6 replies to this topic

[CozmoDog]

So hey guys I was wondering since the summer is almost over and i think at most my species has 2 months of staying active before they enter hibernation I wanted to know what is a good number of workers for a healthy camponotus colony in their first year (including claustral) my colony a the moment almost has 40 workers and about 20 pupae so I assume they will end up with 60-70 workers for the first summer is this a good number to say the colony is "healthy" (I know anything can happen).

[MegaMyrmex]

Oh man that's a massive count for the first generation of workers. They are having maximum care right now and there is absolutely nothing to worry about. All of my carpenter queens only had at kost 1 worker

[Pleming]

That is a very good amount. Highest count for my carpenter ants first year is 22 currently. 

[CozmoDog]

that's nice to hear and surprising I do feed them well with a lot of honey and huge scarabs from the wild which they enjoy but I have like 3 colonies of Camponotus at the moment the one as mentioned above will possibly end the summer with more than 50 workers and my second is closing in to 40 while my third has a more slow growth and they are at 10 workers and about 15 pupae. I really hope to get a major before summer although it seems quite unlikely.

[Serafine]

Some Camponotus grow a lot faster than others (size doesn't really matter in that regard).

 

Camponotus ants do not hibernate with pupae, so all pupae will become workers this year. They do however hibernate with larvae so when the larvae don't grow (or pupate) anymore you know it is time to hibernate them.

[CozmoDog]

Yea i just hibernate them in room temperature to be honest they stop production on their own when its cold enough I also just found a dead ant I think of old age sad day

[Pleming]

What Camp. species do you have?

 

Also I'm surprised you don't have any majors. I have a few medium and one Major now, but no super majors.