Any one have advice on caring for Prenolepis imparis?

[Jager89]

Recently got 2 Prenolepis imparis Queens, Looking for any tips and advice on caring for them, I would like for them to succeed.

[AM1C39]

This video should help: https://youtu.be/wcSBXPsvH6o.

[Jager89]

This video should help: https://youtu.be/wcSBXPsvH6o.

Already watched that one its not really any tips or advice he is just commenting on video someone else sent him of their Prenolepis imparis Colony, and the basic info about them how they can be kept in AC cooled rooms, and are non-aggressive and have repletes.

[AntsLuxembourg]

Hey,

Found this on a german Antstore. https://www.antstore.net/shop/de/Ameisen/Ameisen-aus-Amerika/Prenolepis-imparis.html

Also know as fake honeypot ants (German translation), Monogyn, Region: North America, Requires a good anti outbreak protection.
Prefers wooden habitats, preferably with Oaks.
Sizes: Queen 8-10 mm Workers: 3-4 mm
Food: Honeywater & Sugarwater, Insects for example, Flies
Humidity: 30-50% outworld, Nest 50-60%
Heat: 15-20°C Outworld, Nest 16-24°C
Hibernation: Yes, but during Summer (German word "Sommerdormanz")
Nestform: Dirtnest in wet clayrich dirt. Up to 3,60m deep
Formicarium typs: Farm, Farmtank, tank, island, acryl zylinder, ytong nest, Digfix (their solution)
Formicarium size: S-M
Substrat: nest & outworld: Sand-clay

Let me know if you want a translation for the rest but I guess this should give you some good help and advice. You can also always reach out to them for questions.

[Jager89]

Also i have 2 queens one has started laying eggs the other its hard to tell she still has her wings and has been pulling on the water cotton ball so i cannot tell if she has eggs hidden in there and i am wondering if i can put the 2 queens into the same test tube now or if i should wait or just keep them apart.

[AntsLuxembourg]

Also i have 2 queens one has started laying eggs the other its hard to tell she still has her wings and has been pulling on the water cotton ball so i cannot tell if she has eggs hidden in there and i am wondering if i can put the 2 queens into the same test tube now or if i should wait or just keep them apart.

They are Monogyn. So unless you want one of them dead you should just keep them appart. If they were Polygyn I would have said, try at your own risk but they are not. So I just wouldn't risk it.

[Jager89]

Also i have 2 queens one has started laying eggs the other its hard to tell she still has her wings and has been pulling on the water cotton ball so i cannot tell if she has eggs hidden in there and i am wondering if i can put the 2 queens into the same test tube now or if i should wait or just keep them apart.

They are Monogyn. So unless you want one of them dead you should just keep them appart. If they were Polygyn I would have said, try at your own risk but they are not. So I just wouldn't risk it.

I found this on another forum called Formiculture.com

Scientific Name: Prenolepis imparis

Common Name: Winter ant, in reference to its foraging at temperatures barely above freezing during the cooler months. False Honey Ant is an unfortunate name, since the storage product in the corpulent young workers of these ants is fatty, not sugary.

Distribution: Most of the United States, plus southern Ontario and Mexico.

Queen size: 8 mm

Male size: 3-4 mm

Worker size: 2.5-3.5 mm

Natural Habitat: Nest entrances are commonly found in shaded areas near the bases of trees and are characterized by having a series of short dead-end tunnels nearby, presumably for foragers to take temporary shelter from predators or the elements during cold weather. Nests in Florida have been recorded extending as far down as 3.6 meters. From the entrance, the main shaft of the nest extends vertically downward, with no chambers found shallower than 60.0 cm, after which point chambers are very common and are all directly connected to the main shaft.

Circadian Activity: Diurnal

Mating Flight: Late winter/early spring. The winged sexes that participate in the nuptial flights, mature during the late summer of the previous year and are retained in the nests over winter. This retention of the sexual phases over winter occurs in a few of our other northern ants. The very early flight of P. impairs first observed in the beginning of spring; February for Florida, followed as states warm to 70 degrees. The queens fly in the afternoon.

Queen Founding Method: Fully claustral

Monogyne or Polygyne: Both. They can be either Monogyne or Polygyne.

Average time from egg to worker: Slow species usually take about 2 months from egg to adult. Sometimes even 3[/size][/color]

Recommended Temperature: 65-75 F.

Recommended Humidity: Prefers deep chambers closer to moist clays and soils.

Preferred Foods: Workers feed on honeydew, secretions of floral, sap flows, exudates from galls, earthworms and arthropods (usually as carrion), and ripened or decaying fruit.

Hibernation Details: P. imparis do no not hibernate, but have a distinct estivation period. As an apparent adaptation for this estivation, most workers (average 78%) were in the "replete" state. During estivation, eggs are laid and reared, and new workers emerge in "winter". In north Florida, the ant is absent above-ground for 7 to 8 months, foraging only during the winter.

