5 replies to this topic

[futurebird]

I've mentioned this is other threads but one of my two Camponotus pennslyvanicus colonies has a queen who has totally stopped laying for about 3 weeks now. I saw a few eggs about two weeks ago but then they vanished. 

 

The colony has about 35 workers. They are in a small wooden nest. They have a big outworld with driftwood, sand, sugar feeder, water feeder and I give them crickets and fruit flies and wet cat food. They don't eat much. They almost never leave the nest. They don't have anything to do I suspect without brood to raise. 

So, frankly it's very boring to watch them. I feel like they will just keep eating a little every 4th day, maybe drinking some water... all of the colony has very full gasters. They aren't hungry. 

The queen looks healthy. She rests just like my other camponotus queens, she'll move around a little if you shine light on her, she has no outward signs of sickness. 

They have one of the nicest outworlds of any of the colonies and I'm kinda annoyed and inclined to give them something smaller since they don't seem to want to use it. 

Is there any chance of this queen coming back to laying again? Or do I just have a bunch of sad ants who will slowly die over the next 3 or 4 years? Have any of you had a queen who stopped laying in the summer start again?

My current hope is that if I put them through a nice cold bracing diapause in the fall ... maybe it will "reset" the queen. It's sad that I can't give her workers to the other queen as they would just fight. The workers include many lovely majors with big heads and long legs. I wish I could give them something to do. 

What have you all done about your sterile colonies? Colonies that just kinda stalled out, but the queen is alive?

[FloridaAnts]

I've mentioned this is other threads but one of my two Camponotus pennslyvanicus colonies has a queen who has totally stopped laying for about 3 weeks now. I saw a few eggs about two weeks ago but then they vanished. 
 
The colony has about 35 workers. They are in a small wooden nest. They have a big outworld with driftwood, sand, sugar feeder, water feeder and I give them crickets and fruit flies and wet cat food. They don't eat much. They almost never leave the nest. They don't have anything to do I suspect without brood to raise. 
So, frankly it's very boring to watch them. I feel like they will just keep eating a little every 4th day, maybe drinking some water... all of the colony has very full gasters. They aren't hungry. 
The queen looks healthy. She rests just like my other camponotus queens, she'll move around a little if you shine light on her, she has no outward signs of sickness. 
They have one of the nicest outworlds of any of the colonies and I'm kinda annoyed and inclined to give them something smaller since they don't seem to want to use it. 
Is there any chance of this queen coming back to laying again? Or do I just have a bunch of sad ants who will slowly die over the next 3 or 4 years? Have any of you had a queen who stopped laying in the summer start again?
My current hope is that if I put them through a nice cold bracing diapause in the fall ... maybe it will "reset" the queen. It's sad that I can't give her workers to the other queen as they would just fight. The workers include many lovely majors with big heads and long legs. I wish I could give them something to do. 
What have you all done about your sterile colonies? Colonies that just kinda stalled out, but the queen is alive?

I believe they will begin laying eggs again after diapause, or I have heard Camponotus can take long egg-laying breaks. Maybe she stopped laying to take a break? They do lay eggs in batches…

[ANTdrew]

There is great variability in the productivity of different queens within the same species. Based on some of your other posts, it seems like you just have a dud here. This is the kind of queen natural selection would weed out. She survives because of the favored conditions she’s in. I’d just put your energy into the productive colony.

[Manitobant]

It seems like your colony is ready for hibernation. All the things you mentioned, such as low activity, no brood and full gasters are signs that they want to diapause. Stick them in the fridge for a few months and they should start laying again.

[FloridaAnts]

It seems like your colony is ready for hibernation. All the things you mentioned, such as low activity, no brood and full gasters are signs that they want to diapause. Stick them in the fridge for a few months and they should start laying again.

I wonder… would his ants still hibernate in winter? Kind of be cool to have two colonies, one with a jacked biological clock and one with a normal one so you could see them year round.

[DDD101DDD]

In my opinion just wait and see what happens. My Camponotus did this a lot.