8 replies to this topic

[iXvXi]

I have a Camponotus sp. (I believe she's a Camponotus Herculeanus) queen that recently lost her last worker. I was thinking of trying to introduce her to one of my Camponotus Pennsylvanicus workers from my largest colony.

 

I have a general idea of how i'd do it, but would like some input to greater the outcome if anyone has experience in this.

 

Is a queen more likely to accept the worker than the worker is to accept the queen?

 

Can I lower the workers temps without doing it to the queen, so I don't stress her out more than she already is?

 

Anyone know the general period of time the worker needs to lose their pheromone trace?
 

 

 

[LC3]

Based on what I've heard, keeping a worker isolated for a few months (3 usually) they will accept a queen (most of the time) assuming there are no other workers already loyal to the queen. Not sure whether it works with different species however.

 

Crystals seems to have a good idea on how this process works.

Edited by LC3, April 8 2016 - 5:24 PM.

[drtrmiller]

You shouldn't introduce a worker of one species to a queen of another, even within the same genus, except in the case of slave-making ants.

 

You could try boosting the queen with larvae or pupae.  In a worst-case scenario, she would simply eat them, after which she might possibly have the energy to produce more of her own.

 

More likely, however, your queen does not have the genes you want to be able to start a successful colony in captivity, and your efforts will be futile.

[Mdrogun]

You shouldn't introduce a worker of one species to a queen of another, even within the same genus, except in the case of slave-making ants.

 

You could try boosting the queen with larvae or pupae.  In a worst-case scenario, she would simply eat them, after which she might possibly have the energy to produce more of her own.

 

More likely, however, your queen does not have the genes you want to be able to start a successful colony in captivity, and your efforts will be futile.

It has been shown that Camponotus workers that have lost their queen will happily accept a new queen. Why wouldn't you if the queen is likely to die anyways?

 

 

 

I think you should try to introduce a worker to your queen iXvXi. I have done it with callow workers but I know that doesn't count. 

[drtrmiller]

They are two different species, making the scenario very different.

[Mdrogun]

They are two different species, making the scenario very different.

I have kept both of those species and I believe it would work because the two species are practically identical.

[dspdrew]

I've had quite a few Camponotus colonies with workers from different species. My C. vicinus colony has a C. semitestaceus worker living with them right now. They've been living together for about six months. I've only been able to do this with Camponotus of the same subgenus though, and it doesn't always work.

[iXvXi]

I think I'm going to try anyway. At this point, I don't think this queen will make it as she is not settling down. She is walking around the outworld aimlessly and just hanging out instead of going to the new test tube to lay. I'm afraid if I just wait it out, she might die and i'll never get to know if somehow it would have worked.

 

I was thinking of brood boosting her a little with my largest colony, and take a small worker and put it in the fridge for a while. figured the smaller worker would carry less risk if they don't get along as she is likely to kill it first.

 

I'll be sure to post updates if I go this route

[dspdrew]

I have joined queens with workers from other colonies lots of times. The best way to do it is to put them in the fridge (assuming they are not tropical ants) for a while after introducing them. This keeps them from being able to do very much damage to each other. Sometimes they accept each other immediately, and sometimes it takes a few days.