5 replies to this topic

[Seadogrun]

Hello all -  I am curious to know how long you will keep queens before giving up on their colony producing capability.  I have caught several pheidole megacephala 1.5 months ago, they dropped their wings and laid eggs right away.  They all seem to be tending to their eggs, but they have not developed and produced any workers.  

 

What percentage of queens that drop their wings, tend eggs should I expect to develop into a colony? 

 

How long should I keep waiting?

 

I have caught some 3 weeks(much later than the first ones) ago that seem to be thriving and have 20 workers or so.

 

Thank you all,

 

[Leo]

don't give up till they are dead bro.

[FeedTheAnts]

I suggest putting them into hibernation and hoping they start making colonies in the spring.

[123LordOfAnts123]

Pheidole megacephala is a species that doesn't require hibernation whatsoever, so if they're not laying viable eggs by now they're more likely than not, infertile.

Even if infertile, you could always combine them with your viable queens(s) to at the very least serve as trophic egg production. When sexuals are produced (which doesn't take long in this species) they'll probably mate and produce workers.

Edited by 123LordOfAnts123, September 25 2017 - 6:17 AM.

[FeedTheAnts]

Pheidole megacephala is a species that doesn't require hibernation whatsoever, so if they're not laying viable eggs by now they're more likely than not, infertile.

Oh, thank you for the correction.

[Mettcollsuss]

Pheidole megacephala is a species that doesn't require hibernation whatsoever, so if they're not laying viable eggs by now they're more likely than not, infertile.

Even if infertile, you could always combine them with your viable queens(s) to at the very least serve as trophic egg production. When sexuals are produced (which doesn't take long in this species) they'll probably mate and produce workers.

 

I agree, you should mix them. Just make sure that they have enough space. If you have a polygynous species with too many queen in not enough space, the workers will pick off some of the weaker queens to make more room.