sithmaster676: not hibernating my Lasius niger colony (1. Okt 2007 21:52)

hi all i have a colony which i got from a mated queen this year it has lots of eggs and larva and i was wondering seeming this would be her first year whether it would be ok not to hibernate this colony, i know that it can lower life and egg laying production but i dont want to risk losing the colonies brood yet.
can you tell me whether you think its a good idea or not.
Sithmaster676[B]

miszt: (1. Okt 2007 22:52)

if u reduce the tempreture slowly, ur queen should adapt and stop laying eggs, but still give the current brood time to develop :)

JimmyVe: (2. Okt 2007 17:40)

I stick with miszt on this one. ;)

sithmaster676: (2. Okt 2007 19:16)

so i should hibernate them but let the brood she already has either hatch into workers or hatch into larva.
Sithmaster676

JimmyVe: (3. Okt 2007 16:05)

I would do it. If you slowly lower the temperature they queen will stop laying eggs and than you can wait until the eggs turn into larva before you put them in hibernation.

sithmaster676: (3. Okt 2007 18:49)

ok thanks for all your help
Sithmaster676

Skippy: (3. Okt 2007 18:55)

I also doing it like others ,but one time ,year ago ,I didnt hibernate lasius niger and I tried what it´ll doing. Queen produced eggs all winter ,like at springs .... like exotic specie ;) :(
It is only Lasius niger ,but remember ,queen could die if you´ll not hibernating.
And I hibernating when queen stop lay eggs ,then I slowly lower temperature into winter cold. (slowly = 1 week process ,during this time eggs slowly will became larva)

Skippy

KiamCameron: (3. Okt 2007 19:26)

Ive been wondering this do most off lasius niger queens dig a whole and lay eggs then hibernate and lose there first eggs in the wild and that sometimes causes some queens to die ?

Purifier: (3. Okt 2007 19:33)

Hmm....but i believe when hibernation starts the tempereture fall and so the queens stop laying eggs.....so she dont have to eat them or let them die....

miszt: (3. Okt 2007 20:08)

Ive been wondering this do most off lasius niger queens dig a whole and lay eggs then hibernate and lose there first eggs in the wild and that sometimes causes some queens to die ?

if u read thru the thread carefully, your question will be answered :)