21 replies to this topic

[Miketheawesome]

 I’m a first time ant keeper I have Camponotus Hyatti and I live in California    

     I’m pretty sure my ants are getting ready for hibernation cause there not really eating so I just have some questions. 
    I was going to put them in my refrigerator, it gets down to 33 degrees fahrenheit, do you guys think that’s a good idea or should I do something else. 
     How many times should I feed them, or do I feed them at all during hibernation?

     How long should I keep them in hibernation? I’ve read three month or till it gets warm. 
 

i appreciation your answers 

[KitsAntVa]

Put them in your refrigerator but if you have a thermostat try to get you fridge up to 40 or around there because that’s what’s best in a fridge. You don’t need to feed them at all. October-January or February is fine or even November- February is good. But if you take them out sooner and it’s not warm just stick them in a warm place in your house or on a heating mat/cable and they will do fine. Camponotus really need hibernation so it’s best to put yours in now.

[ANTdrew]

A regular fridge is fine, but I suggest raising the temp in the fridge if you can. 33 is way colder than you need to preserve food anyway.

[Miketheawesome]

Thanks for the knowledge 

[Am3ricanBanana]

Does it matter if the colony has brood when thinking about hibernation? I have a small Camponotus vicinus colony from the Julian area that I'm trying to figure out what to do with.

[ANTdrew]

Does it matter if the colony has brood when thinking about hibernation? I have a small Camponotus vicinus colony from the Julian area that I'm trying to figure out what to do with.

Wait until all pupae eclose. Eggs and larvae can overwinter fine.

[steelplant]

I've heard you can't hibernate with eggs or pupae but larvae will survive. Might depend on species. Have had to pull some colonies out of pre-hibernation because a larva has pupated. Am only feeding sugars now, no protein, so the larvae stop developing.

[Kaelwizard]

I've heard you can't hibernate with eggs or pupae but larvae will survive. Might depend on species. Have had to pull some colonies out of pre-hibernation because a larva has pupated. Am only feeding sugars now, no protein, so the larvae stop developing.

Pupae should be the ones that can be overwintered. Larvae need food, pupae don't.

[KitsAntVa]

I've heard you can't hibernate with eggs or pupae but larvae will survive. Might depend on species. Have had to pull some colonies out of pre-hibernation because a larva has pupated. Am only feeding sugars now, no protein, so the larvae stop developing.

Pupae should be the ones that can be overwintered. Larvae need food, pupae don't.

This is a camponotus colony so you cannot do that so easily but larvae and eggs are probably going to die anyway so just slow your camponotus down enough so that they can move around and they will not lay eggs because it’s cold but they can also be able to rip open the cocoons when needed.

[ANTdrew]

Larvae, just like workers, don’t need food when they go into dormancy.

[Queen]

Larvae, just like workers, don’t need food when they go into dormancy.

Does the colony need water and sugar water readily available for the 3-4 months?

Edited by Queen, October 14 2020 - 12:54 AM.

[ANTdrew]

They need to be well hydrated for sure. I keep their nectar feeder available as well.

[KitsAntVa]

Oh so the larvae go into hibernation too. That explains why my Pogonomyrmex still didn't eat theirs after 2 weeks in the fridge.

[Domagoj]

I have a bit of a problem.

The test tube with my ants is in the fridge, currently at about 10°C, and today I noticed quite a bit of condensation. There are droplets all around - in test tube and in the tiny petri dish outworld that is still connected to the tube. I didn't see any obviously dead ants, but some of the brood is sitting in the puddles. I can't imagine that being especially good for them. What are my options? Should I add some medium (soil or perhaps fabric) to soak up the water and provide some separation from the sides of the test tube?

Since it's quite cold in the fridge, ants are quite lethargic. Will they activate to move the brood and use the medium or should I slightly increase the temperature (15°C or so) to give them some incentive to move around?

[ANTdrew]

Condensation is probably forming when the temperature fluctuates in the fridge. You might get less if you were able to keep the temp more stable somehow. I think adding some substrate in the tube is a good idea, too. Let them wake up a bit to resituate things just like they would on a warm winter day.

[Ants_Dakota]

like the warm days we have here for approx. 5 seconds.

[ANTdrew]

He's in Croatia, though, which is a relatively mild climate.

[Domagoj]

Thanks. I'll add thermal mass around the test tube. I have a piece of thick walled steel tube I can use. That should slow down the fluctuation in the direct vicinity of the tube. I added some spacers so the tube is not touching the steel.

I also have some sterilized sand I'll add.

 

Yeah, even though Zagreb is just about as far North as the northernmost part of South Dakota, our climate is a bit milder, thanks to the vicinity of the Adriatic sea (only about 120-150 km). We do get snow though .

[Ants_Dakota]

He's in Croatia, though, which is a relatively mild climate.

ok. that is good. i sort of meant what i said as a joke for around here. but whatever. my jokes are apparently bad.

[steelplant]

If you want to reduce heat fluctuations, wouldn't it be better to surround the test tube with an insulating material? Apologies if I'm being dumb.