Winter queen?!

Discussions about the care and keeping of ants

Moderator: ooper01

Post Reply
Toastant
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Aug 14, 2021 3:21 pm

Winter queen?!

Post: # 86436Post Toastant
Mon Jan 03, 2022 9:17 pm

So on New Years Eve, (well not the evening, like in the afternoon) I was walking my dog and saw an ant crawling about. I looked closer and she was clearly a queen! I was very confused. It has been a warm December where I live. (central North Carolina, U.S.) I caught her, put her in a setup, and covered her. Should I hibernate her with my other fledgling colony? It has been 4 days and I haven't. I have a suspicion (and hope) that she is Prenolepis Imparis, but I'm not sure. She sort of looks like one, size, color, and face shape wise, but I'm awful at that kind of thing. I thought they were supposed to fly in February. I'm also worried that I caught a late flying semi-claustral species out foraging for her existing babies and she will die now (I think I've done that before). I will check up on her on the 6th.
Should I hibernate her until spring/very late winter? I don't know.

SolenopsisKeeper
Posts: 2402
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:41 am
Location: United States, Florida

Re: Winter queen?!

Post: # 86448Post SolenopsisKeeper
Tue Jan 04, 2022 7:17 am

Toastant wrote:
Mon Jan 03, 2022 9:17 pm
So on New Years Eve, (well not the evening, like in the afternoon) I was walking my dog and saw an ant crawling about. I looked closer and she was clearly a queen! I was very confused. It has been a warm December where I live. (central North Carolina, U.S.) I caught her, put her in a setup, and covered her. Should I hibernate her with my other fledgling colony? It has been 4 days and I haven't. I have a suspicion (and hope) that she is Prenolepis Imparis, but I'm not sure. She sort of looks like one, size, color, and face shape wise, but I'm awful at that kind of thing. I thought they were supposed to fly in February. I'm also worried that I caught a late flying semi-claustral species out foraging for her existing babies and she will die now (I think I've done that before). I will check up on her on the 6th.
Should I hibernate her until spring/very late winter? I don't know.
If she was foraging for extorting brood, it should be fine, as I have done this with odontomachus queens.
When you accidentally reply to yourself…

User avatar
AntsAntsAnts
Posts: 365
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2021 1:10 am
Location: Australia

Re: Winter queen?!

Post: # 86706Post AntsAntsAnts
Mon Jan 10, 2022 11:44 pm

yes it is fine. I did it for my polygynous polyrhachis queens.
keeping:
all my queens died :(
got a sugar ant colony started :)

terrellgriffin
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2021 8:31 am
Location: United Arab Emirate

Re: Winter queen?!

Post: # 87351Post terrellgriffin
Wed Jan 26, 2022 5:17 am

I do not think avoiding your new queen ant to hibernate is a difficult or a likely task. It is because you will not find better solutions to your query since it is not much you can observe regarding them freely and keenly. Thus, there is little you can avoid and think of but I do think that making the prenolepis hibernate with others will prove fruitful. Let us get to the factual nature and avoid the things that we see usually. At first, an ant is a species very small in size. Thus experiencing its nature is difficult and thus it will lead to you not realizing or visualizing its needs and requirements.
Thus, if you shift it to a colony, you will find a great help for your ant alongside making sure that it mingles well and grows likewise. Reproduction is another great advantage that will come along with this hibernation and shifting of the ant to a good environment or colony. Now as far as the specific type you are talking about or under consideration will require to consider the research that comes along with this specie type and thus you will need to look for help.
“Prenolepis imparis, the winter ant, builds deep underground nests. Colonies will seal themselves in their nests during the warmest months of the year and maintain themselves for months in the deepest, coolest chambers. In many parts of its range, Prenolepis imparis actively forages during times of the year when the temperature is much cooler than other ant species will tolerate. This helps avoid competition with most co-occurring ant species. Repletes are present in the colony and store fat reserves in their distended gasters.”
Again, I will remark that you need to do thorough research so you find a good material for your ant helping you to ensure your ant lives in a good environment.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 21 guests