The AntsCanada Ant Forum's

Hey guys

I lifted a rock today and a huge L. Niger colony was underneath with at least 8 queens. I only took two of them with me so that the colony can still thrive and survive. As far as I know a queen which just mated does not have to be fed until the first workers arrive if it is fully claustral but am I right by assuming that these two queens I caught from an anthill should be regularly fed?

Cheers Manu

Yes, since those queens were in an established colony, they won’t have the energy reserves new queens have from their wing muscles. If you want them to do well, you’re better off keeping them with a few of their workers. Established queens are used to being cared for by their colony; without their workers, they’re more stressed and less likely to lay eggs, or more likely to eat their eggs. Worst case scenario is that they might not eat at all and eventually die. They will need fed regularly, but probably not every day.