3 replies to this topic

[AntsAreCool55]

Hello all,this will be my journal for first parasite queen I am trying to raise. Any tips are appreciated!

June 17th - caught a queen with wings. Almost didn't bother to look,this was the first queen of this species that I have seen. They look more like males than queens with their long legs and small gaster. I’ve put her into test tube setup and fed a drop of honey which she accepted.

June 18th - I’ve added ~50 Lasius niger pupae,and 5-6 callow workers 2-3 hours later. As soon as the queen noticed the callows,she shed her wings and started touching them with antenae. She would spend some time touching them,then run away from them,only to ‘groom’ herself. It looked as if she was spreading their ‘smell’ over her. Couple of hours later,callows and the queen were hanging out together. I must note that there were no signs of agression,both from the queen or callows.

June 23rd - The colony is now ~20 L.niger workers strong with ~30 more pupae waiting to eclose. I’ve put their test tube into small plastic box to act as an outworld. So far colony only ate some honey. I still havent offered any insects. Workers are not foraging yet. No eggs yet,but queens gaster is noticably more swollen. Workers are feeding and tending to the queen.

I will move them to a glass test tube soon,for now they are in a plastic test tube which limits the visibility. Also,photos are very difficult to take.

Any idea when I should start seeing first eggs?

[Batspiderfish]

It can be days or weeks before you start noticing eggs, and sometimes a portion of those eggs are laid by workers. Sounds like you're doing everything right, though!

[AntsAreCool55]

June 30th - We have eggs! I have been feeding this colony mealworms,fruit flies and other random insects I find in my backyard,which they have been eating really well. There are about 20-30 eggs. I constantly see new eggs being laid and carried by the workers. It suprised me to see how many eggs queen has produced overnight. There are about ~50 L.niger host workers present. Glass test tubes are on their way to me so I am waiting for oportunity to take good pictures.

[AntsAreCool55]

July 18th - still no eggs developed into larvae,and they are being kept at 25 degrees Celsius same as my other colonies. They must be eating the eggs that parasitic queen has laid. Any advice on how to stop this? They are not very interested in insects,but accept sugary foods.

I was thinking of brood boosting them with some more coocons,would that somehow help?