Ant queen during holidays

Discussions about the care and keeping of ants

Moderator: ooper01

JackPayne
Posts: 287
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2017 2:28 am
Location: Australia,NSW

Ant queen during holidays

Post: # 18765Post JackPayne
Fri Mar 31, 2017 3:25 am

Hi guys, I've been at a bit of a crossroads recently because I will be travelling on holidays in 9 days!
My only problem with this, is that I've had my queen for around 2 and a half weeks now and I believe she has eggs.Now I'm going for 10 days and this would lead me to believe that my queens first workers may be eclosing while I'm gone. Now I'm wondering what i should do about food while I'm away. I've considered placing a cricket leg or mealworm into the test tube before I leave so that the queen and hopefully upcoming worker will have sustainance but I'm not sure if I'm worrying too much or too little. I think that feeding the queen food she will either leave some and the worker can directly eat that or she can give some through trophallaxis to the worker, but I just want to get some clarification from other ant keepers and more knowledgable people.

Thanks! :D
Hi I'm Jack, How are you?

Fulkol
Posts: 98
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2017 10:42 pm
Location: Budapest

Re: Ant queen during holidays

Post: # 18772Post Fulkol
Fri Mar 31, 2017 11:01 am

Niantics can live without food for a week or so if your queen is fully claustral, so they should be fine until you come home
Having a drop of honey/cricket leg in ensures that they will have enough food, just make sure to immediately clean them out when you get home because that's the stuff what causes moss

Martialis
Posts: 1576
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2016 5:30 pm
Location: Indiana

Re: Ant queen during holidays

Post: # 18775Post Martialis
Fri Mar 31, 2017 1:43 pm

She'll be fine. :)


Psst.. it's nanitics. Ninantic is the company that made Pokemon go. ;)
Keeper of

Selliing:

xTNxANTMANx
Posts: 416
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2016 9:03 am
Location: Western Tennessee

Re: Ant queen during holidays

Post: # 18778Post xTNxANTMANx
Fri Mar 31, 2017 2:19 pm

Martialis wrote:
Fri Mar 31, 2017 1:43 pm

Psst.. it's nanitics. Ninantic is the company that made Pokemon go. ;)
Lol :D I was wondering if I was the only who saw that :lol:
Keeping:
Camponotus subbarbatus
Formica pallidefulva x2
Formica subsericea x4
Lasius sp
Tetramorium immigrans x2
Dorymyrmex bureni

Founding:
Formica pallidefulva
Unknown sp x2

Serafine

Re: Ant queen during holidays

Post: # 18783Post Serafine
Fri Mar 31, 2017 5:04 pm

Martialis wrote:
Fri Mar 31, 2017 1:43 pm
She'll be fine. :)


Psst.. it's nanitics. Ninantic is the company that made Pokemon go. ;)
Image

I wouldn't give a cricket leg, they most likely won't eat it anyway. The nanitics are fully grown and if they don't have more larvae they will barely need any protein. A small drop of honey should be sufficient.

JackPayne
Posts: 287
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2017 2:28 am
Location: Australia,NSW

Re: Ant queen during holidays

Post: # 18785Post JackPayne
Fri Mar 31, 2017 5:11 pm

Ok, so honey is the go? A drop of honey the day I go and as soon as I get back I'll remove the honey.
Actually how would o go about removing the honey? Should I drop it on a little piece of paper so it doesn't stick to the test tube and I can just grab the paper bit with it on it or will my queen and hopefully nanatics drink it all anyway?
Serafine wrote:
Fri Mar 31, 2017 5:04 pm
[quote=Martialis post_id=18775 time=<a href="tel:1490985791">1490985791</a> user_id=4057]
She'll be fine. :)


Psst.. it's nanitics. Ninantic is the company that made Pokemon go. ;)
Image

I wouldn't give a cricket leg, they most likely won't eat it anyway. The nanitics are fully grown and if they don't have more larvae they will barely need any protein. A small drop of honey should be sufficient.
[/quote]
Hi I'm Jack, How are you?

Serafine

Re: Ant queen during holidays

Post: # 18786Post Serafine
Fri Mar 31, 2017 5:17 pm

JackPayne wrote:
Fri Mar 31, 2017 5:11 pm
Should I drop it on a little piece of paper
Yes. Honey in a humid test tube will draw water and start to rot after a few weeks. Also make the drops really tiny so the ant don't get stuck in them. You could also use a q-tip soaked in diluted honey or sugar water.

JackPayne
Posts: 287
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2017 2:28 am
Location: Australia,NSW

Re: Ant queen during holidays

Post: # 18788Post JackPayne
Fri Mar 31, 2017 5:36 pm

Serafine wrote:
Fri Mar 31, 2017 5:17 pm
Should I drop it on a little piece of paper
Yes. Honey in a humid test tube will draw water and start to rot after a few weeks. Also make the drops really tiny so the ant don't get stuck in them. You could also use a q-tip soaked in diluted honey or sugar water.
[/quote]

Would a toothpick be a good alternative?
Hi I'm Jack, How are you?

Fulkol
Posts: 98
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2017 10:42 pm
Location: Budapest

Re: Ant queen during holidays

Post: # 18790Post Fulkol
Fri Mar 31, 2017 6:13 pm

Martialis wrote:
Fri Mar 31, 2017 1:43 pm
She'll be fine. :)


Psst.. it's nanitics. Ninantic is the company that made Pokemon go. ;)
Ahh lol I always mix those two(like I know both words only for a year or so :D ) and I was high so i didn't care much, thought you'll understand anyways :D

JackPayne
Posts: 287
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2017 2:28 am
Location: Australia,NSW

Re: Ant queen during holidays

Post: # 18801Post JackPayne
Fri Mar 31, 2017 8:49 pm

I've just bought some prekilled crickets for the future, but I'll use honey while I'm gone.
Hi I'm Jack, How are you?

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 23 guests