7 replies to this topic

[mmcguffi]

Hey guys,

This August I acquired a post-nuptial flight Campontotus sp. queen in northern Michigan. I have kept it in a small tupperware with rotten wood and I have kept it moist. I built a chamber with a piece of plastic into the wood and the queen naturally sought it out. I'm not certain what species she is, though within the past month or so, her thorax has turned red (from black -- strange)

She laid about 6-8ish eggs and now they are larva, However, they appear to have just stopped devopement. From glancing at journals they should be workers by now? They look small and definitely none have pupated.

What do I need to do? Just leave her longer? Should I feed her honey or anything? Will I need to force a hibernation?

Any tips would be very much appreciated! Thanks guys, this site is super cool

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Edited by mmcguffi, November 5 2015 - 8:25 PM.

[Mdrogun]

She flew extremely late for Camponotus. I think she needs hibernation. My Camponotus pennsylvanicus. colony gets larvae before hibernating that are small. They don't grow at all. It sounds like the same thing is happening here. I would recommend you give her the smallest drop of honey before hibernation though.

[Crystals]

What temperature is she at?  Even at 25C (77F) they develop quite slowly.  If they are still growing, then leave her be.  If the larvae are not developing, then there is a good chance she is ready for hibernation.

No harm in feeding her if she ever leaves her chamber.  Sometimes even a drop of sugar water on a piece of tin foil outside the entrance can lure a hungry queen out.

[Jonathan21700]

Northern Camponotus hibernate with small larvae. Development stops before winter and starts again in spring.

[mmcguffi]

So I put her in the garage maybe around January after not seeing an further development. I took her back inside a couple of days ago now the weather is warm again (78f today!).

 

However, it seems she may have eaten her larvae? It is hard to tell with the current setup I have. She has also left her chamber and is free-roaming the tupperware. I have put a little honey in the container. Her thorax is noticeably more red as well.

 

Is there anything I should be doing to help her? Thanks guys!

Edited by mmcguffi, April 17 2016 - 3:50 PM.

[mmcguffi]

I took her out of the tupperware she was in and put her in a standard test tube setup -- I'm fairly confident she ate her brood. She was also looking a bit lethargic.

 

I put a small dab of honey in the tube which got all over legs and such; I'm hoping this wasn't a mistake. I then covered the tube in paper to block out light and I will check on her in a few days.

 

If anyone has comments/suggestions that would be much appreciated

[Crystals]

I prefer to offer sugar water or hummingbird nectar as it is less sticky.

Just ensure the nest does not dry out.

[mmcguffi]

I checked on her today -- she seems to be active and the honey has absorbed a bit into the cotton. I'm going to try to forget about her for a week or so and keep my fingers crossed!

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