10 replies to this topic

[azzaaazzzz00]

I have this S. Molesta colony that used to have several queens but now they only have one. I'm afraid the last one will die and that'll be the end of my colony. I was thinking about it when I came to this question: will a S. molesta colony eccept a queen that was not orriginally from its colony? Because if they do it may just save my colony from death for a while...

 

 

Edited by azzaaazzzz00, May 4 2021 - 12:27 PM.

[Kaelwizard]

 

I have this S. Molesta colony that used to have several queens but now they only have one. I'm afraid the last one will die and that'll be the end of my colony. I was thinking about it when I came to this question: will a S. molesta colony eccept a queen that was not orriginally from its colony? Because if they do it may just save my colony from death for a while...

 

 

Well before you start taking wild queens and adding them to your colony, you should probably find the cause of death. We need more information, however.

[azzaaazzzz00]

Well...I don't really know what's killing them. I moved them because maybe it was something in their outworld or something. But that didn't work so now I don't know what to do. I feed them 2-3 times a week, mostly fruit flies (store bought ones and wild ones that have been frozen and boild).

[ZTYguy]

Maybe you are under feeding them and they are resorting to cannibalism.

[azzaaazzzz00]

Ok, I'll try to feed them more often, thanks!

[Kaelwizard]

I assume they get plenty of sugar? If not they need that NOW.

[azzaaazzzz00]

I have been putting in sugar water...or do I need to use something else?

[ReignofRage]

I have been putting in sugar water...or do I need to use something else?

Sugar water works, what I found is offering a few different types of sugar sources can be of benefit. Sugar water, honey, and some syrup should work well. May I ask how many fruit flies you are feeding per time and how large is your colony? Feeding other protein sources may benefit them as well.

[azzaaazzzz00]

I usually go for 1-3, usually depending how much my ants are willing to take in (I have about at least 35 workers in the colony). And what other protein scorces can I feed my S. molesta colony?

[ANTdrew]

Please read this carefully: https://www.formicul...rs/#entry177954

[Daniel]

Just a thought, perhaps this is not a polygynous species and the workers are killing the other queens. As has been pointed out here before, Solenopsis molesta complex spp. can be polygynous in some parts of their range, while not in others. And being certain of which species you have can be very difficult in this group. So it may be that you had a monogynous colony displaying pleometrosis during the early stages of the colony's life, and the remaining queen will be just fine. It's possible that additional queens now will just be killed and adding new queens will only stress the colony.

I observed this with a Solenopsis cf. molesta colony that I have. The colony was founded with 5 queens, then over the course of about 6-7 months, all but one queen were killed off. The remaining queen has been going strong for a couple of years now.

Daniel