Update
May 23 2022

(1 year)

This journal is not over. The hibernation is. The queen and her 3 workers with larvae didn't spend the hibernation on windowsill, as soon as the temperature was not low enough there. Instead I'd put them in fridge where it was about 4 - 6 С. The hibernation lasted for 5 months, now the ants are awake and the brood is still there.

Hopefully they will make it to 20-30 workers this summer.

June 1 2022

I've checked them 3 times by now, fed them some peanut beetle larvae. There are 10 -12 ant larvae that are growing fast enough, and the queen laid another batch of eggs!

Glad their doing well!

Hibernation for 5 months? I'm pretty sure that you only need around 3 months of hibernation- four at most. So for example put them into hibernation around october or november and take them out during around February. ig if they are doing fine then its not a problem. I'm curious where you heard that they need 5-6 months of hibernation?

Edited by Dumpling, June 1 2022 - 7:26 PM.

Hibernation for 5 months? I'm pretty sure that you only need around 3 months of hibernation- four at most. So for example put them into hibernation around october or november and take them out during around February. ig if they are doing fine then its not a problem. I'm curious where you heard that they need 5-6 months of hibernation?

Well, some sources say it depends on what region the ants come from. If you live in the far north and catch Camponotus in there, then you could hibernate them for up to 5-6 months.

In my region there's still snow lying outside in late April.

But yeah, I think it was a bit too long, 3-4 months would be enough

June 7th 2022

The brood is growing, there are two pupae and one extra large larva, possibly first major worker.

June 13th

Edited by Max_Connor, June 12 2022 - 8:56 PM.

June 26th

Two workers have emerged, major worker is coming soon, there's a new batch of eggs & larvae.

The colony will explode in numbers soon. Following.

July 5th

There are 11 workers now, two of them are a bit larger than nanitics, the major one is still on a pupal stage. 

July 15th

The major is there! It's about 10-12 mm long.

The small larvae are not developing at a fast enough rate, even though they have enough of insect and other types of protein.

It is possible that they're having a diapause in the middle of summer.  

Edited by Max_Connor, July 28 2022 - 10:00 PM.

July 29th

Yeah, they decided to have a diapause. The larvae are still small and not growing. They readily accept honey water and fruits, but not protein.

What does one do it that situation? Keep them like this until it's late enough in the year to cool them down or? Just wondering because I have not had that happen to me in the middle of summer.

I've looked through different sources, the information is controversial. Basically, there are two possible options:

1) This diapause is normal and you should just wait. I'll keep them at room temperature (which is pretty high - 24-27 C) without putting them into fridge or anything. I'll check them less often and will offer only sugar foods, no protein.

2) Give them an additional hibernation. Feed them lots of sugar, then put them into the fridge, while slowly decreasing the temperature in it. Then keep them hibernating for about 1-2 months.

There is a suggestion that this diapause in the middle of summer occurs when the winter hibernation was too short or the conditions were not right.

The hibernation was 5 months long, but I started it too late in the fall I guess...

I'll stick to the first option as long as I have no idea what putting them into fridge in summer will lead to...

Edited by Max_Connor, July 31 2022 - 6:01 AM.

August 12th

Now I gave them 3 little worms, and it appears they are finally getting interested in protein. They pulled 2 worms next to their larvae and started eating them.

I hope the next time I check them some of the larvae will get larger. 

September 3rd

There has been no growth and all the larvae remained the same size. So I decided to start the hibernation earlier.

I put them into fridge at about 12 - 15 C first. I'm decreasing the temperature over the week.

December 30th

I checked the ants, they are fine. I will keep them on hibernation for another couple of weeks.

Happy New Year everyone!

Pictures?

Pictures?

I didn't take them, but you can look at some previous posts. There are no dead ants and the brood is just small larvae and it looks shrunk, that's it.

Edited by Max_Connor, December 30 2022 - 10:08 PM.