My queens won't lay eggs

[Lasius flavus]

In the winter, I kept my ants in the fridge, and sadly my Lasius flavus queen died. I tried the ants with a queen from last years mating flights, and they accepted her. I presumed that she was fertile, due to the large pile of eggs she and the queen beside her had. However, she is laying no eggs at all this year, despite me feeding them lots of protein. Neither have the other queens eggs developed. Maybe the two queens are infertile. The other queen who isn't laying any eggs for me is a Lasuis niger queen who I bought from Antstore last year, and laid a lot last year. Her eggs died in the winter, but then in the spring, she didn't lay, and she still hasn't laid once this year, despite me feeding her protein. Is there something I have done wrong, or something I can do?

[Zarbi]

Are you keeping them moist enough? Humidity in the nest plays a role in egg laying to some extent. Too much moisture is not good, but neither is too dry.

Try feeding some high energy food like honey, although it is getting a bit late in the year for queens to lay now as they usually lay eggs in springtime.

[Lasius flavus]

Interestingly enough, as soon as I checked my ants after asking this, I found that those Lasuis flavus queens that I caught last year's eggs have developed into larvae. I gave my Lasuis niger colony five pupae that I found from another nest, and she soon laid a new pile of eggs. ;DStill nothing thought from the Lasuis flavus queen with the colony who excepted her after their old queen died. I will feed some honey to them, and hopefully, if the other queen will lay now, then so will she. I don't often disturb my ants, but I will leave them for a couple of weeks now.

[Zarbi]

Remember of course that Lasius flavus are mostly underground foragers, so they eat a lot of soil dwelling insects and invertebrates. Bits of earthworm can be used as ant food, just try to dry them a bit first on a piece of paper towel.