Two queens in a formicarium?

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Falcone43906

Two queens in a formicarium?

Post: # 32504Post Falcone43906
Fri Oct 20, 2017 5:14 pm

Hello everyone, I'm new to ant keeping and recently purchased some stuff from AntsCanada. I'm looking at purchasing some pavement ants and someone said they would sell me 2 queens and workers. My question is..if I put two queens in a formicarium will they kill each other?

Idahoantguy
Posts: 136
Joined: Mon Jun 05, 2017 11:48 am
Location: Idaho

Re: Two queens in a formicarium?

Post: # 32509Post Idahoantguy
Fri Oct 20, 2017 6:37 pm

Yes, tetramorium (pavement ants) are not polygynous, and will almost definitely kill each other if introduced to each other.
Keeping:
Tetramorium immigrans x2

Anything but tetramorium please :cry:

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Phoenix
Posts: 642
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2017 11:17 pm
Location: Malaysia

Re: Inquiry

Post: # 32511Post Phoenix
Fri Oct 20, 2017 6:44 pm

Several Multi-Queened Tetramorium Journals Disapprove That.
'Have Fun.' - Gabe Newell

Falcone43906

Re: Two queens in a formicarium?

Post: # 32513Post Falcone43906
Fri Oct 20, 2017 7:25 pm

The queens are together in a test tube tho.

Idahoantguy
Posts: 136
Joined: Mon Jun 05, 2017 11:48 am
Location: Idaho

Re: Two queens in a formicarium?

Post: # 32514Post Idahoantguy
Fri Oct 20, 2017 8:16 pm

Falcone43906 wrote:
Fri Oct 20, 2017 7:25 pm
The queens are together in a test tube tho.
I had never heard of anything but if they’re already together just keep them.
Keeping:
Tetramorium immigrans x2

Anything but tetramorium please :cry:

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

Re: Two queens in a formicarium?

Post: # 32519Post idahoantgirl
Sat Oct 21, 2017 11:34 am

Falcone43906 wrote:
Fri Oct 20, 2017 7:25 pm
The queens are together in a test tube tho.
Yeah, I did this experiment. They tolerate each other for a while, then somewhere along the line they kill each other. Here is my journal. The info you are looking for is in the first couple pages.

http://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=1173&hilit=tetramorium+journal+idahoantgirl

You could always try it out, my two queen colony's testube got flooded somewhere in the founding stage and I thought they were dead but it turns out they weren't but threw them away. So I don't know what would have hapenned in that situation.
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

AntsOntario

Re: Two queens in a formicarium?

Post: # 32526Post AntsOntario
Sat Oct 21, 2017 1:16 pm

Falcone43906 wrote:
Fri Oct 20, 2017 7:25 pm
The queens are together in a test tube tho.
If the queens themselves don't kill each other, one queen will still have an unfortunate faith. The workers will choose the queen they like the most, and kill off the other one. I would separate the brood equally amongst both of the queens and put them in their own individual test tubes.
Good luck.

xTNxANTMANx
Posts: 416
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2016 9:03 am
Location: Western Tennessee

Re: Two queens in a formicarium?

Post: # 32870Post xTNxANTMANx
Sat Nov 11, 2017 9:39 am

idahoantgirl wrote:
Sat Oct 21, 2017 11:34 am
Falcone43906 wrote:
Fri Oct 20, 2017 7:25 pm
The queens are together in a test tube tho.
You could always try it out, my two queen colony's testube got flooded somewhere in the founding stage and I thought they were dead but it turns out they weren't but threw them away. So I don't know what would have hapenned in that situation.
I did the same thing kinda with my Camponotus castenus colony...she had like 10 workers and I thought they had all died from flooding but after a day, the queen started moving again...they were alive! After I figured I'd not let the nutrients go to waste and have the "dead" workers and brood to my Crematogaster ashmedi colony. Now I just hope she will make it through hibernation so I can get some brood/callow workers from a friend so she can make it...
Keeping:
Camponotus subbarbatus
Formica pallidefulva x2
Formica subsericea x4
Lasius sp
Tetramorium immigrans x2
Dorymyrmex bureni

Founding:
Formica pallidefulva
Unknown sp x2

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