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[rcflyer]

I was to receive a young colony of Crematogaster and Pheidole with about 4 to 5 workers.  However due to shipping all their workers die and I am left with just the queen. Will queen survive?  It's been about a month I been putting protein and sugar drinks inside the test tube (heating cable) attempting to feed the queen.  They have not lay any eggs and not sure if they are even eating.

Edited by rcflyer, December 2 2025 - 12:49 PM.

[An-Ant]

If all the nanitics have died, the chances for the queen to survive are slim. 

Do you know if any of the queens are semi-claustral? If they are not, I would recommend to feed them once, then leave them in darkness for a few weeks before checking on and feeding them again. At this point, your goal is to keep the queens fed, but to disturb them as little as possible. 

Additionally, if they are fully claustral, the queens may refuse food entirely. 

 

It is also worth mentioning that if the species will diapause, the queens may cease to lay and go into diapause. If that is the case, take them off the heat and diapause them (maybe give one last meal first). The queens will start to lay in the following year. 

 

Good luck!