My amazing Camponotus and when to hibernate

Discussions about the care and keeping of ants

Moderator: ooper01

Post Reply
MaxGen
Posts: 75
Joined: Mon May 29, 2017 9:26 am
Location: Toronto

My amazing Camponotus and when to hibernate

Post: # 31955Post MaxGen
Sun Oct 01, 2017 4:51 pm

I caught a Camponotus pennsylvanicus on July 4th this year. She flew into my chest and landed on my shoe.

She has at least 18 workers now and what looks like a pile of larva. I'm just wondering when the best time to put her in the fridge would be? I believe eggs and pupa will not survive hibernation but larva will.

Based on the pictures attached does anyone think I should be putting her in the fridge now, or later? She's the jewel in my ant colony crown, so I want to do everything to help her survive until next year.

Thanks,

Image

Image

User avatar
idahoantgirl
Posts: 1521
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:52 am
Location: Idaho, USA

Re: My amazing Camponotus and when to hibernate

Post: # 31957Post idahoantgirl
Sun Oct 01, 2017 6:50 pm

MaxGen wrote:
Sun Oct 01, 2017 4:51 pm
I caught a Camponotus pennsylvanicus on July 4th this year. She flew into my chest and landed on my shoe.

She has at least 18 workers now and what looks like a pile of larva. I'm just wondering when the best time to put her in the fridge would be? I believe eggs and pupa will not survive hibernation but larva will.

Based on the pictures attached does anyone think I should be putting her in the fridge now, or later? She's the jewel in my ant colony crown, so I want to do everything to help her survive until next year.

Thanks,

Image

Image
Why wouldn't the eggs and pupae survive? Also its recommended to move them into hibernation when you stop seeing ants outside.
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

Cartil
Posts: 98
Joined: Thu Jul 20, 2017 8:13 am
Location: Halifax, NS

Re: My amazing Camponotus and when to hibernate

Post: # 32667Post Cartil
Tue Oct 31, 2017 9:29 pm

I am curious about this topic as well, as my queen just started to crawl up in a ball, which I have never seen her does before. Does that mean she is ready to hibernate? And so I can hibernate the eggs and larvae without fearing of losing them?

Thank you!

martinnate

Re: My amazing Camponotus and when to hibernate

Post: # 32681Post martinnate
Wed Nov 01, 2017 9:16 am

From what I have read and heard from AntsCanada youtube, every stage of an ants life cycle will hibernate. I live in Tx and I wait till I see no more ants outside and then I remove the heat cable and placemy colony as close to a window as I can in a room I dont use much and they hibernate that way. I hope this helps.

User avatar
idahoantgirl
Posts: 1521
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:52 am
Location: Idaho, USA

Re: My amazing Camponotus and when to hibernate

Post: # 32682Post idahoantgirl
Wed Nov 01, 2017 9:46 am

The brood will not die.
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

martinnate

Re: My amazing Camponotus and when to hibernate

Post: # 32840Post martinnate
Thu Nov 09, 2017 9:34 am

They shouldn't, go to youtube and watch AntsCanada's vids. There is one about this topic, the eggs and brood have the same "antifreeze" as the adult ants so they should not die. If they do your queen will lay more eggs next spring.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 15 guests