Hey everyone.
My new ant colony have around 30 eggs sitting in the nest that haven't grown in around 3-4 months... I can't tell if they are dead or developing really slowly. I live in the UK and my ant colony are Camponotus Ligniperda. Would it be due to a lower temperature climate here that they are developing very slowly.
I got my ants around March/April time this year and when they arrived i had the Queen with 4 workers and a brood of around 6 eggs. These eggs developed very slowly but they did develop. 4 of them hatched and with that one of the original workers died which I assume was of old age.
One egg remained and didn't hatch for a long time. Eventually it did as the large egg had disappeared and the ant inside it was no where to be found. I think the ants might have actually eaten it.
Currently I'm trying to feed them crushed mealworms but they just drag them into the nest and leave it in a dumping area which goes all mouldy now... The section where they stay doesn't have mould but the mould could creep around if they keep dragging the mealworms in... For sugar I put some sugar water into a feeding area outside the nest which I feel they rearely come out for? Maybe that's part of the issue.
I'd appreciate any tips in the matter which might help these eggs develop quicker. I'm also aware its around the time that they hibernate so will the eggs just die and not develop during hibernation? I have no idea! I would love to see the colony grow. I don't mind growing slowly but no growth at all in months seems strange. Currently I have the queen, 8 workers and around 30 tiny eggs.
Thanks fellow ant keepers!
James
