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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2011 0:43:37 GMT 1
Sorry to bombard the forum with questions.
I have an m. rubra colony with 2 queens but I am wondering, in the future can I add queens and workers to my current colony? Or will that start a war?
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Post by Myrm on Feb 27, 2011 0:44:20 GMT 1
Sorry to bombard the forum with questions. I have an m. rubra colony with 2 queens but I am wondering, in the future can I add queens and workers to my current colony? Or will that start a war? Probably not a vary good idea.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2011 0:46:19 GMT 1
It happens a lot it nature. I'd try it. Don't use a queen from another nest though, wait until the nuptial flights and catch a young queen then, if you decide to do this.
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Post by Myrm on Feb 27, 2011 1:07:47 GMT 1
It happens a lot it nature. I'd try it. Don't use a queen from another nest though, wait until the nuptial flights and catch a young queen then, if you decide to do this. I hope for your sake that this advice of yours works, Billy, or you are going to be one unpopular bin lid if somebody follows it and finds their colony in trouble.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2011 1:32:35 GMT 1
Very sorry if I'm wrong, but I've heard of it working many times with Myrmica, although I've never tried it myself. It's entirely up to you, all I'm saying is that I would do it if I could. I have never witnessed a Myrmica rubra nuptial flight before, so I can't try adding queens to my colony. Anyway, surely the worst that can happen is the new queen is killed?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2011 1:35:20 GMT 1
Not always if she was to go down empty tunnels until she was near the queen she could do some damage
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2011 2:30:07 GMT 1
I probably wouldn't risk this anyway. 2 queens will be plenty for now I think!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2011 4:22:47 GMT 1
I probably wouldn't risk this anyway. 2 queens will be plenty for now I think! Good idea in my opinion. I am not sure where you heard that that happened in nature, Billy? I know for a fact that often with M. rubra that they will produce more queens later to mate with drones and one day you may find more queens there. Good Luck.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2011 10:49:02 GMT 1
I'm sure I read somewhere that a Myrmica rubra worker, upon finding a newly mated queen, will bring her back to the nest. I'm determined to go to the Myrmica flights this year, and if the species is M. rubra, I will try it out. I don't think Myrmica rubra usually mates in the nest.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2011 21:33:10 GMT 1
When to the Myrmricas fly?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2011 21:53:02 GMT 1
I don't know, but my grandad seems to go to the allotment most days, so I'll ask him to look out for winged ants, as there are Myrmica colonies there. They are probably ruginodis though. The only Myrmica species I've identified in my area in ruginodis.
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