False Honey Pot Ants Trouble

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AntConnecticut

False Honey Pot Ants Trouble

Post: # 31487Post AntConnecticut
Sun Sep 17, 2017 11:38 am

Dear AntsCanada Team and Community,
I have a colony of about 35 prenolepis imparis worker ants and one queen. They have many full repletes filled with water/honey. My setup for them is 2 test tubes attached to a lasius hybrid nest. One test tube has honey water and the other has water. Occasionally I will switch the test tubes out when they get little moldy. I have a small amount of tubing that connects the hybrid nest to the outworld that I have set up. The last port is clogged with cotton. What worries me is that in the past month I have only seen one worker go into the outworld.

Is this a common thing with beginner ant colonies? Is there anything I'm doing wrong that causes them to stay in the Hybrid Nest?

Also is it common for False Honey Pot queen ants to lay batches of eggs for a couple months and then stop laying?

Thank you.

YSTheAnt
Posts: 145
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2017 10:53 am
Location: Bay Area

Re: False Honey Pot Ants Trouble

Post: # 31489Post YSTheAnt
Sun Sep 17, 2017 12:05 pm

Feed them protein in the outworld, that will probably bring more ants out and will boost egg laying. Also, p imparis lays only one batch of eggs per year. Good luck!
Check out my blog: bayareaants.blogspot.com
Keeper of:
Camponotus Modoc(6 workers)
Pheidole Spp (2 queens, about 10 workers)
Possibly parasitic Formica (further ID required)
Novomessor Cockerelli (10+ workers)

AntConnecticut

Re: False Honey Pot Ants Trouble

Post: # 31494Post AntConnecticut
Sun Sep 17, 2017 1:15 pm

Thank you for replying. I have been setting out honey, per killed meal worms (mini), and pre killed super worms (medium). I switch the meal worms and super worms out every three days because they get stale and icky. What other protein sources do you suggest?

YSTheAnt
Posts: 145
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2017 10:53 am
Location: Bay Area

Re: False Honey Pot Ants Trouble

Post: # 31531Post YSTheAnt
Sun Sep 17, 2017 11:25 pm

Fruit flies and crickets also work well. As for worker activity, as long you see them in the nest they are probably doing well. They could also be active while you aren't looking, as different species have different foraging highs and lows.
Check out my blog: bayareaants.blogspot.com
Keeper of:
Camponotus Modoc(6 workers)
Pheidole Spp (2 queens, about 10 workers)
Possibly parasitic Formica (further ID required)
Novomessor Cockerelli (10+ workers)

AntConnecticut

Re: False Honey Pot Ants Trouble

Post: # 31537Post AntConnecticut
Mon Sep 18, 2017 5:20 am

Thank you for replying. Also for the fruit flies, would I pre-kill them? And how?

AntsOntario

Re: False Honey Pot Ants Trouble

Post: # 31554Post AntsOntario
Mon Sep 18, 2017 3:55 pm

AntConnecticut wrote:
Mon Sep 18, 2017 5:20 am
Thank you for replying. Also for the fruit flies, would I pre-kill them? And how?
Prenelopis are technically hibernating right now, so that might explain why they aren't forgaing. They should become more active this winter, hence their name 'Winter Ants'. As for their protein intake, unless if they have larvae, they won't have use for it. The queen, and larvae are really the only things that need it. Workers mainly just drink sugary foods.
Good luck!

YSTheAnt
Posts: 145
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2017 10:53 am
Location: Bay Area

Re: False Honey Pot Ants Trouble

Post: # 31563Post YSTheAnt
Mon Sep 18, 2017 5:34 pm

AntsOntario wrote:
Mon Sep 18, 2017 3:55 pm
AntConnecticut wrote:
Mon Sep 18, 2017 5:20 am
Thank you for replying. Also for the fruit flies, would I pre-kill them? And how?
Prenelopis are technically hibernating right now, so that might explain why they aren't forgaing. They should become more active this winter, hence their name 'Winter Ants'. As for their protein intake, unless if they have larvae, they won't have use for it. The queen, and larvae are really the only things that need it. Workers mainly just drink sugary foods.
Good luck!
Yeah, in my area they aren't hibernating anymore, but I'm sure in other areas there are. For the fruit flies, freeze some overnight and they die or at least are incapable of feeling or moving. And as Ants Ontario said, protein is mainly used for brood but I would recommend feeding them some so the queen has food.
Check out my blog: bayareaants.blogspot.com
Keeper of:
Camponotus Modoc(6 workers)
Pheidole Spp (2 queens, about 10 workers)
Possibly parasitic Formica (further ID required)
Novomessor Cockerelli (10+ workers)

AntConnecticut

Re: False Honey Pot Ants Trouble

Post: # 31872Post AntConnecticut
Wed Sep 27, 2017 7:34 pm

Thank you all so much for helping me out and answering my questions!

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