16 replies to this topic

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

So my L. niger colony’s queen died recently (abt 2 weeks ago) and I have also caught a lasius parasite, (L. umbratus to be precise) I am going to post photos later to see if I am right. Anyways, I want to Introduce the queen to the colony and I have heard that a queenless colony is more accepting to the parasitic queen.

 

Should I give her some workers for the colony to cull, then introduce her to the colony

 

please give me advice I am really clueless on what to do with the queenless colony

[ANTdrew]

Look in the archives for the thorough tutorial on how to do this. Search first, then post.

[RushmoreAnts]

OwlThatLikesAnts, on 19 Sept 2024 - 7:00 PM, said:

So my L. niger colony’s queen died recently (abt 2 weeks ago) and I have also caught a lasius parasite, (L. umbratus to be precise) I am going to post photos later to see if I am right. Anyways, I want to Introduce the queen to the colony and I have heard that a queenless colony is more accepting to the parasitic queen.

 

Should I give her some workers for the colony to cull, then introduce her to the colony

 

please give me advice I am really clueless on what to do with the queenless colony

Lasius umbratus is a European species. The American variant was renamed Lasius aphidicola.

[Ants_Dakota]

ANTdrew, on 19 Sept 2024 - 7:03 PM, said:

Look in the archives for the thorough tutorial on how to do this. Search first, then post.

This is incredibly correct, especially in this situation. A search would have yielded you this. I know creating a post is easier but searching will yield you the most in-depth information.

Edited by Ants_Dakota, September 19 2024 - 1:35 PM.

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

RushmoreAnts, on 19 Sept 2024 - 8:51 PM, said:

 

OwlThatLikesAnts, on 19 Sept 2024 - 7:00 PM, said:

So my L. niger colony’s queen died recently (abt 2 weeks ago) and I have also caught a lasius parasite, (L. umbratus to be precise) I am going to post photos later to see if I am right. Anyways, I want to Introduce the queen to the colony and I have heard that a queenless colony is more accepting to the parasitic queen.

 

Should I give her some workers for the colony to cull, then introduce her to the colony

 

please give me advice I am really clueless on what to do with the queenless colony

Lasius umbratus is a European species. The American variant was renamed Lasius aphidicola.

 

1. Ik that but... aphidicola is around 6mm and she is close to 8mm that is why I said Umbratus, but thank you for pointing out that (please tell me if I am wrong again, like I said I have minimal experience with parasites)

 

2. I gave her 2 workers and then what happened is that whenever the workers meet with her, they either touch her with their antennas or they start "jumping" does that mean they accepted her?

[Ants_Dakota]

OwlThatLikesAnts, on 19 Sept 2024 - 9:49 PM, said:

 

RushmoreAnts, on 19 Sept 2024 - 8:51 PM, said:

 

OwlThatLikesAnts, on 19 Sept 2024 - 7:00 PM, said:

So my L. niger colony’s queen died recently (abt 2 weeks ago) and I have also caught a lasius parasite, (L. umbratus to be precise) I am going to post photos later to see if I am right. Anyways, I want to Introduce the queen to the colony and I have heard that a queenless colony is more accepting to the parasitic queen.

 

Should I give her some workers for the colony to cull, then introduce her to the colony

 

please give me advice I am really clueless on what to do with the queenless colony

Lasius umbratus is a European species. The American variant was renamed Lasius aphidicola.

 

1. Ik that but... aphidicola is around 6mm and she is close to 8mm that is why I said Umbratus, but thank you for pointing out that (please tell me if I am wrong again, like I said I have minimal experience with parasites)

 

2. I gave her 2 workers and then what happened is that whenever the workers meet with her, they either touch her with their antennas or they start "jumping" does that mean they accepted her?

 

Lasius "juke" when stressed, like when you check on them with light, so probably not. However, that is a better sign than them fighting. I would look for signs of grooming or trophallaxis to know for certain she is accepted. As a sidenote, the subgenus Chthonolasius is easier to keep, and it is more likely the queen will be truly accepted. Other subgenera can have "fake" founding, with the workers killing the queen after weeks of no violence.

