My larva don't seem to be growing

[Skywalker112]

So, i got this queen with 10 workers from a local ant keeper and after having her for six months there doesn't seem to be more ants, the opposite her brood seems to be diminishing i've been giving her sugar water and pieces of meat, the ants seem to be gathering it but her brood doesn't seem to be growing any advice about what to do?

[Skywalker112]

also, i have moved them from their test tube about three weeks ago

[antperson24]

So, i got this queen with 10 workers from a local ant keeper and after having her for six months there doesn't seem to be more ants, the opposite her brood seems to be diminishing i've been giving her sugar water and pieces of meat, the ants seem to be gathering it but her brood doesn't seem to be growing any advice about what to do?

It would help if you could tell us what species, or at least genius your ant is, but in general you should wait until the colony has at least 30 workers to move them out of their test tube. Another thing that could be contributing to the brood not developing is feeding them only one type of food, most species of ant are okay with just honey, but you need to make sure your feeding them a verity of protein souses. Hope this helps!

[Skywalker112]

so, it's a lasius niger ant i've been feeding them with ham and sugar water and i let them move out of their test tube by themselves i connected it to this formicarium me and my dad built and they moved. hope i haven't messed anything up

[SolenopsisKeeper]

so, it's a lasius niger ant i've been feeding them with ham and sugar water and i let them move out of their test tube by themselves i connected it to this formicarium me and my dad built and they moved. hope i haven't messed anything up

It may be real workers, so larvae will take longer to develop(Not nantics)

[antperson24]

so, it's a lasius niger ant i've been feeding them with ham and sugar water and i let them move out of their test tube by themselves i connected it to this formicarium me and my dad built and they moved. hope i haven't messed anything up

As long as it is a small formicarium you should be good! I would suggest feeding them a small cricket, because after a while they will probably get tired of ham, but Lasius niger isn't to picky (at least in my experience.) And like SolenopsisKeeper said the true workers are probably developing so they will take a little longer. I hope your colony starts doing better soon!

[Skywalker112]

So, my colony only has 4 workers left they do eat but i'm afraid i might have moved them too soon so they might die out, is there anything i could do?

[SolenopsisKeeper]

So, my colony only has 4 workers left they do eat but i'm afraid i might have moved them too soon so they might die out, is there anything i could do?

What brood do they have? Mature larvae?

[Skywalker112]

No more brood, we're thinking of moving them back to a test tube if you guys think that could help

[SolenopsisKeeper]

No more brood, we're thinking of moving them back to a test tube if you guys think that could help

Yes, I think it could help. If ever needed, and the last worker was near death, you could grab some wild brood and add it.