16 replies to this topic

[AdamL]

I have just recently caught 2 Camponotus herculeanus queens and I known it take a long time for Camponotus ants to develop big stabel colonys. So I was wondering if I put the 2 Queens together would they not kill each other and just make the colony grow twice as fast?

[Manitobant]

don't. Camponotus herculeanus are strictly monogyne and will kill each other (at least in my area). If you want your colony to grow fast I would highly recommend buying a heating cable or heating mat from the local pet store as it makes the brood develop much faster.

Edited by Manitobant, July 6 2019 - 12:38 PM.

[AdamL]

Thank you so I guess I will just have 2 colons of them but how much faster will they develop with a heating cable?

[Manitobant]

Thank you so I guess I will just have 2 colons of them but how much faster will they develop with a heating cable?

a lot faster usually.

[PacificNorthWestern]

I have a 2 queen founding colony of what I believe is Camponotus Herculeanus but unless you didn't put them together straight after/during the flight, i wouldn't attempt this.

[AdamL]

Ok so there's a small chanch that that there Camponotus chromaiodes but I don't think so. I captuerd them early in the morning and I have had them in separate test tubes for 1 day how would I put them together?

[TennesseeAnts]

Where were they captured?

[AdamL]

Lovell Maine North America

[TennesseeAnts]

Most likely Camponotus chromaiodes then.

[PacificNorthWestern]

put them in the fridge for 5-10 minutes and then just connect the tubes together if you want to combine them.

[TennesseeAnts]

put them in the fridge for 5-10 minutes and then just connect the tubes together if you want to combine them.

Do not do this if you don't want two dead queens. Camponotus chromaiodes are strictly monogynous. I have tried many times with both color variants and it always ends with two dead queens and a massive amount of dead brood. Formic acid is horrible to clean up.

[PacificNorthWestern]

okay, i was telling him this if he wanted to try this because he seemed determined. 

[AdamL]

I am not taking that risk because I really don't want them to die. Its to bad because Camponotus takes forever to grow, and heating cables don't really make to much difference.

[TennesseeAnts]

They make a huge difference if used right. Put the cable in a box or a drawer and heat your ants just by putting them in the box.

[AntsDakota]

There are some polygynous Camponotus species out their, such as C. nearcticus.

[TennesseeAnts]

Camponotus vicinus is also polygynous.

[Canadian anter]

I am not taking that risk because I really don't want them to die. Its to bad because Camponotus takes forever to grow, and heating cables don't really make to much difference.

My herculeanus reached workers in 38 days with a cable