What are the pros and cons of brood boosting?

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Ltislander
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What are the pros and cons of brood boosting?

Post: # 47864Post Ltislander
Sun Aug 19, 2018 12:25 am

I have a large tetramorium immagrans nest in my back yard and I was wondering if I could take some pupae? I found a bunch and put the brick back. So should I or should I not? (I only have a queen rn)

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FaranAli
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Re: What are the pros and cons of brood boosting?

Post: # 47868Post FaranAli
Sun Aug 19, 2018 12:29 am

u should.she gonna love or eat them :lol: :lol: :lol:
Keeper of Pheidole Pallidula with about 15-20 workers and bunch of brood 8-) 8-) 8-) ...(2 Queen)

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Ltislander
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Re: What are the pros and cons of brood boosting?

Post: # 47870Post Ltislander
Sun Aug 19, 2018 12:38 am

Well then I hope she accepts them

AntsDakota
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Re: What are the pros and cons of brood boosting?

Post: # 47912Post AntsDakota
Sun Aug 19, 2018 2:18 pm

Well, it worked for me.
"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

AntsOfOntario
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Re: What are the pros and cons of brood boosting?

Post: # 47971Post AntsOfOntario
Sun Aug 19, 2018 7:42 pm

Ltislander wrote:
Sun Aug 19, 2018 12:25 am
I have a large tetramorium immagrans nest in my back yard and I was wondering if I could take some pupae? I found a bunch and put the brick back. So should I or should I not? (I only have a queen rn)
Yes. The queens will almost always accept them. I brood boosted a colony 3 times with like 40 pupa in each one. The queen got the chance to start egg laying to match the amount of workers she has.

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Ltislander
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Location: Massachusetts

Re: What are the pros and cons of brood boosting?

Post: # 47983Post Ltislander
Sun Aug 19, 2018 11:32 pm

Thanks I’m gonna do it tommarrow!

Hunter36o
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Re: What are the pros and cons of brood boosting?

Post: # 47993Post Hunter36o
Mon Aug 20, 2018 5:19 am

Hey can one of you explain brood boosting in the way for me? Is it eggs and pupae are okay for larvae will get eaten? Or will larvae also get accepted?
Research is important before during and even after you have established a colony. There is always time to learn and to listen to others experiences. Live by this and your ants will thrive. Fail to do so and your experience may be brief.

AntnoobSG
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Re: What are the pros and cons of brood boosting?

Post: # 47996Post AntnoobSG
Mon Aug 20, 2018 7:00 am

If you give your queen pupa from the same genus but different specie,will the specie be same as the queen?
Keeper of :
Camponotus albosparsus x2 :o
Camponotus Irritans ;)
Hoping for pheidole colony :D

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Ltislander
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Re: What are the pros and cons of brood boosting?

Post: # 48012Post Ltislander
Mon Aug 20, 2018 9:45 am

AntnoobSG wrote:
Mon Aug 20, 2018 7:00 am
If you give your queen pupa from the same genus but different specie,will the specie be same as the queen?
I read about someone who did it with Camponotus and it worked, they said around 50-50 chance.

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Batspiderfish
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Re: What are the pros and cons of brood boosting?

Post: # 48014Post Batspiderfish
Mon Aug 20, 2018 10:03 am

Beginner ant-keepers should not brood boost.

I say beginner, because there are very few situations in which boosting is beneficial to a colony, and recognizing those situations is the only time to really justify it. Most people only want to brood boost because they are too impatient to let their colonies grow naturally or because they are neglecting their ants and wish to extend the life of the colony for a very short period without figuring out what the problem is.

Brood boosting comes with risks. It is an easy way to introduce mites or other unwanted guests to the habitat of your pet ants. It will potentially destroy a wild colony. It may even harm the health of your captive colony if there is more brood than your ants can care for or clean up after.

Some ant species require brood boosting or callow workers in order to get started, particularly social parasites or ants which may require the workforce of their mother colony (e.g. certain Dolichoderus). Knowing when boosting can actually help a queen is a reward that comes with care and experience.
If you enjoy my expertise and identifications, please do not put wild populations at risk of disease by releasing pet colonies. We are responsible to give our pets the best care we can manage for the rest of their lives.

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