Hi I'm just going to cut to the chase, my queens have had eggs for between 2 and a half to 3 and a half weeks now and i haven't noticed much egg development, the weather has been quite cold recently, (past week) at around 20 degrees tops and I have just yesterday bought a heating cable. How long do you reckon it'll take until the eggs develop into larvae? I'm hoping not too long since they have grown in size a bit but not at the speed I thought they would.
Oh and I just remembered, they are Iridomyrmyx and pheidole queens.
Thanks.
Eggs not seeming to be developing.
Moderator: ooper01
Eggs not seeming to be developing.
Hi I'm Jack, How are you?
Re: Eggs not seeming to be developing.
You may have to hibernate your ants. As it is now entering late fall in Australia, I wouldn't doubt that the more southern cities like Wollongong will be cooler. The ants are most likely entering diapause(hibernation).
Keeper of
Selliing:
Selliing:
Re: Eggs not seeming to be developing.
I haven't heard of Australian ants hibernating, but how do I hibernate the ants? Do I just let them be? Or can I heat them with my heating cable?
Hi I'm Jack, How are you?
Re: Eggs not seeming to be developing.
And do the eggs just stop developing or will the first nanitics come and then no more eggs will be Lain for a while? Or will the eggs just stop.
Hi I'm Jack, How are you?
- idahoantgirl
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Re: Eggs not seeming to be developing.
The point of hibernation is to let them be cold. If it turns out that you need to hibernate, place the tube in a room that stays roughly the temp outside. (Garage, basement) never place them actually outside. Im not sure, but I think development does stop.
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
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
Re: Eggs not seeming to be developing.
The weather does seem to be genuinely slowly heating up again, I'll heat them for a week or two but if I start seeing no more egg laying or the eggs not developing I'll let them hibernate and turn off the heat.idahoantgirl wrote: ↑Tue May 09, 2017 9:51 pmThe point of hibernation is to let them be cold. If it turns out that you need to hibernate, place the tube in a room that stays roughly the temp outside. (Garage, basement) never place them actually outside. Im not sure, but I think development does stop.
But they are still laying eggs, I dunno I might just being impatient, I'll give them some more time.
Hi I'm Jack, How are you?
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