The AntsCanada Ant Forum's

https://www.flickr.com/photos/159466295@N05/albums/72157689292717005

https://flic.kr/p/CX7SCS
https://flic.kr/p/G8TRte

Pictures of about half my colony and brood after they settle into there enclosure. I wish I didn't have to dig up a colony to be able to keep one, but I chose a bad time to start ant keeping and to fill enthusiasm to keep ants I had to dig them up. M.minimum possibly 200 workers, and their queen(I spent about 2hrs collecting her workers so she could be as comfortable as she was in nature). I believe they're hibernating. If like to slowly pull them outta hibernation so the brood Wil hatch and help make this enclosure home to them. Any advise would help.

I wouldnt advise you to take em out of hibernation, ants run on a biological clock and even if you heat them up they will still be very slow moving, the brood will not hatch and you might even kill the hole colony by doing so.
If i were you i would just rehome them, try to feed them and see what happens...
If the colony survives the winter you will have plenty of time to care for them in the spring and summer! There is No need to rush things up.
Anyway, good luck!

Alexander wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 03, 2017 11:44 am

I wouldnt advise you to take em out of hibernation, ants run on a biological clock and even if you heat them up they will still be very slow moving, the brood will not hatch and you might even kill the hole colony by doing so.
If i were you i would just rehome them, try to feed them and see what happens...
If the colony survives the winter you will have plenty of time to care for them in the spring and summer! There is No need to rush things up.
Anyway, good luck!

Good advise, it's what I felt was right. I have them in the enclosure and they want to be hidden so I stored the enclosure in a cabinet and I'll check on them. They won't eat or drink sugar water so they want to be left alone.