The AntsCanada Ant Forum's

This would make sense. Poor Antwanette I've been wondering if it would be kinder to bury her tube open ended in the garden...

I don't know, is that a thing that can happen? She has lost her wings so I thought that meant she was ready...

Yes, she is in the dark. I check every 2-3 weeks. We have had a nice warm spell and still nothing.

At the advice of another ant keeper, I used light to move her into a tube with water, they said not to feed her, but just let her sleep til Spring. Would you suggest feeding her? It's a typical British winter, (sometimes you can see your breath inside the house!) probably 4-14 degrees.

She has moved her eggs to a new tube with water and another, more experienced, ant keeper has told me they will hatch after Winter. Fingers crossed.

OK, she has moved the eggs to the tube with plenty of water after using the bright light.
Thanks so much for your advice

Yes, they are just tiny eggs still.
I tried sunlight on the old tube but when it didn't work I covered her up again, with the new tube attached hoping she would move towards the water in her own time. I'll try a desk lamp though now, let you know how it goes.

Thankyou for your help, that's very reassuring. I will wait another month and then put her somewhere cold to hibernate. (Hopefully by then she will have moved to the tube with water)

I found a lasius niger queen on the 2nd August and she laid some eggs which still haven't hatched, the water has run out and I don't know what to do. I've tried attaching another tube but she doesn't want to move. She is still standing over her eggs but shouldn't they have hatched by now? I found he...

I found a lasius niger queen on the 2nd August and she laid some eggs which still haven't hatched, the water has run out and I don't know what to do. I've tried attaching another tube but she doesn't want to move. She is still standing over her eggs but shouldn't they have hatched by now? I found he...