Thinking of starting an ant colony or already have your own ant queen? This one important fact can mean the difference between the success or failure of your queen ant and her colony!

It is essential to know if she is claustral or semi-claustral.

Claustral queens, such as Camponotus, do not require feeding in the initial stages of founding a colony. She will metabolise the wing muscles of her back to feed herself, until her first workers are born. The workers will then leave the nest and bring back food for the queen and new larvae.

Semi-claustral queens will leave the nest and find their own food, until their first workers are born, at which point the workers will take over the foraging duties.

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