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Post by togot on Jul 30, 2007 19:54:23 GMT
I recently caught several black ant queens after their mating flight. this made me happy because they were my target species when I decided I wanted to keep ants, and I was even happier when they laid eggs after just a few days, but I noticed something odd. rather than making a nest like I know they should, the queens all laid their eggs above ground and are standing guard over them like a bulldog. has anyone ever seen this before? should I be worried? I really don't want these queens to die
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Post by Wood~Ant on Jul 31, 2007 7:17:25 GMT
In the wild, newly mated queens don't do this kind of thing as they'd be in danger from predators. However ant queens kept under artificial conditions will sometimes lay eggs on the surface, as if they sense that they are not in any danger. It also depends on what type of soil you have them in, as some ants will dig more readily into some soils, but not others. I have known young queens with eggs laid on the surface to dig in after a couple of weeks too. As long as your queens keep their eggs clean, they should be just as safe as they would be underground
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