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My amazing Camponotus and when to hibernate
Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2017 4:51 pm
by MaxGen
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,
Re: My amazing Camponotus and when to hibernate
Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2017 6:50 pm
by idahoantgirl
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,
Why wouldn't the eggs and pupae survive? Also its recommended to move them into hibernation when you stop seeing ants outside.
Re: My amazing Camponotus and when to hibernate
Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2017 9:29 pm
by Cartil
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!
Re: My amazing Camponotus and when to hibernate
Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2017 9:16 am
by martinnate
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.
Re: My amazing Camponotus and when to hibernate
Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2017 9:46 am
by idahoantgirl
The brood will not die.
Re: My amazing Camponotus and when to hibernate
Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2017 9:34 am
by martinnate
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.