2 replies to this topic

[T.C.]

Hi people, I saved 4 Myrmica Rubra queens in my pool today. I already have 5 wingless ones in a different test tube. I keep adding a new one every once in a while so I have 5 now. No eggs yet though! The 4 I rescued out of the pool I put in a test tube and haven't taken off their wings yet. I want to put them with the other five, which I think will work fine. however I am curious as to whether they are fertile or not. Their was other males floating around in the pool, along with other different species of queen ants. just a big mess with flying ants floating everywhere   It just seems odd to me, they haven't taken off their wings?

[Batspiderfish]

There's honestly no way to know for sure.

[Works4TheGood]

All of the queens I ever caught (~50?), including those caught in our baby pool and in mid air, were all fertile. But maybe that's a property of where I live? It just never seems to be an issue in my experience.

I have many queens with more than 20 workers that still have their wings. The presence or absence of wings seems to have no effect on them at all. In fact, one of my largest colonies has a queen with wings.