18 replies to this topic

[benjiwuf]

My first nanitics arrived in the last few days (so excited! ), but I now have no more eggs. My queen only laid four to begin with and ended up eating 2. So now I have 2 nanitics with no eggs, larva, or pupa. Should I be concerned she has no brood, and how long until I should expect her to lay more eggs (she is a formica, but I'm not sure which species)?

[Alza]

nice!  give it a few days, maybe two days in the dark 

[dspdrew]

I haven't had much experience with Formica, but my one Formica queen had only a few workers and wouldn't lay anymore eggs for a few months, and then suddenly started laying a lot. She now has around 100 workers.

[Alza]

I've only seen them in the wild 

[benjiwuf]

Alright, thank you.

[Alza]

make sure to feed them well 

[dermy]

I think [I'm not an expert] but I think, that she has stopped laying for the year, as she is preparing for hibernation, as Formica doesn't usually keep brood over-winter like other species of ants do.

[Mercutia]

I notice my Formica lay in batches too. After coming out of hibernation though, they lay like crazy again.

[Gregory2455]

A bunch of my ants lay batches. And not by species either it seems, it is just what the queen feels like doing.

[Mercutia]

Oh, by batches I mean that they'll lay one batch and just not lay anymore for a really long time even after all the workers eclose. I notice two batches during the warm seasons. The first batch when they first come out of hibernation, and then a second batch a while later after the workers eclose. Then they go back into hibernation and repeat the cycle. When I first catch them though, they only lay one batch before hibernation.

[dermy]

That must suck, those colonies must either grow slowly, or they lay a lot of eggs per batch.

 

My ants just keep laying and laying, all the time, don't know how i'll stop them for hibernation....

[Gregory2455]

don't know how i'll stop them for hibernation....

 

Don't stop them! But really what happens if you don't hibernate ants? I wouldn't know, I don't live where it is required to do so.

[Mercutia]

Nothing really. Egg production for the next year does slow down a noticeable amount. Everyone encourages it because these queens are use to a rest period during the winter.

 

I know some species in the hotter climates have a stasis period during the hot times that act as their rest period. P. imparis slow down during the summer and go deep underground and appear to be inactive until it starts cooling down again.

[dermy]

I may experiment, since I have a lot of these species around, I will keep a queen with her first brood over the winter and hibernate one.

[benjiwuf]

So I guess for now I should make arrangements to begin their hibernation, or should I wait another month or so (being in New York State, USA it is getting chilly but not really cold yet)?

[dermy]

I'd wait for a few weeks, if no new eggs are being laid then I'd start preparing them for hibernation.

[Mercutia]

I generally don't start hibernation until November, and I open them back up in April.

[benjiwuf]

Alright, well I gave them a cricket leg for now and some honey water a few days ago (have to drop it right in front of them as they seem to be lazy lol, when they realize what it is they go crazy eating), and I'll wait until November to hibernate them. I hope she lays more though, I don't want to wait all winter to see more babies! :unsure: are lasius alienus much different from formica in their care or growth?

[Mercutia]

I notice a lot of Lasius tend to wait until after hibernation to lay although this is not always the case. I currently have a Lasius queen who is fast in making her brood. I boosted her with some Lasius larvae I stole from a wild colony so hopefully they will eclose before I have to hibernate them.