26 Queen Ants Caught
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26 Queen Ants Caught
So it was nuptial flight day here last week and I ended up catching 27 Queens (I believe all Lasius Niger).
One sadly died the next day (part of it's gaster was missing before it went into the tube) which has left me with 26.
21 are setup in their own test tube each.
2 are sharing a tube.
The final 3 are sharing a tube.
I have read previous comments about not allowing Queen's to share as it will cause problems down the line but I was intrigued to see how this will pan out. So far all ants seem happy and several have laid eggs already but none (from what I can see) in the tubes with more than one ant.
I am considering removing one of the ants in the tube of 3 but given that I have so many perhaps I just leave things as they are and see how it goes?
All comments / thoughts appreciated. Last year I caught 5 Ants and 4 had died by the end of January, the last made it through to April but sadly also died. I believe I checked on them too often and didn't keep them warm enough in the winter so will try and learn from those mistakes this year.
One sadly died the next day (part of it's gaster was missing before it went into the tube) which has left me with 26.
21 are setup in their own test tube each.
2 are sharing a tube.
The final 3 are sharing a tube.
I have read previous comments about not allowing Queen's to share as it will cause problems down the line but I was intrigued to see how this will pan out. So far all ants seem happy and several have laid eggs already but none (from what I can see) in the tubes with more than one ant.
I am considering removing one of the ants in the tube of 3 but given that I have so many perhaps I just leave things as they are and see how it goes?
All comments / thoughts appreciated. Last year I caught 5 Ants and 4 had died by the end of January, the last made it through to April but sadly also died. I believe I checked on them too often and didn't keep them warm enough in the winter so will try and learn from those mistakes this year.
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Re: 26 Queen Ants Caught
I made similar mistakes with my first queens.ScottishAnt wrote: ↑Sun Jul 24, 2022 1:55 pmSo it was nuptial flight day here last week and I ended up catching 27 Queens (I believe all Lasius Niger).
One sadly died the next day (part of it's gaster was missing before it went into the tube) which has left me with 26.
21 are setup in their own test tube each.
2 are sharing a tube.
The final 3 are sharing a tube.
I have read previous comments about not allowing Queen's to share as it will cause problems down the line but I was intrigued to see how this will pan out. So far all ants seem happy and several have laid eggs already but none (from what I can see) in the tubes with more than one ant.
I am considering removing one of the ants in the tube of 3 but given that I have so many perhaps I just leave things as they are and see how it goes?
All comments / thoughts appreciated. Last year I caught 5 Ants and 4 had died by the end of January, the last made it through to April but sadly also died. I believe I checked on them too often and didn't keep them warm enough in the winter so will try and learn from those mistakes this year.
I would say two per tube max, and a few one per tubes. This way, it isn’t a 3 way fight and one won’t end up without legs and the rest dead.
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Re: 26 Queen Ants Caught
Thanks. May transfer one of the three to another tube.SolenopsisKeeper wrote: ↑Sun Jul 24, 2022 1:57 pmI made similar mistakes with my first queens.ScottishAnt wrote: ↑Sun Jul 24, 2022 1:55 pmSo it was nuptial flight day here last week and I ended up catching 27 Queens (I believe all Lasius Niger).
One sadly died the next day (part of it's gaster was missing before it went into the tube) which has left me with 26.
21 are setup in their own test tube each.
2 are sharing a tube.
The final 3 are sharing a tube.
I have read previous comments about not allowing Queen's to share as it will cause problems down the line but I was intrigued to see how this will pan out. So far all ants seem happy and several have laid eggs already but none (from what I can see) in the tubes with more than one ant.
I am considering removing one of the ants in the tube of 3 but given that I have so many perhaps I just leave things as they are and see how it goes?
All comments / thoughts appreciated. Last year I caught 5 Ants and 4 had died by the end of January, the last made it through to April but sadly also died. I believe I checked on them too often and didn't keep them warm enough in the winter so will try and learn from those mistakes this year.
I would say two per tube max, and a few one per tubes. This way, it isn’t a 3 way fight and one won’t end up without legs and the rest dead.
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Re: 26 Queen Ants Caught
I dont have nearly that many test tubes
C. Novaeboracensis (my favorite ant
C. Pennsylvannicus x2
Tetramorium Immigrans x2
C. Pennsylvannicus x2
Tetramorium Immigrans x2
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Re: 26 Queen Ants Caught
I had bought 20 last year so quickly ordered more. Caught another queen today but this one still has her wings on so may just let her go.
Re: 26 Queen Ants Caught
I don't think that is a very good idea for putting 3 queen ants in one tube as they may attack each other. I belive that that species is monogynous.
Keeping 1 colony unknown species determining
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Re: 26 Queen Ants Caught
They use plemeostrisis, aka founding peacefully until workers. In some scenarios, workers kill the queen in a later stage of the colony, but in Lasius, the queens kill each other at the start of workers.
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Re: 26 Queen Ants Caught
Have had my first casualty unfortunately. Found one ant furiously tugging at the Cotton and trying to get out of the tube. I was considering letting it go but thought it may just need a new tube. It seemed happy for a couple of days but I just found it lying motionless on it's back. Perhaps it used up all it's energy trying to get out.
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Re: 26 Queen Ants Caught
Infertile queens do this or parasitic queens. What species?ScottishAnt wrote: ↑Mon Aug 22, 2022 12:28 pmHave had my first casualty unfortunately. Found one ant furiously tugging at the Cotton and trying to get out of the tube. I was considering letting it go but thought it may just need a new tube. It seemed happy for a couple of days but I just found it lying motionless on it's back. Perhaps it used up all it's energy trying to get out.
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