5 replies to this topic

[Gregory2455]

What is your definition of a successful colony?

[Gregory2455]

When a colony still having its founding queen produce her first seasonal batch of alates.

[antmaniac]

When they can go out, forage by themselves and survive.

[Mercutia]

I always imagined it to mean after the first batch of workers eclose, was considered a "successful" colony. The next thing up would be a well established colony, when they can go out by themselves and survive, and can take a bit of abuse.

[Myrmicinae]

Evolutionary "success" would definitely constitute the production and release of fertile alates.  In captivity though, I would define it as a situation where the colony is showing steady growth and food intake, and has surpassed its first "generation" of workers.

[dermy]

I'd agree my defination of a sucessful colony is when there is more workers being born then lost. It doesn't hurt to have alates, but i've heard some colonies just don't produce all that many anyway so it can sometimes be a poor judgement. Plus It would give people this feeling: "My colony has no alates so it must suck "

Edited by dermy, April 2 2015 - 8:49 AM.