Lasius niger worker attacking the queen?!
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2018 10:44 am
Hello everybody. I just started to keep ants as my new hobby, and I was lucky to catch two ant queen after their flight, and both started to lay eggs.
I also found a small lasius niger nest when I was changing things in the garden, and I picked a few pupas to use it to boost one of my queen, and I also picked up to three queens with wings. I wanted to put the queens in different test tubes, but that time I didn't know that they probably not fertile yet becouse they didn't leave the nest. After I finished the gardening, I was tired and I forgot to separate them. Next morning I had to go to work, and when I could check on them afternoon, two queen was dead, and the third was wingles. Some pupas also hatched, so I left them together as a family. I still not sure if the queen is fertile or not, becouse I kept them in the small box that I used to store them after i catched them, and I cannot see into it properly.
But the problem is: Last night I could not fall asleep, so I checked on my ants. The thing I saw was horrible, it was like one worker was attacking the queen. The worker was rocking back and forth, and I heard clicking voices. Maybe the voices of knocking each other? Is anybody were aware anything similar? Is it an attack, or normal behavior?
I don't know what to do now. A day ago I attached a pipe to this box that is housing them now, and I waiting for them to move to their new, properly moistured and dark place, and I hope they move the eggs if there is any.
What do you think? Should I wait what happens? Or should I put the queen to a test tube alone, and hope it will start laying eggs?
I also found a small lasius niger nest when I was changing things in the garden, and I picked a few pupas to use it to boost one of my queen, and I also picked up to three queens with wings. I wanted to put the queens in different test tubes, but that time I didn't know that they probably not fertile yet becouse they didn't leave the nest. After I finished the gardening, I was tired and I forgot to separate them. Next morning I had to go to work, and when I could check on them afternoon, two queen was dead, and the third was wingles. Some pupas also hatched, so I left them together as a family. I still not sure if the queen is fertile or not, becouse I kept them in the small box that I used to store them after i catched them, and I cannot see into it properly.
But the problem is: Last night I could not fall asleep, so I checked on my ants. The thing I saw was horrible, it was like one worker was attacking the queen. The worker was rocking back and forth, and I heard clicking voices. Maybe the voices of knocking each other? Is anybody were aware anything similar? Is it an attack, or normal behavior?
I don't know what to do now. A day ago I attached a pipe to this box that is housing them now, and I waiting for them to move to their new, properly moistured and dark place, and I hope they move the eggs if there is any.
What do you think? Should I wait what happens? Or should I put the queen to a test tube alone, and hope it will start laying eggs?