camponotus Polygynous experiment

[QJH2023]

so I have done many parasitic lasius and recently I had a great idea what if I could make camponotus Polygynous? so here's what I plan to do idea number 1 place queens in refrigerator then keep switching test tubes with each other to get scents to merge after about 6 weeks in refrigerator then place in same tube see what happens idea number 2 at hibernation place each other in same tube and by sping they will have same scents idea number 3 at hibernation place 1 queen with my macher colony at spring maybe same scents feedback please

[Turret675A]

Im sorry but as someone who has attempted this before as well, it doesn't work. At all. I attempted it a few times when I was a newer ant keeper and they slaughtered each other after a while. They somehow slowly realize that they're not from the same colony. And either A) kill each other a few days/hours/weeks after being introduced, or B) They make workers and then after that they they fight no matter what. So unless you wanna see campo queens fight each other it's not worth it.

[QJH2023]

ah but I intend to make it work thru all methods I deem viable. now I ask this of you why did it not work for you did you try the methods I listed in the above post? as you said you attempted this as a newer less experienced ant keeper did you just conclude that it could not be achieved?

[Hawkeye]

ah but I intend to make it work thru all methods I deem viable. now I ask this of you why did it not work for you did you try the methods I listed in the above post? as you said you attempted this as a newer less experienced ant keeper did you just conclude that it could not be achieved?

Isn't monogynenous colonies hardwired into their nature? Kind of hard to fight nature I suppose.

As for your options, putting ants in the fridge before hibernation sounds illogical. Your ants need to make the most out of their time between hibernating. They stock up on food before they enter hibernation due to environmental cues. Suddenly sticking them in a fridge without prior warning might have negative effects. Next to that by sticking them in a fridge you actually prolong their hibernation period as well.

[QJH2023]

I've done this before on species such as lasius and formica but what is tricky about camponotus is that formica and lasius don't have workers till next season therefore it is quite simple. simply hibernate in close corners so scents meld together you see their hard wired for atacking anything that doesn't smell like themselves whats tricky with camponotus is that they get workers before winter which is realy annoying because you have less time to get them to smell the same and just putting them in the fridge such while hibernating take one queen kill her workers and get another founding queen simply place in test tube and at spring hopefully their scents merge