5 weeks ago I caught 5 Crematogaster queens. At the time I caught them, I did not have test tubes, so I put them in individual plastic containers the size of tic-tac containers with cotton and water.
I transferred them into test tube set-ups 3.5 weeks ago and since then several have laid eggs but eat them. So I fed them each some honey. 1 sleeps for long periods (hibernating?).
I only check on them every 7 days and are all kept in the dark in an exterior closet in my balcony.
Any thoughts? Could they be waiting for spring or are infertile? I've also seen some ant keepers not have success in test tube set-ups but after transferring queens into founding formicariums have success.
