ANTSTORE World of Ants

[Phenom]

Hello, I've been reading up on these forums for the past few days and couldn't find someone who is having the same problem as me. I caught 3 formica acretta queens, which are similar to formica fusca, back in late August and placed them all together in a test tube setup since they are polygynous. I fed them honey water and a piece of cricket, which they all consumed and began laying eggs within a week. After about a month the eggs were developing into larva and two into pupae. I was anxiously waiting for them to hatch, when I noticed that it looked like the queens had eaten some off parts of the pupae and larvae and left some of the others all the way on the other side of the tube. The remaining larvae and eggs began to turn brown and rot. I thought it was the test tube, so I transferred them to another tube and they are still laying eggs, but leave them scattered all around the tube and not bunched up in one cluster.

Are there any reasons for this behavior? Could it be that they are beginning to hibernate?

Any explanation is very much appreciated.

[gabranth]

are you bugging them alot?

[Phenom]

Not very much, when I first got them, I left them in the closest and checked up on them every few days. But now since it's been getting colder, I leave them near my television to generate some heat.

[jartok]

the tv sends vibrations out and thats it probably disturbing them alot

[SteveUK28]

Well im guessin ur in america.. and im not up on these ants.. but i would imagine they dont need a huge hibernation.. if any at all. So id for now just keep them somewhere dark.. like a draw and not distrub them for at least 2 weeks. Also when u got them did they have wings or not??? as if they did they may not be fertile.. which would explain why they are eating the eggs.

[Phenom]

Nope, they don't have wings and they haven't really been eating the eggs, they ate the two pupae and most of the larvae that developed; most of the eggs were just left scattered around the tube. They tend to stay on the cotton contacting the water.
I found them on the ground near a large colony. I assumed they were from the same colony since i found them all within 20 ft. of each other. And thanks for the advice, I just wrapped up their tube with foil and will put them back in the closest. I just hope they'll make it through winter without any workers.

[JimmyVe]

Hello Phenom and ,

Could be that it works better if you put them all in a different tube. I know they are sometimes polygynous but that also could be the problem. If they need hibernation they are starting with it very soon i guess. You could give them some sweets to have enough body fat to survive the hibernation without workers. Hopefully they start laying eggs again after hibernation.

Good luck.