12 replies to this topic

[MrPurpleB]

A while back I purchased a founding colony with one larvae and two queens. Unfortunately, the queens ate the larvae, but today I saw what looks like eggs or another larvae. I assume that the one of the queens have laid an egg, and not larvae because I did not notice the them before. I was just really happy to see that the colony was not going to fall apart, but I wondered how long does it take an egg to hatch into a larvae the eclose to a worker.

 

Do any of you guys know the time it may take for an egg to go to to worker?

  

 

[Socalfireants]

Mine took what seemed to be two weeks. I used a heat pad and a tar heel mini hearth. Unfortunately the workers died and the queen died soon after..

[MrPurpleB]

Thanks for the tip! I have also heard that it may take up a few months, so I will just wait for now. Sorry, for your Pogonomyrmex colony.

[Socalfireants]

I can tell you they usually like warmer and slightly dry habitats. 

[Martialis]

It depends very much on the species.

[MrPurpleB]

I will make sure to keep their habitat dry and warm. At the moment I have a heating cable that wraps around the setup a few time, which probably led to the queen to lay the egg. Also I add water, but make sure it is only on one side of the setup, so the queens can decide where they want to be. 

[MrPurpleB]

It depends very much on the species.

Thank you for mentioning this, I forgot to mention, other than the title, that the colony is a Pogonomyrmex californicus.  

[Martialis]

I don't really know much about Pogognomyrmrex, but is it possible they were trying to hibernate?

[MrPurpleB]

I don't really know much about Pogognomyrmrex, but is it possible they were trying to hibernate?

Well I do not believe that Pogonomyrmex hibernate, but they do go dormant. I mean dormant in the sense the colony chooses to stay inside the colony without going outside the colony, which probably affects the queen’s decision to lay eggs and lowers workers’ activity to a certain extent. I also assumed that the queens choose to go dormant since they did not touch there sugary food or protein sources.

[Socalfireants]

Are you letting her forage? They are semi claustral and will search outside the nest for food. Try giving a cricket leg or fruit flies. Sometimes when they eat their larva its because of a lack of protein. 

[MrPurpleB]

Are you letting her forage? They are semi claustral and will search outside the nest for food. Try giving a cricket leg or fruit flies. Sometimes when they eat their larva its because of a lack of protein. 

I do let her forage. Not too long ago I gave the queens an entire cricket. Thanks for the advise. 

Just to clarify, since I did not already do it, the queens ate the larvae a few months ago, it was late November. 

[Socalfireants]

November? That seems late for a Pogonomyrmex queen to be flying. 

[MrPurpleB]

Well I bought the queens at November, but the queens ate the larvae at the end of November.