ANTSTORE World of Ants

[Phasmid]

A couple of weeks ago, I ordered a colony of Pheidole pallidula size 26-50. Sadly the queen arrived in pieces although the rest of the colony was alive . Antstore sent a replacement colony which had only 4 workers in it . As I can’t be bothered to chase Antstore, I decided to attempt introducing the old colony to the new one.
I placed the new colony in an arena to allow space for the workers to run away if things went wrong and began to add workers from the queen less colony. To my surprise, there was no hostility between the workers and the workers form the old colony were even happy to tend to the new queen . A couple of workers later, I decided to add a soldier, as with the previous workers, she was happy to see the new queen. I added another soldier and left them for about ten minutes to settle. Then I decided to add the last soldier to the new queen. This solder was also happy to see a new queen but, very surprisingly, the two soldiers were immediately aggressive and chased the third soldier away . They are from the same colony! I didn’t think that ants would even fight their own sisters to protect a queen and colony they don’t belong to !

[SteveUK28]

That does sound very interesting Phasmid.. I also have a colony of these lovely ants... and ive not had anything like that at all

Hope that do ok for you

[Phasmid]

Thanks Steve.
I have finnished adding all the workers to the new colony and it is as if they were always from the some colony, no hostility at all .

[JimmyVe]

Very nice to hear that, it could happen that the accept each other but in rare cases, this seems to be one. Good for you and the ants.
Good luck.




Let us know who you are,
here.
Thanks !

[Phasmid]

Thanks Jimmy.
I think that they accepted each other because the old colony had not had a queen for a couple of weeks and they just wanted a queen to look after. As for the new colony, they might have accepted the old workers because, with out a queen, the colony scent may be much weaker so it would be like adopting a young ant.

[Kale^^]

Or maybe, maybe the colonies were split apart from one, larger colony, so they would "know" each other before.

[Phasmid]

Or maybe, maybe the colonies were split apart from one, larger colony, so they would "know" each other before.

I'm not shure that Antstore would do that because that would be bad for both colonys, but I suppose it's possible if one colony had two queens.

[tail__]

Even if they weren't related, it has been observed many times that queenless colonies of many species sometimes accept new queen or even merge with other colony. I've read once about captured Camponotus soldiers (without queen) which kidnapped the queen from nearby formicarium with young colony, killing a few small workers, and then remaining small workers were allowed to join them

[miszt]

if they dont have a queen for a while, they will loose their identity (ie pheramones from the old Queen) so joining the colonies can work, glad to hear they survived long enough to do this

[Phasmid]

I had this colony for a couple of weeks before showing them the new queen so it may well have been that. But the workers that were with the queen didn't try to fight the workers from the old colony, they were not too happy but soon accepted the old workers.

I am testing this theory with Camponotus ligniperda, I have taken two workers from a well estblished colony and put them in a test-tube that a queen used to live in. Hopefully, this weekend, when I add one to this queen (in a different container) it will have forgotten it's colony scent but may recognise the new queen from the scent in the test-tube and won't attack her.

[ashhad1]

It could work with Camponotus Ligniperda as it did with me

[Phasmid]

It could work with Camponotus Ligniperda as it did with me

For how long was this colony queenless before you added it to the new queen?

[ashhad1]

about 1 week or so maybe a little less like 5 days

[JimmyVe]

I'm trying it out with a Formica culicularia colony, queen died last summer, i put a new queen into the farm this winter (2/3 weeks ago) but so far she killed two workers and the other she doesn't accept.




Let us know who you are,
here.
Thanks !

[SteveUK28]

ok guys i need some advise here.. My Pallidula have not nested under the ytong like i orginaly thought... They have nested under the water feeder lol.. So simple questions.. How on gods earth will i be able to add water now without disturbing them?? I think im gonna have to add another water feeder aint i???