3 replies to this topic

[MrUrrutia]

I have this little queen (I believe a brachymyrmex) and so far it's doing really good, she already have a few eggs and she looks really active taking care of them, my question is: when I should feed her for the first time?

 

Has been at least 4 weeks since I found her and after I let my other queen escape (dumb!!) this one it's the only active one that I have... Thanks!

[AntsBC]

You could give her some carbohydrates, (Eg. honey), now, just to give her a little more energy, and then some protein, (Eg. Fruit Fly), once her eggs grow into larva. That should speed up her brood's development.

 

Feeding fully claustral queens is optional though, you don't have to do it. They can reliably survive on their stored fat reserves. Although, I do really find giving founding queens some protein once they get larvae really speeds up their larvae's development, and sometimes encourages the queen to lay more eggs. As a general rule, the more food a queen/colony has, the faster they will grow.

 

Hope that helps!

Edited by AntsBC, July 4 2019 - 10:04 PM.

[MrUrrutia]

Thanks... I just put a small drop of 🍯 in the tube, it was easier than I was expecting! I will remove it tomorrow morning and will wait until next Friday to give her more.

[drtrmiller]

 

Observe how the drop you placed in the tube is larger than the ant.  It is way too much, which can be dangerous to the ants and messy to clean up.

 

When feeding liquids in test tubes, you should really go for a small smudge or smear, not a fully formed droplet.  Better yet, cut the tip off a cotton swab (Q-tip) and partially wet it so the ants can drink from it like a sponge without drowning.