Eggs not seeming to be developing.

[JackPayne]

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.

[Martialis]

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).

[JackPayne]

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).

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?

[JackPayne]

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.

[idahoantgirl]

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.

[JackPayne]

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.

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.

But they are still laying eggs, I dunno I might just being impatient, I'll give them some more time.