Escape Barrier Methods: Talcum powder or Fluon

Difficulty rating: Starting an ant colony with P. imparis is fairly simple. You need a good starting habitat and it's recommend to place at least two queens together to increase the chances of them founding a strong colony. Mortality rate for newly mated queens is high (estimated in the wild as high as 95%/100%), You can feed the queens a little sweet liquid at first, but then they will not need feeding until after the first workers arrive in a couple months. It is important to know that subsequent generations of workers will not take as long as the first to go from egg to worker. P. imparis queens are easily disturbed like most queens. When disturbed during the founding stage, they will quickly abandon their eggs. This means that keeping them shielded from vibrations, light, and airflow is very important. If you are used to keeping some queens where you can leave them out in the open without worry, these queens are not as suited for that type of environment.

Bite and/or Sting rating: No sting or bite

[AntsLuxembourg]

I found this on another forum called Formiculture.com

Scientific Name: Prenolepis imparis

Common Name: Winter ant, in reference to its foraging at temperatures barely above freezing during the cooler months. False Honey Ant is an unfortunate name, since the storage product in the corpulent young workers of these ants is fatty, not sugary.

Distribution: Most of the United States, plus southern Ontario and Mexico.

Queen size: 8 mm

Male size: 3-4 mm

Worker size: 2.5-3.5 mm

Natural Habitat: Nest entrances are commonly found in shaded areas near the bases of trees and are characterized by having a series of short dead-end tunnels nearby, presumably for foragers to take temporary shelter from predators or the elements during cold weather. Nests in Florida have been recorded extending as far down as 3.6 meters. From the entrance, the main shaft of the nest extends vertically downward, with no chambers found shallower than 60.0 cm, after which point chambers are very common and are all directly connected to the main shaft.

Circadian Activity: Diurnal

Mating Flight: Late winter/early spring. The winged sexes that participate in the nuptial flights, mature during the late summer of the previous year and are retained in the nests over winter. This retention of the sexual phases over winter occurs in a few of our other northern ants. The very early flight of P. impairs first observed in the beginning of spring; February for Florida, followed as states warm to 70 degrees. The queens fly in the afternoon.

Queen Founding Method: Fully claustral

Monogyne or Polygyne: Both. They can be either Monogyne or Polygyne.

Average time from egg to worker: Slow species usually take about 2 months from egg to adult. Sometimes even 3[/size][/color]

Recommended Temperature: 65-75 F.

Recommended Humidity: Prefers deep chambers closer to moist clays and soils.

Preferred Foods: Workers feed on honeydew, secretions of floral, sap flows, exudates from galls, earthworms and arthropods (usually as carrion), and ripened or decaying fruit.

Hibernation Details: P. imparis do no not hibernate, but have a distinct estivation period. As an apparent adaptation for this estivation, most workers (average 78%) were in the "replete" state. During estivation, eggs are laid and reared, and new workers emerge in "winter". In north Florida, the ant is absent above-ground for 7 to 8 months, foraging only during the winter.

Escape Barrier Methods: ***** powder or Fluon

Difficulty rating: Starting an ant colony with P. imparis is fairly simple. You need a good starting habitat and it's recommend to place at least two queens together to increase the chances of them founding a strong colony. Mortality rate for newly mated queens is high (estimated in the wild as high as 95%/100%), You can feed the queens a little sweet liquid at first, but then they will not need feeding until after the first workers arrive in a couple months. It is important to know that subsequent generations of workers will not take as long as the first to go from egg to worker. P. imparis queens are easily disturbed like most queens. When disturbed during the founding stage, they will quickly abandon their eggs. This means that keeping them shielded from vibrations, light, and airflow is very important. If you are used to keeping some queens where you can leave them out in the open without worry, these queens are not as suited for that type of environment.

Bite and/or Sting rating: No sting or bite

Checked on the Antwiki and there they are also listed as polygyn.
https://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Prenolepis_imparis

This only reminds me once more that everyone can be wrong. Could also be that when they tried to pair queens, that the queens killed each other. Anyway. It's good that you also do some extra research. ^^

[Jager89]

Lol i am constantly doing research I don't want my Ants to die, it is just really hard with the way Googles new search algorithm works lol it's not longer articles related to the exact search but now a generalized search lol example is when i tried to google liquid food for ants and like 75% of the links were for Ant traps to kill them.

[galacticat]

Hello, I have 5 Queens in 3 claustral tubes: 4 in pairs that i caught last week and one i caught yesterday.

I first kept them in a drawer until moving them a few days ago to a bookshelf in cardboard sleeves. Temp on the shelf is approximately 22C. Today the pair of Queens who were both wingless when captured were hovering over a pile of eggs quite solicitously, and they have been friendly with each other since they were introduced. It should be noted I combined the Queens soon after capture, before any eggs had opportunity to be laid.

All I can suggest is darkness and stillness and remember the riddle of antkeeping: you look after them by not looking at them.