Keeping an established queen w/ out workers
Moderator: ooper01
Keeping an established queen w/ out workers
Okay, so I recently caught a Camponotus nearcticus queen, and she had 5 workers. The sad part is THAT I LITERALLY COULDN’T CATCH THE WORKERS FOR THE LIFE OF ME. So now I am left with just a camponotus queen. I was wondering if I fed her honey (which I did) and gave her a whole new test tube setup, would she begin laying eggs again and start over?
Camponotus subbarbatus x3
Temnothorax curvispinosus x1
Aphenogaster fulva x1
Camponotus sp.
Termite pair
Temnothorax curvispinosus x1
Aphenogaster fulva x1
Camponotus sp.
Termite pair
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- Posts: 33
- Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2018 8:52 pm
- Location: Reno, NV
Re: Keeping an established queen w/ out workers
Im actually in a somewhat similar situation. Except, I got my camponotus queen through the GAN project here, and she had 9 workers. I guess I hibernated them incorrectly, as all 9 died, and she had eaten her eggs. I felt, and still feel awful about it.
I have started from scratch with her, gave her honey (she accepted) and even some food (a cricket leg). She layed eggs, and is protective over them, im just not sure if theyre growing. I have to feed her every few days because she really does eat the stuff i give her, but I feel like the constant tampering stresses her, and maybe is keeping the eggs from growing.
TL;DR
She will probably accept food, but its a challenge to get the colony started again. If you find anything that works, let us know!
I have started from scratch with her, gave her honey (she accepted) and even some food (a cricket leg). She layed eggs, and is protective over them, im just not sure if theyre growing. I have to feed her every few days because she really does eat the stuff i give her, but I feel like the constant tampering stresses her, and maybe is keeping the eggs from growing.
TL;DR
She will probably accept food, but its a challenge to get the colony started again. If you find anything that works, let us know!
Re: Keeping an established queen w/ out workers
Alright! Glad to know I’m not alone! I will attempt to raise her as a fully claustral queen and see if she makes it and starts the colony over again, because one person on another site kept saying it won’t work, and I just have a hard time believing that
Camponotus subbarbatus x3
Temnothorax curvispinosus x1
Aphenogaster fulva x1
Camponotus sp.
Termite pair
Temnothorax curvispinosus x1
Aphenogaster fulva x1
Camponotus sp.
Termite pair
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- Posts: 409
- Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2018 6:51 am
- Location: Canada
- Contact:
Re: Keeping an established queen w/ out workers
What temperature did you hibernate them at?tencarnacion wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 12:29 amIm actually in a somewhat similar situation. Except, I got my camponotus queen through the GAN project here, and she had 9 workers. I guess I hibernated them incorrectly, as all 9 died, and she had eaten her eggs. I felt, and still feel awful about it.
Keeping:
Tetramorium immigrans * Lasius Neoniger * Lasius Claviger * Messor Aciculatus * Myrmica Rubra * Camponotus Novaeboracensis * Camponotus Turkastanus * Pheidole Pallidula
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSfFtn6RegZ3F1NdS1g08NA
Tetramorium immigrans * Lasius Neoniger * Lasius Claviger * Messor Aciculatus * Myrmica Rubra * Camponotus Novaeboracensis * Camponotus Turkastanus * Pheidole Pallidula
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSfFtn6RegZ3F1NdS1g08NA
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- Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2018 6:51 am
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Re: Keeping an established queen w/ out workers
You can totally restart a colony that has lost its workers. It’s not a problem at all. I’ve done it many times with different species. They don’t forget how to lay eggs and take care of larva just because they lost their workers. You just need to feed the queen. Feed her sugar water and insects. I’d feed her once a week or so. Just try to get the food in there without having her freak out.CatsnAnts wrote: ↑Wed May 15, 2019 5:03 pmOkay, so I recently caught a Camponotus nearcticus queen, and she had 5 workers. The sad part is THAT I LITERALLY COULDN’T CATCH THE WORKERS FOR THE LIFE OF ME. So now I am left with just a camponotus queen. I was wondering if I fed her honey (which I did) and gave her a whole new test tube setup, would she begin laying eggs again and start over?
Keeping:
Tetramorium immigrans * Lasius Neoniger * Lasius Claviger * Messor Aciculatus * Myrmica Rubra * Camponotus Novaeboracensis * Camponotus Turkastanus * Pheidole Pallidula
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSfFtn6RegZ3F1NdS1g08NA
Tetramorium immigrans * Lasius Neoniger * Lasius Claviger * Messor Aciculatus * Myrmica Rubra * Camponotus Novaeboracensis * Camponotus Turkastanus * Pheidole Pallidula
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSfFtn6RegZ3F1NdS1g08NA
Re: Keeping an established queen w/ out workers
THANK YOU, now I don’t feel so bad about another guy telling me that it’s impossible and that I should just release her into the wild, I mean, come one, she’s already settled in a test tube after I fed her honey. I just really want this queen too! THXS AGAIN.JoeHostile1 wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 7:46 amYou can totally restart a colony that has lost its workers. It’s not a problem at all. I’ve done it many times with different species. They don’t forget how to lay eggs and take care of larva just because they lost their workers. You just need to feed the queen. Feed her sugar water and insects. I’d feed her once a week or so. Just try to get the food in there without having her freak out.CatsnAnts wrote: ↑Wed May 15, 2019 5:03 pmOkay, so I recently caught a Camponotus nearcticus queen, and she had 5 workers. The sad part is THAT I LITERALLY COULDN’T CATCH THE WORKERS FOR THE LIFE OF ME. So now I am left with just a camponotus queen. I was wondering if I fed her honey (which I did) and gave her a whole new test tube setup, would she begin laying eggs again and start over?
