Pheidole queen - 5 months no nanitics

[FrederickAnt]

I have a Pheidole Pieli queen and kept her captive for approx 5 months, as I caught her late October of last year (on the floor moving her wings around.)

For the first 2 weeks of captivity, she laid no eggs and was pulling on the cotton, which I assume she was trying escape as she was housed in an AC test tube which is half water (too much space.) Up to mid-November, she hasn't laid any eggs and still kept trying to pull at the cotton. Eventually, she gave in, broke her wings and started to lay eggs, which would remain at a still clutch size for many weeks. Some days her eggs were more than other days.

I started to feed her honey around December (which she accepted), as her brood was around 1-2 eggs and was not developing, ants in HK don't hibernate. She was full and continued to lay eggs but they kept disappearing.

She is still alive today and is still on the cotton (water cotton), she has a clutch size of 4 and all are still eggs.

I think that her lack of protein in her diet may be a reason but I tried feeding insects and she has no interest. Having no nanitics to feed her is another issue. Does anyone have any advice to keep cultivating her? I am still unsure if she is infertile as she is no longer attracted to light.

p.s when does it take to remove a Lasius Niger from hibernation? asking for a friend.

[Hawkeye]

I have a Pheidole Pieli queen and kept her captive for approx 5 months, as I caught her late October of last year (on the floor moving her wings around.)

For the first 2 weeks of captivity, she laid no eggs and was pulling on the cotton, which I assume she was trying escape as she was housed in an AC test tube which is half water (too much space.) Up to mid-November, she hasn't laid any eggs and still kept trying to pull at the cotton. Eventually, she gave in, broke her wings and started to lay eggs, which would remain at a still clutch size for many weeks. Some days her eggs were more than other days.

I started to feed her honey around December (which she accepted), as her brood was around 1-2 eggs and was not developing, ants in HK don't hibernate. She was full and continued to lay eggs but they kept disappearing.

She is still alive today and is still on the cotton (water cotton), she has a clutch size of 4 and all are still eggs.

I think that her lack of protein in her diet may be a reason but I tried feeding insects and she has no interest. Having no nanitics to feed her is another issue. Does anyone have any advice to keep cultivating her? I am still unsure if she is infertile as she is no longer attracted to light.

p.s when does it take to remove a Lasius Niger from hibernation? asking for a friend.

Your queen might be low on protein indeed. So she might not be able to feed her offspring. Have you tried offering different sources of protein?
If you get a small tin of wet cat food, the jelly from that is full of both protein and moisture, so she might accept it.

[FrederickAnt]

Hi! Thanks for the quick reply, indeed will try to get my hands on tinned cat food once the epidemic is over

[FrederickAnt]

Hi Hawkeye, does it speifically have to be cat food? I tried using the dog food and the queen doesn't budge, what other options are viable? (excluding insects and boiled eggs)