27 replies to this topic

[ZTYguy]

Wow!!!

Edited by ZTYguy, April 22 2021 - 5:14 PM.

[ANTdrew]

That looks like a queen to me.

[Lillyrose]

That looks like a queen to me.

There is a second one with wings near her.. but she isn't moving. Not sure if it's a queen or male.


But two more larva on the bottom have massive heads so I think there will be a few!

Now when they fly I can release them and when I catch my own I can pretend it's her! Lol

I'll know in a day or two based on their color. You can see them on the bottom.

Edited by Lillyrose, April 22 2021 - 5:24 PM.

[Lillyrose]

I have multiple queen alates now and I'm at a loss.

I took them off the heat so they don't try to fly early but they don't fly until June... will the queens survive that long? I thought they didn't come out till they were ready to fly.

I want to let them group reproduce and I'm afraid they're jumping the gun.

they're slowly running low on workers and have started acting more skittish .. less willing to forage. They're running low on time I think.

If I put them in the fridge at about 50 degrees will they slow down or will they just get confused?

I don't know how to move forward.


Edit ... also .. in the very unlikely event they inbreed ... would a mated queen choose to fly away with her sisters? Or would she stay?

Edited by Lillyrose, April 26 2021 - 7:50 AM.

[Lillyrose]

These girls are hanging on.

They attempted a nuptial flight a few nights ago when the house was rather warm.

I've been advised not to let the alates fly as they could spread disease? But I've had them for a very short time... and I just don't see it being a real risk.

On the other side I found a really small Temnothorax colony in a walnut that I was using in a plant .. so I'll be using this journal to cover both colonies. The small one has a queen so that's a step up.



I'm amused that they're using anything and everything to block their entrance ... even the bit of cheerio I gave them.

They are a very small group and they look tiny in their tube.

The girls in the plaster acorn haven't been eating as much and I guess it's cause they don't really have brood to feed. They drink the water and sunburst though. They have slightly yellow rushies cause of it (gasters?)

[ANTdrew]

I don’t know. I plan to at least try to let my alates fly. I’m a certified master naturalist, but I struggle to understand how a captive colony kept in isolation and fed all pre-killed foods that are boiled could be some vector of disease.

[Lillyrose]

I don’t know. I plan to at least try to let my alates fly. I’m a certified master naturalist, but I struggle to understand how a captive colony kept in isolation and fed all pre-killed foods that are boiled could be some vector of disease.

I feel like it's a case of good intentions but maybe a little over reacting.

If you know your colony has mites, or is having mass deaths .. then yea.. don't release... but in a healthy colony with precautions it should be fine.

I'm going to let mine fly if I can. They keep trying too early.

[Lillyrose]

The two underdog colonies are doing OK... not goof ... not bad. I lost track of the queen in the walnut colony and they're not taking much protein in. The acorn ones are just kinda surviving. They have more alates now and less workers I think ... so they're declining.

I wonder if I could merge the colonies or would they just murder each other?

Probably murder.

For my dream girls they haven't been very interesting. I think they're pretty and all, but I seem to be having some not so great luck with them.

I can't wait till they fly. I'd love to start my own rather than just the captured colonies.

I just worry I'll miss them because they're rather tiny.

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Edited by Lillyrose, May 17 2021 - 6:16 AM.