Tips on Care of new Ant Queens

The start of colony founding is a critical time for all ant queens. They are using up valuable resources (flight muscle and body mass) to lay eggs and to feed growing larvae. Many species do not forage or feed during this time so getting the first workers produced is essential and any set back can be a disaster so a suitable first home is a must.

A tried and tested method for most queens is to place them within a suitable sized glass tube with a reservoir of water behind a tight cotton bung. A second cotton bung prevents escape and holds in humidity. Even desert species require a certain amount of humidity during the colony founding - this is why the often fly after heavy rain. These should be left alone until the first workers emerge. At this point, the second bung can be removed slightly to allow workers to forage for food. They should be offered small quantities of sugar water and small insects such as fruit fly. Any uneaten food should be removed every day. Once the workers have started foraging, the colony can be placed in a larger container depending on how the colony is going to be kept. If placed in a soil set up the queen and workers will excavate a hole for the new nest when they feel ready.

For most species a temperature of 75-80F is Ok. Providing heat from underneath is not recommended as this is unnatural and causes the soil to dry out.

For Harvesters, better results are achieved with temperatures of 85-90F and giving them a large container with several centimeters of damp sand. They will not lay when kept in the usual plugged vial system described above and the sand really does seem to help.

Ideally, the queens should be disturbed as little as possible as they will often stop laying eggs, eat the brood, or not tend them if disturbed.

Non soil based set ups can be used but we recommend that the queens are allowed to start the colonies in a soil set up first. If the soil is allowed to dry out slowly after the workers emerge to forage the colony will happily move to a non soil based system if the  humidity levels are better for them there.