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Managing colony size... How to do it?

Started By MrUrrutia , Jul 11 2019 9:32 AM

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4 replies to this topic

#1 Offline MrUrrutia - Posted July 11 2019 - 9:32 AM

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While I'm sure everyone wants to have huge colonies the reality it's that we don't have available room for expanding the nest area and adding outworlds for multiple ants...

How do you manage the numbers?

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#2 Offline Canadian anter - Posted July 11 2019 - 9:34 AM

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Selling most of them before they reach Alegre sizes haha. But on a serious note, it seems to be dependent on species for me. Usually by lowering temperatures I can slow down growth significantly, but I've never gotten a non-mature colony to plateau.

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#3 Offline MrUrrutia - Posted July 11 2019 - 10:44 AM

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Did a colony will stop growing and/or die if resources like food or spacing are limited?

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-The First History Man

#4 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted July 11 2019 - 11:24 AM

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They will either stop growing or slow growth while making workers smaller.

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#5 Offline DJoseph98 - Posted July 11 2019 - 2:09 PM

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Keep in mind that your colonies will probably increase their efforts to escape. Providing less food will encourage them to search farther from the nest for better foraging.

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Current Colonies

1 x Camponotus nearcticus (Monogynous), 1 x Crematogaster cerasi (Monogynous), 1 x Formica cf. subsericea (Polygynous Two-Queen), 1 x Formica cf. pallidefulva (Monogynous, single worker),

1 x Lasius cf. americanus (Pleometrotic Founding, now Monogynous), 1 x Tetramorium immigrans (Monogynous)

Current Founding Units

1 x Formica cf. subsericea (Monogynous)

Up-To-Date as of 9/15/2020

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