5 replies to this topic

[Manitobant]

So I’ve experienced something weird with some of my formica colonies. These colonies were taken out of hibernation in January, and then after 4 months, the usual length of a summer here, they appear to be entering hibernation mode. The workers clump together and have large gasters, and brood production has stopped. Has anyone else experienced this? And should i go ahead and hibernate my colonies for around 2 months?

[JoeByron]

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061025185102.htm

There has been some interesting studies with bees internal clocks lately. This is a nice little summary, but if you can find the larger article I recommend reading it. Its pretty interesting. 

 

What if you gave them a few weeks of cold and then tried making it warm? simulating a heat wave during jan? 

 

Curious though, what happened when you took them out early? How did they respond? What made you do it so early?

[ANTdrew]

That actually sounds pretty typical for Formica. Queens produce a lot for a set amount of time and then just quit for the year. You could do a sort of reverse hibernation, or else just wait it out and trust they know what they’re doing.

[JoeByron]

That actually sounds pretty typical for Formica. Queens produce a lot for a set amount of time and then just quit for the year. You could do a sort of reverse hibernation, or else just wait it out and trust they know what they’re doing.

 

Are there ways to avoid this? extend the laying period

Edited by JoeByron, April 18 2021 - 5:01 PM.

[ANTdrew]

That actually sounds pretty typical for Formica. Queens produce a lot for a set amount of time and then just quit for the year. You could do a sort of reverse hibernation, or else just wait it out and trust they know what they’re doing.

Are there ways to avoid this? extend the laying period

Not sure really. Lots of protein wouldn’t hurt, but their internal clocks are pretty set, I think. For reference, my F. subsericea queen produced fifty plus workers from March to June last year, then quit the rest of 2020. I hibernated her from October to February, and now she’s back to pumping out brood. Not sure how long she’ll keep up, but it’s worth the wait.

[Canadant]

I wonder if my Formica queen will produce more this season. She did a bunch but now her gaster is quit small. I'm keeping an eye on it. Cool observation.