10 replies to this topic

[Jadeninja9]

I checked on my polygenous Lasius alienus colony two days ago and I found that all the workers separated themselves from the queens. Now I have one tube just with queens and one tube with only workers. Is this bad? 

[TennesseeAnts]

My Camponotus chromaides colony did this too. I don't think it is a bad thing, but it is a bit strange.

[sirjordanncurtis]

I think you should be kind of worried. The reason that the workers moved is because the cleaner test tube is most likely more healthy. However, the queens are too stubborn to want to move, which causes the workers and queens to be separated. You should probably make sure they are all together so that the workers can easily attend to the queens.

[Jadeninja9]

I think you should be kind of worried. The reason that the workers moved is because the cleaner test tube is most likely more healthy. However, the queens are too stubborn to want to move, which causes the workers and queens to be separated. You should probably make sure they are all together so that the workers can easily attend to the queens.

Thank you

[DaveJay]

Are they separating the brood? I often see eggs in one chamber, larvae in another and cocoons in other chambers. Just a thought.

[Jadeninja9]

Are they separating the brood? I often see eggs in one chamber, larvae in another and cocoons in other chambers. Just a thought.

The funny thing is they have no brood except for 1 larva that stopped developing. They ate all of the brood, probably because I was too busy to feed them enough. The 1 larva is with the workers.

[EthanNgo678]

How are these doing?

[Jadeninja9]

How are these doing?

3/4 queens were killed and the queen has not lain eggs yet. They also ate the 1 larvae. They have been well fed though, there are always repletes.

[Rstheant]

You could dump the queen in the other tube, and plug off the other tube, so they are forced to move into the other tube and then you can put a different, cleaner tube. However, this is strange. Only time will tell.

[Rstheant]

How are these doing?

3/4 queens were killed and the queen has not lain eggs yet. They also ate the 1 larvae. They have been well fed though, there are always repletes.

Repletes? Or do you mean workers with distended gasters. The only CA species that make repletes are Mrymecocytus, and maybe winter ants.

[Jadeninja9]

You could dump the queen in the other tube, and plug off the other tube, so they are forced to move into the other tube and then you can put a different, cleaner tube. However, this is strange. Only time will tell.

They're all in a single tube now.