ANTSTORE World of Ants

[nastdude]

Hi there, I understand that some queen ants do not eat some and some are semi claustoral

I have 2 queens (my second attempt at keeping them my last colony I left with my sister while on holidays... But that is another story)

Any ways I have a queen in a formicarium that I made myself and one in the test tube. I can easily feed the one in the test tube she is so fat right now she looks good. My other in the formicarium doesn't seem to leave the bottom of the formicarium. I have put food on the top layer but she doesn't venture up there.. Is she hungry? Will she search her formicarium if she's hungry? I have seen her move on the bottom level but not far. I'll attach pick when and if I know how.

Sorry if someone has already asked this before. I have had them for a good month.

Any help appreciated.
Nathan.

[MichaelBiermans]

Hi,

I think the first thing we need to know is what species it is.
Then we can tell you what to do.
Thereby is your formicarium suitable for a 2-3 year old colony with several hundred workers.
But not suitable for 1 queen. Alone she is not capable to optimize her living conditions regarding temp and humidity.
(wich doesn't mean she won't lay eggs, but it might be that she lays less eggs then she normally would and perhaps will have trouble raising the eggs to puppae. )
Regarding eating most queens can live up to 9-12 months withought any food untill they have their first workers(Nantics).

My advise would be to put the queen in a testtube aswell and provide them both a temp of 20-22 degrees celcius.
Put a cover over the testtubes and feed them a little honey or sugar water. (1 fresh drop a week on a bit of alufoil in the testtube)
When the first workers are raised you can start to introduce protein like fruitflies or crickets.