4 replies to this topic

[Antennal_Scrobe]

Many late flying ants, like Lasius, Crematogaster, and Myrmica, wait until after hibernation to lay their first eggs. Because there is no brood production going on in the two months or so before they go dormant, does heating fall flying queens do nothing but harm, causing them to burn more calories with faster, 80 degree metabolisms? 

[ANTdrew]

My house is still 80deg, but I don’t think any supplemental heat is necessary.

[dermy]

Depends where you are from I suppose. Up in the great white north I've noticed some ants might lay eggs if kept room temperature during the winter, but a lot of the time they will not until they are subjected to at least 1-2 months of Hibernation. I'd say give it a week, if nothing is laying for you it might be just better off hibernating them and waking them up in a few months time. Hibernation for a lot of species of ants, esp. Northern ones is something you can't really skimp on. Even if you don't hibernate them they will often just go into a state of diapause anyway.

 

Generally speaking, if you get harsh winters outside you def. need to give your colonies some Hibernation. When I kept ants anything that flew after August needed to be hibernated for me. That may not be the case for a lot of people (especially considering that for my area September is usually nice at the start but we can get anything from an extra month of summer to literal winter temperatures in the negatives  at night time incl. frost and snow.) I'd say go with what you see outside.

Edited by dermy, September 29 2019 - 9:06 AM.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

Depends where you are from I suppose. Up in the great white north I've noticed some ants might lay eggs if kept room temperature during the winter, but a lot of the time they will not until they are subjected to at least 1-2 months of Hibernation. I'd say give it a week, if nothing is laying for you it might be just better off hibernating them and waking them up in a few months time. Hibernation for a lot of species of ants, esp. Northern ones is something you can't really skimp on. Even if you don't hibernate them they will often just go into a state of diapause anyway.

I wasn't really asking about hibernation, but the period before it, when ants outside are still active. 

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

Depends where you are from I suppose. Up in the great white north I've noticed some ants might lay eggs if kept room temperature during the winter, but a lot of the time they will not until they are subjected to at least 1-2 months of Hibernation. I'd say give it a week, if nothing is laying for you it might be just better off hibernating them and waking them up in a few months time. Hibernation for a lot of species of ants, esp. Northern ones is something you can't really skimp on. Even if you don't hibernate them they will often just go into a state of diapause anyway.

 

Generally speaking, if you get harsh winters outside you def. need to give your colonies some Hibernation. When I kept ants anything that flew after August needed to be hibernated for me. That may not be the case for a lot of people (especially considering that for my area September is usually nice at the start but we can get anything from an extra month of summer to literal winter temperatures in the negatives  at night time incl. frost and snow.) I'd say go with what you see outside.

I agree, and if I may add on, it depends when you catch them (early august you can heat, but September queens I wouldn't heat)