Queen, Eggs and Food

[Mazhron]

So I live in Michigan and I have a queen Ant in a test tube with about 7 workers (species still not identified, I posted on the identification section and have yet to get a reply).

I've had her for about 3 days and she hasn't begun laying eggs. She generally just sits on top of the cotton ball that has water under it. I've heard it can take a week or more, but confirmation would be great.

I've got honey in the tube (just a smear) until I can get a formicarium and outworld ready to go, however neither the workers nor the Queen appear to be eating the honey, they seem to actively avoid it. However when I put the same honey outside other ants flock to it.

Any tips, tricks or information would be helpful.

Thank you!

[TEXASantlover]

I’ve been in similar situations before. I have not gotten to a stage with a formicarium but by now I know a lot about test tube set ups

1st, make sure the queen is warm enough. If she is in a cold room with air conditioning she may not lay eggs.

2nd, it can take anywhere from a few days to a week for her to lay eggs. It depends on the ants. In my experience different queens have different personalities and some take time to adjust to new environments.

Also queens won’t eat until they have a few workers hatched and running around

[Mazhron]

TEXASantlover,

Thank you for your reply!

The queen is in a warm room, maybe too warm? It's probably 70ish.

The queen has 7 workers in the tube with her.