Queen Ants Eggs Are Not Hatching

[ydg777777]

Hi all,

I'm hoping someone can give me some insight as to why my Queen's eggs are not developing into larvae. I think the species is some type of pavement ant, tetramorium. I found her in New York City. I wanted to upload a picture, but it's saying the file is too big.

In any event, I caught the queen during a nuptial flight last spring. The queen laid eggs last summer that developed into workers. She has about 15/20 workers now. She laid another pile of eggs in fall of last year and they've just been sitting there. I'm guessing she was hibernating because nothing was happening with the eggs.

I thought that she'd snap out of hibernation by the spring/summer, but now it's fall and they're still just a pile of eggs. It looks like the eggs have maybe plumped up a bit, but that might just be wishful thinking. Is she still just hibernating? Anything I should be doing other than feeding some honey and a meal worm every 3/4 days?

Thanks,
Anthony

[antperson24]

Hi all,

I'm hoping someone can give me some insight as to why my Queen's eggs are not developing into larvae. I think the species is some type of pavement ant, tetramorium. I found her in New York City. I wanted to upload a picture, but it's saying the file is too big.

In any event, I caught the queen during a nuptial flight last spring. The queen laid eggs last summer that developed into workers. She has about 15/20 workers now. She laid another pile of eggs in fall of last year and they've just been sitting there. I'm guessing she was hibernating because nothing was happening with the eggs.

I thought that she'd snap out of hibernation by the spring/summer, but now it's fall and they're still just a pile of eggs. It looks like the eggs have maybe plumped up a bit, but that might just be wishful thinking. Is she still just hibernating? Anything I should be doing other than feeding some honey and a meal worm every 3/4 days?

Thanks,
Anthony

Try this to post an image: https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?p=99546#p99546
Are the workers and queen active?

[ydg777777]

Thanks! Here are two photos. One is of the workers over the eggs a week ago. The queen was hiding.

The other is from the queen from last year when her eggs were growing into larva and pupa.

They are active in the sense that they move around and seem to eat the food I give them, but I'm not sure how to tell if they are fully active.

https://imgur.com/a/cOssqN5

https://imgur.com/a/xrPziUO

Also, I realize I said in my last post "now it's fall." I meant "now it's summer" even though it's still technically spring

[antperson24]

Thanks! Here are two photos. One is of the workers over the eggs a week ago. The queen was hiding.

The other is from the queen from last year when her eggs were growing into larva and pupa.

They are active in the sense that they move around and seem to eat the food I give them, but I'm not sure how to tell if they are fully active.

https://imgur.com/a/cOssqN5

https://imgur.com/a/xrPziUO

Also, I realize I said in my last post "now it's fall." I meant "now it's summer" even though it's still technically spring

They are Tetramorium immigrans, a species you don't need to hibernate. Try heating them, that should help.

[ydg777777]

Thanks for the identification! Will do. Is it normal for eggs not to hatch for so long? Is that just a weather thing?

[antperson24]

Thanks for the identification! Will do. Is it normal for eggs not to hatch for so long? Is that just a weather thing?

Normally it takes 3-4 weeks from egg to worker. They might still be trying to get going again after hibernation. Make sure your feeding them plenty.