My Average C. pennsylvanicus Colony Sizes

[CampoKing]

I thought I'd provide the opposite of an FAQ: a frequently asked answer.

How big should a C. pennsylvanicus colony be after one summer? Here are the numbers from 5 of my colonies:

Queen 1: 12 workers, 0 pupae
Queen 2: 11 workers, 13 pupae
Queen 3: 15 workers, 1 pupa
Queen 4: 14 workers, 3 pupae
Queen 5: 16 workers, 11 pupae

So, the average adult colony size of my carpenters after their first summer is roughly 14.

Hope that's a helpful reference to some folks.

[MorbidBugg]

Just for clarification when was the earliest caught queen?

[CampoKing]

Everyone was caught 5/29 through 6/1 2018 while in their claustral stage with first brood.

[Ninefingers]

Hello, may I ask if you heated your queens?

[CampoKing]

"Heated" is relative. I added no heat of my own, but I kept them in my warm 75-80ish kitchen all summer. AC is spotty in this apartment. The kitchen is warmest year round.