5 replies to this topic

[GeoAnts]

Hey Guys,

 

I live in Utah and we have had a crazy winter- I keep my ants in my garage as it has pretty good insulation and I keep them in insulated boxes. I have never had problems with it, for the two years I have used it as most of the time the coldest it will get is like 15 degrees here in the winter (fahrenheit) maybe once or twice a winter. Last night though, it dropped to about 1 or 2 degrees fahrenheit and my ants water reservoirs froze in their setups. I took the colonies inside, as most of my queens and small colonies were lying on the floor seemingly frozen. I know that they often can recover from this though, and due to ants brilliant resiliency most of my colonies and queens survived. I screwed up, and I will figure out a new system to hibernate my ants. But in the meantime, as my ants are awake should I place them back into hibernation?? We are still in the middle of winter and I want to give them the hibernation necessary but don't want to mess them up even more if I put them back into hibernation and it messes them up. I probably could have handled this a little better, but I'm learning- so any advice for if this happens again and how I could have handled this better is very welcome.

 

Thanks, 
 

Geo Ants

[GeoAnts]

Didn't mean to post twice- I don't know how to delete though... 

[benxixi]

I just put my hibernation ant in refrigerator .

[antperson24]

Hey Guys,

 

I live in Utah and we have had a crazy winter- I keep my ants in my garage as it has pretty good insulation and I keep them in insulated boxes. I have never had problems with it, for the two years I have used it as most of the time the coldest it will get is like 15 degrees here in the winter (fahrenheit) maybe once or twice a winter. Last night though, it dropped to about 1 or 2 degrees fahrenheit and my ants water reservoirs froze in their setups. I took the colonies inside, as most of my queens and small colonies were lying on the floor seemingly frozen. I know that they often can recover from this though, and due to ants brilliant resiliency most of my colonies and queens survived. I screwed up, and I will figure out a new system to hibernate my ants. But in the meantime, as my ants are awake should I place them back into hibernation?? We are still in the middle of winter and I want to give them the hibernation necessary but don't want to mess them up even more if I put them back into hibernation and it messes them up. I probably could have handled this a little better, but I'm learning- so any advice for if this happens again and how I could have handled this better is very welcome.

 

Thanks, 
 

Geo Ants

I would highly suggest just putting them in your refrigerator, that way you will not have to worry about drastic temperature changes. Depending on how long they have been hibernating you might be able to take them out of hibernation now, I am in Iowa and started hibernating mine too early, so I have already taken mine out.

[GeoAnts]

I realized i never said thanks for your help after I solved the problem, life got busy. So thanks! 

Edited by GeoAnts, February 24 2023 - 9:11 AM.

[Antbay]

Hey Guys,

I live in Utah and we have had a crazy winter- I keep my ants in my garage as it has pretty good insulation and I keep them in insulated boxes. I have never had problems with it, for the two years I have used it as most of the time the coldest it will get is like 15 degrees here in the winter (fahrenheit) maybe once or twice a winter. Last night though, it dropped to about 1 or 2 degrees fahrenheit and my ants water reservoirs froze in their setups. I took the colonies inside, as most of my queens and small colonies were lying on the floor seemingly frozen. I know that they often can recover from this though, and due to ants brilliant resiliency most of my colonies and queens survived. I screwed up, and I will figure out a new system to hibernate my ants. But in the meantime, as my ants are awake should I place them back into hibernation?? We are still in the middle of winter and I want to give them the hibernation necessary but don't want to mess them up even more if I put them back into hibernation and it messes them up. I probably could have handled this a little better, but I'm learning- so any advice for if this happens again and how I could have handled this better is very welcome.

Thanks,

Geo Ants

I had a similar issue but not from freezing. One of my colony almost completely died out only the queen and few worked lived. I took them out let them recover and gave them some nectar and ended thier hibernation about months and a half earlier. They seem to be doing good now lots of new eggs and the workers are being active. I feel like once hibernation is disturbed maybe it’s better to just end it?


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