Do ant eggs hatch in winter season? (Australia)

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AntNoobster
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Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2018 3:17 am
Location: Perth, AUS

Do ant eggs hatch in winter season? (Australia)

Post: # 41564Post AntNoobster
Wed Jul 18, 2018 2:23 am

Ive got 9 queens and they have laid eggs. The eggs haven't hached and its been like 3 months already! I was wondering if its because it is winter here in Australia (WA) and they dont hatch in winter. My queens do seem to be slowing down. The species is Iridomyrmex. Bicknelli. Thnx for the help!
"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest." Proverbs 6:6-8


Founding:
8x Iridomyrmex sp.
1x Pheidole sp.

AntsDakota
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Location: South Dakota

Re: Do ant eggs hatch in winter season? (Australia)

Post: # 41631Post AntsDakota
Wed Jul 18, 2018 12:50 pm

AntNoobster wrote:
Wed Jul 18, 2018 2:23 am
Ive got 9 queens and they have laid eggs. The eggs haven't hached and its been like 3 months already! I was wondering if its because it is winter here in Australia (WA) and they dont hatch in winter. My queens do seem to be slowing down. The species is Iridomyrmex. Bicknelli. Thnx for the help!
Yes, I believe winter is slowing them down.
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

TheRealAntMan
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Location: Chicago, Illinois

Re: Do ant eggs hatch in winter season? (Australia)

Post: # 41635Post TheRealAntMan
Wed Jul 18, 2018 12:55 pm

AntNoobster wrote:
Wed Jul 18, 2018 2:23 am
Ive got 9 queens and they have laid eggs. The eggs haven't hached and its been like 3 months already! I was wondering if its because it is winter here in Australia (WA) and they dont hatch in winter. My queens do seem to be slowing down. The species is Iridomyrmex. Bicknelli. Thnx for the help!
Unfortunately eggs and pupae don’t usually survive the winter, only the larvae tend to make it.
An ants' strength can be rivaled by few animals compared to relative body size.

AntsLuxembourg
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Re: Do ant eggs hatch in winter season? (Australia)

Post: # 41699Post AntsLuxembourg
Thu Jul 19, 2018 9:32 am

Hello to Australia,

So in general, Ants slow down during the winter season, since it's much colder outside so it might be that the eggs won't hatch until it get's a bit warmer. I wouldn't force them into thinking it's summer again but I would let them be as it is at the moment. Some eggs might also never hatch at all because they don't survive the winter, which was suggested from someone earlier in this thread.

So the question is how warm is it inside your setup? Most ants like their temperatures to be quite low during the winter season but it might also be that your species isn't hybernating at all so it might just be a bit too cold for them to hatch. This might help you to answer some of your questions. http://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Iridomyrmex
Doing some proper research is the best way to start an antcolony.

Need help or want to help? https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=18153#p70566

Currently not keeping any ants anymore.

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