How Do Ants Make New Queens?
WouterUsing a test tube, you can simulate the life of a queen ant. You’ll need a source of moisture for the queen. A soaked cotton ball is ideal. You can also place the test tube in a dark area.
Depending on the species, ants create new queens at different ages. Some queens can lay millions of eggs in their lifetime. Depending on the species, they can start new nests in the spring or wait for the summer monsoon to drench the soil.
The first workers in a colony are known as nanitics. These workers are sterile. They won’t produce new queens.
Another strategy used by queens to promote queen-like behavior is to produce a hormone called Kr-h1. This hormone is found in workers and promotes queen-like behaviors.
Queens can produce many other hormones. The number of hormones in a queen determines how much queen production she can achieve. Some queens have a stronger chemical cue than others. They are more likely to survive the death of their queen.
Another strategy used by queens is to produce a pheromone, which can attract females and males. This pheromone can be detected by queen ant colonies.
If you have access to a large number of ants, you can collect queens. To make it easier, you can place the queens in a test tube and place it in a dark area. You can also keep them in multiples.
If you want to start a new ant colony, you will need a source of food and water. You’ll also need to find a good location for the nest.
