23 replies to this topic

[apen]

My Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) sp.2 brood does not seem to be growing. The queen has 5 active workers and about 8 lava. The problem is that the lava have not grown at all in over a month. They look exactly the way they did over a month ago. The Queen and workers seem to be taking care of them by moving them around, but I have not yet observed the workers feeding them. I also have not seen any movement by the lava, but they do look healthy from what I can tell. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Edited by apen, February 19 2015 - 8:27 PM.

[Gregory2455]

I think they are still in hibernation mode. They will eventually start growing. I would guess around March.

Welcome to the forum by the way.

[apen]

Thanks, I have been reading the site for sometime now and I just got the nerves to post. I will keep an eye out for growth this spring. I'm new to ant keeping and find this site very helpful.

[dspdrew]

Hey apen, nice to see you posted the question. I was just looking at those two colonies of mine yesterday, before I found a huge unrelated parasitic mite disaster that needed to be cleaned up, and I'm pretty sure I do indeed have two that are also not growing.

 

So, I too would like to know the same thing. As I told apen via email, I really have no idea why this seems to be happening sometimes. My first year keeping ants I had a Lasius queen with three larvae that were alive but not growing for seven months! Her and her larvae eventually died. I assumed, and was told by some that it was because she was never hibernated, but the Camponotus colonies I have this happening to now were both hibernated. What's the deal?

[drtrmiller]

My young colony appeared to be slow-growing.  As soon as I pulled mine out of the fridge after a few short weeks, the larvae started growing again and the queen was laying eggs, where she wasn't previously.

 

Make sure they have lots and lots of sugar for energy during hibernation and beyond.

Edited by drtrmiller, February 20 2015 - 7:54 AM.

[Chromerust]

My camponotus have been out of hibernation for a month and the larvae hasn't grown the slightest either. I'm beginning to sense this is a normal occurrence but I have also seen others with the same species already producing brood this year.   

[Crystals]

My Camponotus are used to hibernation due to my snowy location.  Not sure how warmer weather Camponouts hibernate.

In my location, my colonies know exactly how long summer is supposed to be and the larvae stop growing.  After hibernation the larvae grow for a couple of weeks and then spin cocoons and the queen lays quite a few eggs.  I can easily trick my Camponotus into thinking winter is only 3-4 months instead of the 7 months of snow my location see.

Where are you located, and what is your climate like?

[dspdrew]

He lives where I do Crystal. It's possible his Camponotus needs to be hibernated because it came from where it snows. I however did hibernate mine, and their larvae aren't growing.

[apen]

I don't want them to die. :-( Is it too late for me to hibernate? If not, what is the process? Just feed and stick in the refrigerator for a few weeks?

Edited by apen, February 20 2015 - 6:39 PM.

[dspdrew]

You could still hibernate them, but I'm not sure that will solve the problem, because I hibernated mine, and some of them have larvae that aren't growing either.

[Michaelofvancouver]

My recently un-hibernated Camponotus ants have small larvae that aren't growing either. I'm a little worried because the nanitics are getting a little old now.

[Jonathan21700]

Same here I had a Lasius sp. queen with eggs and for months they didn't turn into larvae.

[apen]

My brood is presently made up of a few very small larva, which maybe considered eggs, a few small to medium larva, and one large larva. I'm just estimating size because I don't know yet how big the larva get. All have not changed in size or apperience since the beginning of January. Any suggestions on what I should try? Or should I just leave them alone and see what happens? I'm also worried because my workers are also getting old.

Edited by apen, February 20 2015 - 6:40 PM.

[dspdrew]

Same here I had a Lasius sp. queen with eggs and for months they didn't turn into larvae.

 

That might be a different issue there. If the eggs are not developing, then your "queen" is likely infertile.

[Crystals]

In my location, if larvae stop developing for more than 2 weeks, it means they are waiting for a cold snap to trigger further development.  I see this in many of my colonies - Camponotus, Lasius, Myrmica, etc.  I use it as my main clue for when my colonies want to hibernate since most of mine are in reverse hibernation.

I found out that if they don't consider the time long enough, they won't develop.  Last year I only hibernated my one queen for 2 months, and she barely produced any brood this "summer".

I have never convinced a Camponotus from a snowy location that winter was less than 3 months if the local winter was 3 months or longer... I now hibernate mine for 4 months.

 

I base hibernation off of the climate in the area the queens was originally from.  Queens from California probably prefer a warmer hibernation than mine as well.

In my location snow can last over 7 months.  Some of my colonies have been in hibernation for 6 months now and I am having no issues.

 

[Miles]

My temperate Camponotus colonies have come out of diapause, and their larvae began growing a day or so after I gave them a nice round of protein (mealworms and fruit flies), and after I connected a 15 watt heating cable to one side of their THA framed nest. They are thriving, and in a matter of weeks, their small larvae are now pupating. 

[apen]

I'm sure that at least some of the eggs have developed into larva, because they are in the shape of larva and have what look like small dark mouth parts. What do you think of putting them in the frig for a month or two?

Edited by apen, February 20 2015 - 9:11 PM.

[Crystals]

If you think they are growing, leave them be.  How warm is their nest?

 

If they don't grow any in another month, then think about hibernation.

 

Where this queen was originally collected, how long did that location have snow?

 

It won't hurt to leave them be, if they are out of hibernation they will start growing in a few days (keep in mind Camponotus usually grow pretty slowly).  If they want hibernation then they will just sit there with no brood development until they decide that it is spring.

[Nexus]

Larva need proteins to grow so you have to give your queen some proteins. Giving her a fly or some egg would solve the problem I think.

Also, you have to know that Camponotus sp is a genus whose brood grows very slowly (more than a month). So maybe are you a bit impatient ?

[Jonathan21700]

 

Same here I had a Lasius sp. queen with eggs and for months they didn't turn into larvae.

 

That might be a different issue there. If the eggs are not developing, then your "queen" is likely infertile.

 

She was a queen I had before and after I moved her in soil she came out fertile and got 

workers.

Edited by Jonathan21700, February 21 2015 - 11:43 AM.