My new queen

[smithy]

I found a new queen wandering about outside last thursday and stuck her in my farm but she she won't stay in the tunnel. I remember my last one dug herself away and started laying eggs straight away but this one just keeps walking about. Is this normal?

[naturekidmn]

She is just trying to find the best place to lay here eggs. Some queens can be very picky about where they nest. She might dig multiple nests and pick one at random . She will probably settle down eventually . But if she doesn't try putting here into a test tube.

[sammy]

yeah, I caght 2 queens!! yay and they both have made about 3 or 4 tunnels in different places!! must be picky this year

[Deleted]

strange, mine have laid on the surface straight away because I put them in the dark!!!!

[Josh]

I found loads of queens of the floor and placed each one in a test tube to see how they do - rather spacious test tubes actually. One has already dug herself a tunnel down to the very bottom, another has laid eggs on the surface and the third and fourth have done nothing yet.

[Deleted]

I would love to get some foraging workers hatched out by September in mine!

Nice to go into Winter knowing your colony is well fed and some brood too!Queen will survive easier with workers tending her too!

See what happens, think I have tiny larvae already from the eggs she laid last week!!! Must be the high humidity speeds up the hatching process like other insects.

[smithy]

Thanks for the help people. She is still just sitting on the top of her hole but she seems quite cotent that way!