30 replies to this topic

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

True I would mostly go for larva but I have seen some success in brood boosting with cocoons.

[Lillyrose]

Worker count?

There were only 6 ... I know these girls are slow growers but it makes me nervous. They need more workers.
I'll be on the lookout for a nest I can steal brood from.

I don’t know for sure, but can C. castaneaus or another Carpenter ant species open cocoons for different species (in brood boosting) once accepted? If not, they might need workers from that colony your stealing brood from in order to close those cocoons. (It’s kind of like introducing host workers to a parasitic Lasius queen/de-alate). Also keep in mind that this can be kind of complicated and risky especially with Camponotus. If you want to do it, then go for it! Good luck!

Wait ... I didn't know that matters.

What if they're the same species though?

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

If they are the same species the success rate.would be higher.

[Artisan_Ants]

If they are the same species the success rate.would be higher.

Very true.

[Lillyrose]

 

 

The setup for these girls with the Moss is really cool, but one of the issues is that it's hard to tell what's going on. However these girls are so shy that it's important for them to have this feeling. Plus I might have taken them out of hibernation a little too early. Either way it's been a little while and I've mostly left them alone. Replacing water and juice and stuff like that of course but not moving them or moving them off. The pictures are horrible because everything's a bit more dirty in there because of the Moss.

 

Best I can tell there's two brood in there. 

 

I've not yet found anyone to brood steal from but to be fair, it's a bit early in the year for the in ground ones to have their brood up and out. 

 

I don't see a lot of stuff going on in here, but that's OK. Spring is just arriving. 

 

 

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[The_Gaming-gate]

True I would mostly go for larva but I have seen some success in brood boosting with cocoons.

It would be much better to boost with pupae. Larvae require food and resources from the queen and (especially with the amount most boost with) the boosted brood combined with the larvae she has means you run the risk of some of the brood dying or the queen pretty much starving herself trying to feed brood.

[The_Gaming-gate]

Worker count?

There were only 6 ... I know these girls are slow growers but it makes me nervous. They need more workers.
I'll be on the lookout for a nest I can steal brood from.

I don’t know for sure, but can C. castaneaus or another Carpenter ant species open cocoons for different species (in brood boosting) once accepted? If not, they might need workers from that colony your stealing brood from in order to close those cocoons. (It’s kind of like introducing host workers to a parasitic Lasius queen/de-alate). Also keep in mind that this can be kind of complicated and risky especially with Camponotus. If you want to do it, then go for it! Good luck!

Wait ... I didn't know that matters.

What if they're the same species though?

If they are the same species it’s fine. You actually can boost with the same genus without workers, the only reason why parasites need workers is because they are biologically made to not be able to care for brood on their own.

[DRpepper]

I have never had any issues with brood boositng Camponotus with cacoons, I have had pennsylvanicus accept chromaiodes cacoons and vice versa. I don't understand the hesitation for brood boosting worst case the queen just eats them or lets them die. 

[The_Gaming-gate]

I have never had any issues with brood boositng Camponotus with cacoons, I have had pennsylvanicus accept chromaiodes cacoons and vice versa. I don't understand the hesitation for brood boosting worst case the queen just eats them or lets them die.

Once I gave a queen some brood and she let them die. Next time I checked on them the cotton was covered in fuzzy mold. But that probably won’t happen too often.

[DRpepper]

 

I have never had any issues with brood boositng Camponotus with cacoons, I have had pennsylvanicus accept chromaiodes cacoons and vice versa. I don't understand the hesitation for brood boosting worst case the queen just eats them or lets them die.

Once I gave a queen some brood and she let them die. Next time I checked on them the cotton was covered in fuzzy mold. But that probably won’t happen too often.

 

True enough you probably should have removed the dead brood lol 

[The_Gaming-gate]

I have never had any issues with brood boositng Camponotus with cacoons, I have had pennsylvanicus accept chromaiodes cacoons and vice versa. I don't understand the hesitation for brood boosting worst case the queen just eats them or lets them die.

Once I gave a queen some brood and she let them die. Next time I checked on them the cotton was covered in fuzzy mold. But that probably won’t happen too often.

True enough you probably should have removed the dead brood lol

I couldn’t have since I only checked on that queen once a week, so it was already too late when I checked on them next week.