoma Sessile
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