Should I feed my queen?

Discussions about the care and keeping of ants

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Grammynumnums

Should I feed my queen?

Post: # 5169Post Grammynumnums
Mon Mar 28, 2016 9:48 am

She has a lot of eggs and i see that a good amount of them are turning into larvae. Should i feed her, or will it stress her out. I have honey I can give her.

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ooper01
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Re: Should I feed my queen?

Post: # 5171Post ooper01
Mon Mar 28, 2016 11:10 am

What species of ant is she? If she is a claustral species, you should not have to feed her until after the first workers, nanitics, arrive. If she is semi-claustral, she will need food.
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idahoantgirl
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Re: Should I feed my queen?

Post: # 5172Post idahoantgirl
Mon Mar 28, 2016 11:15 am

Grammynumnums wrote:She has a lot of eggs and i see that a good amount of them are turning into larvae. Should i feed her, or will it stress her out. I have honey I can give her.
Hi! Congrats on your queen! To answer your question, No, You do not have to feed her. At this point, the queen will not accept food, as she feeds herself and her babies from her own body. You only have to feed her after her workers are emerging. Some people chose to feed right after the first worker is emerged, others wait until the workers show signs of pulling at the cotton, (They are trying to get out so they can forage) But feeding her now would only stress her out, and make the test tube a sticky mess.
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

Grammynumnums

Re: Should I feed my queen?

Post: # 5182Post Grammynumnums
Mon Mar 28, 2016 4:12 pm

She is a lasius (niger i think) I only gave her sugar water after hibernation, I've had her for about 5-6 months now. So im pretty sure she is claustral. Thank you guys for the input ill wait to feed her. :D

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