207 replies to this topic

[Kaelwizard]

I put the colony in my garage for hibernation today.

Keep a extremely close eye on those gals then. The risk with their environment not being climate controlled is if you aren't careful enough, you can possibly kill off your entire colony

there would be a natural cool down in a garage.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

I put the colony in my garage for hibernation today.

Keep a extremely close eye on those gals then. The risk with their environment not being climate controlled is if you aren't careful enough, you can possibly kill off your entire colony

there would be a natural cool down in a garage.

But if it drops below 45 there will most likely be avoidable casualties

[Mdrogun]

As the myrmecologist James Trager once said, if I'm recalling correctly, pretty much all Camponotus this far north can survive sub 32F temperatures. His garage will never get below freezing. They'll be fine. You must understand that Camponotus pennsylvanicus stay in the wood year round. That doesn't offer them any protection from extreme cold. When we hit -60F up here last winter, the Camponotus were at the same temperature. They will be fine.

[Boog]

 

 

 

I put the colony in my garage for hibernation today.

Keep a extremely close eye on those gals then. The risk with their environment not being climate controlled is if you aren't careful enough, you can possibly kill off your entire colony

there would be a natural cool down in a garage.

But if it drops below 45 there will most likely be avoidable casualties

 

 

Camponotus pennsylvanicus is know to produce an anti-freeze compound, glycerol, that can protect them from low temperatures. My colony was able to overwinter in high 30s with no casualties. As long as there is gradual cool down to allow the ants to build up their cold resistance they should be fine. I'll be putting my Camponotus colony in a garage for this winter again but I do check on them at least twice a month.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

 

 

 

 

I put the colony in my garage for hibernation today.

Keep a extremely close eye on those gals then. The risk with their environment not being climate controlled is if you aren't careful enough, you can possibly kill off your entire colony

there would be a natural cool down in a garage.

But if it drops below 45 there will most likely be avoidable casualties

 

 

Camponotus pennsylvanicus is know to produce an anti-freeze compound, glycerol, that can protect them from low temperatures. My colony was able to overwinter in high 30s with no casualties. As long as there is gradual cool down to allow the ants to build up their cold resistance they should be fine. I'll be putting my Camponotus colony in a garage for this winter again but I do check on them at least twice a month.

 

I have had a couple workers die in some of my colonies when it dropped to or below freezing

[Kaelwizard]

Like I said, a garage would have a natural cool down which would allow the anti freeze in the ants to work.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

Like I said, a garage would have a natural cool down which would allow the anti freeze in the ants to work.

I cooled them down, dropping them 5 degrees every seven days (it took a day or two to actually drop the 5 degrees) until they were down to a little over freezing. So maybe I didn't do it gradually enough? 

[Kaelwizard]

Like I said, a garage would have a natural cool down which would allow the anti freeze in the ants to work.

I cooled them down, dropping them 5 degrees every seven days (it took a day or two to actually drop the 5 degrees) until they were down to a little over freezing. So maybe I didn't do it gradually enough?

Is your garage a little warmer than the outside temperature? You don’t cool them you just leave them in the garage and let the temperature outside cool your garage.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

Like I said, a garage would have a natural cool down which would allow the anti freeze in the ants to work.

I cooled them down, dropping them 5 degrees every seven days (it took a day or two to actually drop the 5 degrees) until they were down to a little over freezing. So maybe I didn't do it gradually enough?

Is your garage a little warmer than the outside temperature? You don’t cool them you just leave them in the garage and let the temperature outside cool your garage.

I use a wine cooler because my garage is full of some of my belongings

[DDD101DDD]

This is what they currently look like.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

This is what they currently look like.

Looking good, where are the other ants though?

[DDD101DDD]

 

This is what they currently look like.

Looking good, where are the other ants though?

 

The other 2 are out of the picture.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

Okay, making sure because it would be weird to have the nanitics die so soon

[DDD101DDD]

More can be seen here.

Also, they covered their nestmate with sand. Would this be a problem?

Edited by DDD101DDD, October 12 2019 - 7:36 AM.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

No, there can be two reasons why. They are suffocating mold or just prepping for hibernation

[DDD101DDD]

No, there can be two reasons why. They are suffocating mold or just prepping for hibernation

Ok, thanks. I hope its for hibernation and not mold. Also, should I take it out and clean it, just in case there is mold?

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

No, there can be two reasons why. They are suffocating mold or just prepping for hibernation

Ok, thanks. I hope its for hibernation and not mold. Also, should I take it out and clean it, just in case there is mold?

If it's mold, it's likely on the nest mate. Even if it it mold you have nothing to worry about, as they would easily be able to suffocate it. You can cotton the nest mate area up and see if the nest mate has any mold on it. If so just tell me and I can help you with damage control of needed.

[DDD101DDD]

 

 

No, there can be two reasons why. They are suffocating mold or just prepping for hibernation

Ok, thanks. I hope its for hibernation and not mold. Also, should I take it out and clean it, just in case there is mold?

If it's mold, it's likely on the nest mate. Even if it it mold you have nothing to worry about, as they would easily be able to suffocate it. You can cotton the nest mate area up and see if the nest mate has any mold on it. If so just tell me and I can help you with damage control of needed.

 

Ok, thanks.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

This is what they currently look like.

I don't see any mold growing in this picture, but the lighting could be better. I don't think it's mold anyways. Ant species plug up their nest entrances during hibernation, so it's probably the case here. However you can never be too careful.

[DDD101DDD]

So I may have a problem. My garage actually feels warmer then the rest of my house. Should I move them to my shed, which is outside?