ANTSTORE World of Ants

[sithmaster676]

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]

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

[JimmyVe]

I stick with miszt on this one.

[sithmaster676]

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

[JimmyVe]

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]

ok thanks for all your help
Sithmaster676

[Skippy]

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]

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]

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]

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

[sithmaster676]

when a queen digs her nest and begins to produce her eggs this is a long time away from hibernation is most cases i have had my Lasius niger queens for maybe a month and a half and her brood turn into workers very quickly and do most first stage workers
Sithmaster676

[JimmyVe]

In deed they first workers are already hatched before they go in hibernation.

[sithmaster676]

they usually hatch a few weeks before hibernation so that the new colony can forage and raise there fat levels to survive the winter hibernation
Sithmaster676

[miszt]

depends on the species of ant, and when the nuptial flights occoured, most ant colonys will have 2nd generation workers at least by the time hibernation starts

[jimjam]

Hi, just a quick question, i am going to receive my Lasius niger colony any day now. Do i let them hibernate or let them stay awake. I bought them from antstore so i dont know what conditions they are kept there! Plus they will be cold during delivery so would they already have gone into hibernation?

Thanks