ANTSTORE World of Ants

[McK]

A couple of weeks ago, I was able to dig up a Lasius niger colony with a queen, ~20 workers and ~30 eggs.
I've put some eggs from other colonies inside the formicarium who got accepted very easily.
But a few days ago the queen died and I'm pretty bummed about it, because I have about 25 workers and 85 eggs.

Is my colony going to survive without a queen or are they pretty much doomed?
Is their a possibility that the eggs from the other colonies may hatch kings/queens? And will my current colony accept them?

Grtz, Tim

[Skippy]

Hi Tim

Sorry ,but I think , from these eggs cannot to be males and females. They need special food ,temperature and humidity. Maybe females ,but males are from eggs no fertiled. They can accept new queen. Sorry to hear that . your queen is died ,but I must write you wrong message ... I think your colony will die

Skippy

[McK]

Ah well, that sucks, but I'm gonna let them be and die in piece and then I'll put in a new colony, with the 85 eggs they now have, I think it will take a couple of months until the colony is dead

[JimmyVe]

That in deed could take a few months. But like you said you can start off with a new colony.

[NuEM]

Ant workers can live for a couple of years, even. Lasius niger (are you sure it is this species? There are very(!) similar looking species, like Lasius alienus) colonies without a queen will generally not accept a new queen.

The good news is: There have been cases where Lasius niger colonies, that lost their queen, were tricked into accepting a new queen. I think the trick was to seperate the queen from the ants using a small grid, that would allow them to smell each other, but the workers couldn't attack the queen. After a few days the workers started to feed the foreign queen through the barrier. Then the barrier was removed, and the queen accepted.

No guarantees this will work, but I think it's worth a try, come mating season.

[hypervelocity]

Hi all,

Mck, if you are going to find a new queen ant DO NOT dig up a nest for one. Digging up a nest in serch of a queen can kill the entire colony, in addition Lasius niger ants only have 1 queen so if you take her away from the nest the nest will die.
If you want to get another queen i sugest that you buy one or wait until the maiting flights.

[McK]

If you want to get another queen i sugest that you buy one or wait until the maiting flights.

well, the mating flights started here yesterday, I took about 20 kings and queens of different colonies and I've put them together in a large dark container with a lot of sugar water, maybe in a couple of days I'll see a wingless queen

[Kiam]

umm, your not supposed to do that you should off followed the mating flights and wait for them to drop there wings themself....

[Philsen]

Jepp Jimmy,

useless action....

[hypervelocity]

Hi all,

Kiam is right, you should have done that but maby you will get lycky.

[McK]

you should have done that but maby you will get lycky.

If nothing happens in the next days, I will set them free

But on the other hand, a couple of hours ago the sun started to shine and now there are thousands of them on the ground and in the air.

I attached a picture.

[hypervelocity]

Hi all,

Good picture here.
Try to find a wingless queen ant on the floor.

[McK]

Try to find a wingless queen ant on the floor.

I looked all afternoon, but I wasn't able to find one...
But I took a rather awesome picture if I say it myself of niger workers feasting on sugar

[hypervelocity]

HI all,

Oh well, nice try to finding a wingless queen.
Nice picture though.

[JimmyVe]

Now days it is the perfect weather for swarm time, keep your eyes open. and only catch the wingless queens. (males are not good)