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Hibernation trouble

Started By MegaMyrmex , Dec 9 2017 2:27 PM

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2 replies to this topic

#1 Offline MegaMyrmex - Posted December 9 2017 - 2:27 PM

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637 posts

LocationEllicott City, Maryland

I'm hibernating my ant colonies byt for 2 species they were wild caught during winter, and the queens of both species have EXTREMELY tuny gasters. I'm talkung so small that the thorax is bigger than the gaster. The two colonies are camponotus chromaiodes and what do I do? Do i feed them? I tried feeding the colony durinf a hibernation pause but only the workers ate.

Proverbs 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
    consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
    and gathers its food at harvest.

#2 Offline Noah Norman - Posted December 9 2017 - 3:58 PM

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39 posts

They could just be alates, or majors. You could get them into a test tube setup and give them a drop of honey and put them in the fridge, if they get hungry they will have some honey but they will be hibernating so they shouldn't need food. Gl

#3 Offline MegaMyrmex - Posted December 9 2017 - 4:11 PM

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637 posts

LocationEllicott City, Maryland

thanks! I probably should've mentioned that both queens were collected with a small founding colony, one has about 5 workers and the other queen has only one. She's a queen due to her thorax and wing scars.

Proverbs 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
    consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
    and gathers its food at harvest.