Camponotus subbarbatus x3
Temnothorax curvispinosus x1
Aphenogaster fulva x1
Camponotus sp.
Termite pair
Temnothorax curvispinosus x1
Aphenogaster fulva x1
Camponotus sp.
Termite pair
-
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2018 8:52 pm
- Location: Reno, NV
Re: Keeping an established queen w/ out workers
I put all of my ants in the garage for the winter, but didnt take a temperature. I came to learn that ALL of my colonies were still somewhat active during the hibernation, so maybe the garage in general wasnt cool enough for any of them. Fortunately, only 1 colony (I have 4) lost its workers. The others are growing now.JoeHostile1 wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 7:41 amWhat temperature did you hibernate them at?tencarnacion wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 12:29 amIm actually in a somewhat similar situation. Except, I got my camponotus queen through the GAN project here, and she had 9 workers. I guess I hibernated them incorrectly, as all 9 died, and she had eaten her eggs. I felt, and still feel awful about it.
-
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2018 8:52 pm
- Location: Reno, NV
Re: Keeping an established queen w/ out workers
I am also really glad to read this. Just wondering, though, camponotus larvae take a few months to develop, right?CatsnAnts wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 2:57 pmTHANK YOU, now I don’t feel so bad about another guy telling me that it’s impossible and that I should just release her into the wild, I mean, come one, she’s already settled in a test tube after I fed her honey. I just really want this queen too! THXS AGAIN.JoeHostile1 wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 7:46 amYou can totally restart a colony that has lost its workers. It’s not a problem at all. I’ve done it many times with different species. They don’t forget how to lay eggs and take care of larva just because they lost their workers. You just need to feed the queen. Feed her sugar water and insects. I’d feed her once a week or so. Just try to get the food in there without having her freak out.CatsnAnts wrote: ↑Wed May 15, 2019 5:03 pmOkay, so I recently caught a Camponotus nearcticus queen, and she had 5 workers. The sad part is THAT I LITERALLY COULDN’T CATCH THE WORKERS FOR THE LIFE OF ME. So now I am left with just a camponotus queen. I was wondering if I fed her honey (which I did) and gave her a whole new test tube setup, would she begin laying eggs again and start over?
Re: Keeping an established queen w/ out workers
Yes, they take 1.5 - 3 months depending on the type and size of the species.tencarnacion wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 5:39 pmI am also really glad to read this. Just wondering, though, camponotus larvae take a few months to develop, right?CatsnAnts wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 2:57 pmTHANK YOU, now I don’t feel so bad about another guy telling me that it’s impossible and that I should just release her into the wild, I mean, come one, she’s already settled in a test tube after I fed her honey. I just really want this queen too! THXS AGAIN.JoeHostile1 wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 7:46 am
You can totally restart a colony that has lost its workers. It’s not a problem at all. I’ve done it many times with different species. They don’t forget how to lay eggs and take care of larva just because they lost their workers. You just need to feed the queen. Feed her sugar water and insects. I’d feed her once a week or so. Just try to get the food in there without having her freak out.
Camponotus subbarbatus x3
Temnothorax curvispinosus x1
Aphenogaster fulva x1
Camponotus sp.
Termite pair
Temnothorax curvispinosus x1
Aphenogaster fulva x1
Camponotus sp.
Termite pair
-
- Posts: 1283
- Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
- Location: South Dakota
Re: Keeping an established queen w/ out workers
I would assume that since winters don't exactly get 'cold' in Nevada, the ants there aren't used to coping with temperatures too far below freezing. If you hibernated the ants below fourty or fifty degrees, you would probably would have been fine, yet not all Camponotus can survive temperatures below zero (like mine did).tencarnacion wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 12:29 amIm actually in a somewhat similar situation. Except, I got my camponotus queen through the GAN project here, and she had 9 workers. I guess I hibernated them incorrectly, as all 9 died, and she had eaten her eggs. I felt, and still feel awful about it.
I have started from scratch with her, gave her honey (she accepted) and even some food (a cricket leg). She layed eggs, and is protective over them, im just not sure if theyre growing. I have to feed her every few days because she really does eat the stuff i give her, but I feel like the constant tampering stresses her, and maybe is keeping the eggs from growing.
TL;DR
She will probably accept food, but its a challenge to get the colony started again. If you find anything that works, let us know!
Another possibility is that they were dehydrated in their test tube.
"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
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