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

Ants_Dakota, on 19 Sept 2024 - 10:36 PM, said:

 

OwlThatLikesAnts, on 19 Sept 2024 - 9:49 PM, said:

 

RushmoreAnts, on 19 Sept 2024 - 8:51 PM, said:

 

OwlThatLikesAnts, on 19 Sept 2024 - 7:00 PM, said:

So my L. niger colony’s queen died recently (abt 2 weeks ago) and I have also caught a lasius parasite, (L. umbratus to be precise) I am going to post photos later to see if I am right. Anyways, I want to Introduce the queen to the colony and I have heard that a queenless colony is more accepting to the parasitic queen.

 

Should I give her some workers for the colony to cull, then introduce her to the colony

 

please give me advice I am really clueless on what to do with the queenless colony

Lasius umbratus is a European species. The American variant was renamed Lasius aphidicola.

 

1. Ik that but... aphidicola is around 6mm and she is close to 8mm that is why I said Umbratus, but thank you for pointing out that (please tell me if I am wrong again, like I said I have minimal experience with parasites)

 

2. I gave her 2 workers and then what happened is that whenever the workers meet with her, they either touch her with their antennas or they start "jumping" does that mean they accepted her?

 

Lasius "juke" when stressed, like when you check on them with light, so probably not. However, that is a better sign than them fighting. I would look for signs of grooming or trophallaxis to know for certain she is accepted. As a sidenote, the subgenus Chthonolasius is easier to keep, and it is more likely the queen will be truly accepted. Other subgenera can have "fake" founding, with the workers killing the queen after weeks of no violence.

 

They are grooming! Now what do I do? do I keep them as a colony of 3, I slowly introduce new workers to the colony? or do I just put the queen in the nest where all of the workers reside?

[Ants_Dakota]

OwlThatLikesAnts, on 19 Sept 2024 - 10:54 PM, said:

 

Ants_Dakota, on 19 Sept 2024 - 10:36 PM, said:

 

OwlThatLikesAnts, on 19 Sept 2024 - 9:49 PM, said:

 

RushmoreAnts, on 19 Sept 2024 - 8:51 PM, said:

 

OwlThatLikesAnts, on 19 Sept 2024 - 7:00 PM, said:

So my L. niger colony’s queen died recently (abt 2 weeks ago) and I have also caught a lasius parasite, (L. umbratus to be precise) I am going to post photos later to see if I am right. Anyways, I want to Introduce the queen to the colony and I have heard that a queenless colony is more accepting to the parasitic queen.

 

Should I give her some workers for the colony to cull, then introduce her to the colony

 

please give me advice I am really clueless on what to do with the queenless colony

Lasius umbratus is a European species. The American variant was renamed Lasius aphidicola.

 

1. Ik that but... aphidicola is around 6mm and she is close to 8mm that is why I said Umbratus, but thank you for pointing out that (please tell me if I am wrong again, like I said I have minimal experience with parasites)

 

2. I gave her 2 workers and then what happened is that whenever the workers meet with her, they either touch her with their antennas or they start "jumping" does that mean they accepted her?

 

Lasius "juke" when stressed, like when you check on them with light, so probably not. However, that is a better sign than them fighting. I would look for signs of grooming or trophallaxis to know for certain she is accepted. As a sidenote, the subgenus Chthonolasius is easier to keep, and it is more likely the queen will be truly accepted. Other subgenera can have "fake" founding, with the workers killing the queen after weeks of no violence.

 

They are grooming! Now what do I do? do I keep them as a colony of 3, I slowly introduce new workers to the colony? or do I just put the queen in the nest where all of the workers reside?

 

Read the thread that I posted above, that will explain in far more detail than I could what to do following that. I would recommend though letting them sit together for a day or so and than introducing the rest of the colony.

[ANTdrew]

Do the research. If your questions are not answered, then post questions.

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

ANTdrew, on 19 Sept 2024 - 11:34 PM, said:

Do the research. If your questions are not answered, then post questions.

Yeah I did and my question from before is not in that post, so I asked a question

 

 

Ants_Dakota, on 19 Sept 2024 - 11:21 PM, said:

 

OwlThatLikesAnts, on 19 Sept 2024 - 10:54 PM, said:

 

Ants_Dakota, on 19 Sept 2024 - 10:36 PM, said:

 

OwlThatLikesAnts, on 19 Sept 2024 - 9:49 PM, said:

 

RushmoreAnts, on 19 Sept 2024 - 8:51 PM, said:

 

OwlThatLikesAnts, on 19 Sept 2024 - 7:00 PM, said:

So my L. niger colony’s queen died recently (abt 2 weeks ago) and I have also caught a lasius parasite, (L. umbratus to be precise) I am going to post photos later to see if I am right. Anyways, I want to Introduce the queen to the colony and I have heard that a queenless colony is more accepting to the parasitic queen.

