30 replies to this topic

[dspdrew]

Some of mine waited nine months.

[BugFinder]

Does it sound normal that the eggs are not white?

[Jonathan21700]

Yes, often happens with Camponotus.

[BugFinder]

First photos of the new eggs!

 

 

[BugFinder]

the one worker i had left died today.  Now I think I must find some brood to boost her with so she'll have help caring for those eggs she just laid.

 

She's not standing over the eggs anymore like she used to, I'm afraid she may have already abandoned them.

[BugFinder]

Today she's hiding in the opening where the cork plugs up the entry port.  I can't see her back in there so I can tell if she has eggs in there or not, but there are no eggs in the rest of the nest.  She doesn't seem to be coming up and eating either, all the food is untouched.  The body of the dead worker is now dismembered and spread around.  I don't know why she would have done that.

 

I've covered the nest with cardboard hoping that helps her be more comfortable just incase there are eggs still in there that I can't see.

[BugFinder]

I opened up that entry port today and confirmed there are no eggs in there.  I guess she ate them.  That is frustrating!

[Lamarr]

Any new update since then? Also, what color the Nucleus she is in? I like the combination of orangish yellow with the sand.

[BugFinder]

Hi Lamarr, thanks for your question!  I was just coming in here to post an update when I saw your question, lol.  

 

So a buddy of mine gave me some pupae to boost her with.  They arrived today.  Prior to boosting her, there wasn't much of a change at all.

 

Now that I've boosted her, she had about 35-75 pupae in there, and I'm hoping at least 3-5 of them survive to eclose.  If they do, (if at least one does) I'm confident she'll lay eggs again.  There are so many pupae in there I couldn't fit them all in the nest, and had to leave probably half of them in the outworld.

 

I'm hoping she'll start moving them around, caring for them, and will bring the others into the nest.

 

I'm worried she may eat them, and I'm hoping there is too many of them for her to eat before they begin eclosing.

 

<Fingers Crossed>

 

I'll try to get some photos to share in a few days.  I'm too busy with work to mess with that right now, but i"ll try hard to do it this weekend.

Edited by BugFinder, August 4 2015 - 5:27 PM.

[Foogoo]

Haven't seen you around lately, how are your colonies doing?

[antmaniac]

My new Camponotus queen also laid red eggs, so I think it is normal.