2 Queens together

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Spyneft
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2018 7:48 am
Location: Greece

2 Queens together

Post: # 53640Post Spyneft
Tue Nov 13, 2018 7:54 am

Hello, What I should know for housing multiple Queens?
Is there any special care that I should take?

[I have 2 Queens together (same species I think) with no workers and they look good for now] :)

ClashOwenBash
Posts: 189
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2018 1:58 am
Location: Oxfordshire, England

Re: 2 Queens together

Post: # 53645Post ClashOwenBash
Tue Nov 13, 2018 10:56 am

Spyneft wrote:
Tue Nov 13, 2018 7:54 am
Hello, What I should know for housing multiple Queens?
Is there any special care that I should take?

[I have 2 Queens together (same species I think) with no workers and they look good for now] :)
Depends on the species. But having multiple queens doesn't change the care for that species.
Ant-keeper going into his 4th year of loving ants!

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UnrealSparks
Posts: 192
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:45 pm
Location: Turin - Italy

Re: 2 Queens together

Post: # 53648Post UnrealSparks
Tue Nov 13, 2018 7:51 pm

How Clash said. You need to know what species they are and make sure that species is "polygynous" (allows multiple queens to peacefully live together). As for the rest it's totally the same as having a single queen.

If you want you can post some pictures to see if anybody can ID them. :)
Keeping the following colonies:
  • [2x] Camponotus Barbaricus
  • [2x] Lasius Flavus

Spyneft
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2018 7:48 am
Location: Greece

Re: 2 Queens together

Post: # 53653Post Spyneft
Wed Nov 14, 2018 1:29 am

I want two queens because I think the colony will grow faster this way.
If the Queens aren't polygynous they can't live together?

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UnrealSparks
Posts: 192
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:45 pm
Location: Turin - Italy

Re: 2 Queens together

Post: # 53656Post UnrealSparks
Wed Nov 14, 2018 4:16 am

If they aren't polygynous they are likely going to kill each other straight away.

There is an exception if they are pleometric though. Pleometrosis is a behaviour observed in different species of ants which involves multiple queens starting a colony together but when the first workers hatch ending up killing each other until the strongest queen survives.
Keeping the following colonies:
  • [2x] Camponotus Barbaricus
  • [2x] Lasius Flavus

Spyneft
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2018 7:48 am
Location: Greece

Re: 2 Queens together

Post: # 53663Post Spyneft
Wed Nov 14, 2018 3:39 pm

So how can I find if they are polygynous?

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UnrealSparks
Posts: 192
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:45 pm
Location: Turin - Italy

Re: 2 Queens together

Post: # 53665Post UnrealSparks
Wed Nov 14, 2018 5:05 pm

You need to know the name of the species you have.

In order to do so you should post some pictures of them, so people can try to identify them. And if you can include also the place where you caught them along with their approximate length.
Keeping the following colonies:
  • [2x] Camponotus Barbaricus
  • [2x] Lasius Flavus

Spyneft
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2018 7:48 am
Location: Greece

Re: 2 Queens together

Post: # 53959Post Spyneft
Sun Nov 18, 2018 9:07 am

Thank you

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UnrealSparks
Posts: 192
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:45 pm
Location: Turin - Italy

Re: 2 Queens together

Post: # 53977Post UnrealSparks
Mon Nov 19, 2018 5:28 am

No problem! :D
Keeping the following colonies:
  • [2x] Camponotus Barbaricus
  • [2x] Lasius Flavus

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