Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2012 16:50:48 GMT 1
I recently obtianed 1 Camponotus ligniperda and 1 herculeanus queen. They both have brood and are now both in test tubes with a water reservoir. The tubes have been covered in red plastic to reduce stress and the queens are kept in my room around 23-28 degress dependant on outside weather. I am aware these ants are very slow growing and I don't expect workers for a fair while. Should the queens simply be left to it and I check up on them weekly? Or is there any tips people can give me to ensure that the queens have a higher survival rate or indeed to speed up colony growth apart from heating? Thanks
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2012 21:58:32 GMT 1
I have two Camponotus ligniperda queens, and one's doing really well being kept on top of my lizard tank, where there is quite a warm area. She has currently three cocoons so I'm awaiting a few workers some time soon hopefully! I would advise keeping her warm, feeding her freshly killed fruit fly every other day or so and a tiny speck of honey. But I do think that they do so much better when they are not disturbed. Anyone here will tell you I'm no expert, but that's what's working for me at the moment. This queen now has 6 workers. My other queen is a bit of a cannibal and having no luck with her whatsoever!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2012 1:13:07 GMT 1
Yes, patience is the key to ant keeping as pretty much everyone will tell you. I would recommend checking in each day just to make sure that everything is okay with the tube (specifically the water). Just be sure not to get real close or shine lights around. If she has larvae then feeding her once or twice is an option so long as she is not very disturbed by it. I do not recommend feeding every other day simply because the queen does not need that much food and there is a greater chance of her getting nervous and eating the brood. Heating is an option but remember to keep it just above room temperature, we do not want to cook them. :s
Best of luck to both of your colonies!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2012 13:46:39 GMT 1
Camponotus queens really don't need to be fed very often, or technically at all until their first workers arrive. I would limit feedings for any claustral queen to once a week at most.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2012 17:09:10 GMT 1
From what I read, camponotus queens don't need to be fed until their first workers are born. Then it's absolutely important that food be offered to the colony so that the workers and queen can eat -- the queen especially. I've also noticed a lot of colonies collapse once the first workers are born. I had this happen to me once.
|
|