ANTSTORE World of Ants

[ma1thew]

if the queen of a lasius niger colony dies is there any chance of getting a new queen or will the colony just die?

[Bud Spencer]

The colony will die.

[ripsys]

Unfortunately, the colony will die. The workers are not going to accept a new queen.

Hope it didn't happen to you and your ants!

[ma1thew]

no it hasnt. ive just baught some.does that mean that the colony will die someday and there is no chance of stopping that. also is there any ant colonys that you can introduce a new queen into or will produce new ones through mating?

[Bud Spencer]

Yep, there is no chance to rescue the colony.
Some species have more than one queen (polygyn). For example Myrmica rubra.

[ma1thew]

can you buy a new queen and put it with the myrmica rubra colony or do they have to produce a new queen themselves

[mpir]

Nope... it doesn't work either way. If you introduce new queen the workers will kill it. If they do produce a new queen the new queen has to mate before it can produce workers. Most of the queens will only mate outside in the air. Sterile queens only produce males.

Ant species that will last you the longest is Monomorium pharaonis. The new queens interbreed with males from the nest and so the colony can last long time. But I don't think you want to have this ant species at home.

[JimmyVe]

If you have a healthy Lasius niger queen she can stay alive for 30years (i read somewhere, not that i have a queen that is 30years ) so you don't have to worry about it now.