Queen Stopped Laying Eggs?

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colo3000
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Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2016 3:32 pm
Location: Longmont, CO

Queen Stopped Laying Eggs?

Post: # 38336Post colo3000
Wed Jun 20, 2018 12:30 am

So I have a tetramorium colony of what I’d say is about 100 ants now. I’ve had the colony since I caught the queen last summer. I have a tetramorium hybrid nest connected to an outworld, and provide my ants with honey and agave nectar, aswell as crickets and small mealworms. My queen used to always have a large pile of brood in one chamber closest to the heating cable running along my hybrid nest. It used to be completely full of brood as of a month or so ago. More recently the chamber is almost completely empty. I looked today and only saw one pupae in the whole nest, no eggs, just the one pupae. I saw the queen in there moving around so she is still alive. I was wondering what could be causing this drop off of egg production from my queen.
Thanks!
-Colo3000

AntsLuxembourg
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Re: Queen Stopped Laying Eggs?

Post: # 38719Post AntsLuxembourg
Sun Jun 24, 2018 12:57 pm

There might be multiple reasons.

- Perhaps it's like the colony needs some more space to increase their numbers.
- The queen is somehow distressed and eats it's own children.
- You've got some slave-making colony breaking into your setup and steals the brute.
- They might need some diffrent food. Perhaps try giving some other food like offer them a slice of an apple or some small pieces of fruits.
-Your type of colony is one at which the queen just shoots out eggs for a while and then takes a break after that. Our Mr. AntsCanada has mentioned such things before but I can't tell in which videos to tell you the truth. haha

I don't know much about tetramorium but here are some quick thoughts I've put into this. Hopefully they might help you. Btw don't worry. Some ants actually have those breaks.
Doing some proper research is the best way to start an antcolony.

Need help or want to help? https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=18153#p70566

Currently not keeping any ants anymore.

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