I put a few in October 1, a few more November 1, and my Lasius umbratus didn't start until Dec 1.
A few of my queens have made it to the 3 1/2 month mark. I have quite a few new queens in test tubes, I'm thinking 3 1/2 months is good enough for their first hibernation?
The other larger colonies from last year, I'm leaving for another month as they didn't get a proper hibernation last year.
Over all no mass deaths or odd happenings, all seems to be going great. I check on them once a week, to make sure they are hydrated and I feed the larger colonies some honey once a month. My fridge stays at about 8C. The weather in my area has been very mild.
With my past troubles with hibernation, I still need some reassurance. Hopefully this year is a success.
Edited by AntsMAN, February 10 2017 - 10:05 AM.