Carpenter Ant Queen with red eggs

[f0xal3x]

Hi,

I caught a carpenter queen(I think) in my bathroom. lol.
I have put it in a test tube-like setup (hard to get test tubes due to covid19).

So she hasn't shed her wings and she is laying red eggs.

Please see the photo:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GCCZrKSr4B9xd05Gs0M9xsvEIWr6EEec

Does anyone know what is happening?

[CabboAntsGuy]

It might just be the way the light is hitting it. Or it might mean something else, not sure.

[NKantsalberta]

Hi,

I caught a carpenter queen(I think) in my bathroom. lol.
I have put it in a test tube-like setup (hard to get test tubes due to covid19).

So she hasn't shed her wings and she is laying red eggs.

Please see the photo:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GCCZrKSr4B9xd05Gs0M9xsvEIWr6EEec

Does anyone know what is happening?

A few of my carpenter queens laid orangeish eggs in the founding stage. Most likely linked to low nutrition of her own reserves. I have not witnessed any adverse effects or difference when one is fed honey and one left alone.

[f0xal3x]

Yea. I read around and found out some carpenter queens lay orangeish eggs.

How soon would the workers hatch? I am quite concern if she is fertilized seeing that she still has wings.

[Hawkeye]

Yea. I read around and found out some carpenter queens lay orangeish eggs.

How soon would the workers hatch? I am quite concern if she is fertilized seeing that she still has wings.

Like you said, some queens produce darker, more orange coloured eggs, but that doesn't mean they're bad.
The fact that your queen still has her wings isn't alarming either. Not all queens clip their wings. Some wait for her workers to do it for her.
How soon your eggs will develop into nanitics depends on the species, temperature, humidity, food quality and reserves of your queen. In general it's 8 - 10 weeks.

Also check out our Camponotus Crew thread if you'd like to exchange experiences with other ant keepers