It's my first time keeping a queen ant and I need help

[weegeefiji]

I didn't really plan to keep ants and start a colony this soon as I just started watching ant videos and learning more about them recently. But 5 days ago, a queen trap-jaw ant found its way to my room possibly entering from the window. I took it as a sign. I didn't know if it has mated or not but I still decided to take it in and try to potentially help it thrive and build her colony.

On the first night, she laid an egg! So I thought I was doing something right. I don't have a test tube, so I just kept her in a small round container and try to keep her hydrated by giving her water through a ball of cotton. The next day, she laid another egg but this time I noticed a pattern. After she lays the eggs, she completely abandons them. I had to move the first egg away because it was starting to inch closer and closer to where I left the honey and I didn't want it to "drown" in it. Am I not supposed to touch the eggs? Is that why seemed to have rejected them now. The eggs don't look as healthy as it used to when I first saw them.

Please give me some pointers. I really want this queen and her babies to survive.

[Hunter36o]

The universe what's you to keep ants so.

I'm not sure about trap jaw ants in terms of keeping but regardless of species you should try get something like a test tube set up asap. The idea is to mimic a closed and safe environment that acts like a little tunnel in soils and such, I hope she is mated for you and the space is just freaking her out alittle which is why looks like she is abandoning the eggs.

It also does not actually have to be a test tube. Treated soils can be used, there are plant feeding tubes I believe work just as well. You can also go to a kids education store and if there is a science section you can get plastic clininder liquid measuring tube and that will work but the only set back is most are not clear plastic so you cannot see them as well so I'd advice it only as a temporary setup.

Best of look with your new queen

[ClashOwenBash]

Best of luck for your queen.

[JoeHostile1]

Unfortunately scattered eggs is usually a sign the queen is infertile. She knows the eggs are no good for whatever reason so she doesn’t bother taking care of them. Another sign of this is if the eggs are off coloured. As in a yellow colour instead of a white colour.

If I were you I would hibernate her (if she would normally hibernate in her natural habitat) and then see what she does in the spring.