 

Should I give her some workers for the colony to cull, then introduce her to the colony

 

please give me advice I am really clueless on what to do with the queenless colony

Lasius umbratus is a European species. The American variant was renamed Lasius aphidicola.

 

1. Ik that but... aphidicola is around 6mm and she is close to 8mm that is why I said Umbratus, but thank you for pointing out that (please tell me if I am wrong again, like I said I have minimal experience with parasites)

 

2. I gave her 2 workers and then what happened is that whenever the workers meet with her, they either touch her with their antennas or they start "jumping" does that mean they accepted her?

 

Lasius "juke" when stressed, like when you check on them with light, so probably not. However, that is a better sign than them fighting. I would look for signs of grooming or trophallaxis to know for certain she is accepted. As a sidenote, the subgenus Chthonolasius is easier to keep, and it is more likely the queen will be truly accepted. Other subgenera can have "fake" founding, with the workers killing the queen after weeks of no violence.

 

They are grooming! Now what do I do? do I keep them as a colony of 3, I slowly introduce new workers to the colony? or do I just put the queen in the nest where all of the workers reside?

 

Read the thread that I posted above, that will explain in far more detail than I could what to do following that. I would recommend though letting them sit together for a day or so and than introducing the rest of the colony.

 

And for this, I gave her more workers and now they are feeding her sugar water like crazy

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

Here is her majesty with hosts

[Ants_Dakota]

OwlThatLikesAnts, on 19 Sept 2024 - 11:54 PM, said:

And for this, I gave her more workers and now they are feeding her sugar water like crazy

Awesome! That is a really good sign; feel lucky. How many workers in total do you have? Any brood?

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

No sadly, I am pretty sure that they will not lay till next spring, also there are 5 workers and any that escape will become part of the colony

[Ants_Dakota]

OwlThatLikesAnts, on 20 Sept 2024 - 4:41 PM, said:

No sadly, I am pretty sure that they will not lay till next spring, also there are 5 workers and any that escape will become part of the colony

I believe you misunderstood. I meant any brood from the host colony. Apologies for any misunderstanding!

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

Ants_Dakota, on 20 Sept 2024 - 6:54 PM, said:

 

OwlThatLikesAnts, on 20 Sept 2024 - 4:41 PM, said:

No sadly, I am pretty sure that they will not lay till next spring, also there are 5 workers and any that escape will become part of the colony

I believe you misunderstood. I meant any brood from the host colony. Apologies for any misunderstanding!

 

it's ok, but I am working on that, I did not see any benefits of adding brood from the article you gave me, but the workers I gave to the queen come from one of my queenless Lasius colony that still has brood, should I put her inn there?

[Ants_Dakota]

OwlThatLikesAnts, on 20 Sept 2024 - 9:32 PM, said:

 

Ants_Dakota, on 20 Sept 2024 - 6:54 PM, said:

 

OwlThatLikesAnts, on 20 Sept 2024 - 4:41 PM, said:

No sadly, I am pretty sure that they will not lay till next spring, also there are 5 workers and any that escape will become part of the colony

I believe you misunderstood. I meant any brood from the host colony. Apologies for any misunderstanding!

 

it's ok, but I am working on that, I did not see any benefits of adding brood from the article you gave me, but the workers I gave to the queen come from one of my queenless Lasius colony that still has brood, should I put her inn there?

 

If they have accepted her than she will have adapted her scent, so yes it is possible. RushmoreAnts did something similar a while ago, and it worked well.

[RushmoreAnts]

OwlThatLikesAnts, on 20 Sept 2024 - 9:32 PM, said:

 

Ants_Dakota, on 20 Sept 2024 - 6:54 PM, said:

 

OwlThatLikesAnts, on 20 Sept 2024 - 4:41 PM, said:

No sadly, I am pretty sure that they will not lay till next spring, also there are 5 workers and any that escape will become part of the colony

I believe you misunderstood. I meant any brood from the host colony. Apologies for any misunderstanding!

 

it's ok, but I am working on that, I did not see any benefits of adding brood from the article you gave me, but the workers I gave to the queen come from one of my queenless Lasius colony that still has brood, should I put her inn there?

 

The benefit is more host workers with no chance of them killing the queen.