2002.01.10 What happens if I don't have a queen in my Ant Farm?

Your ant colony probably will not survive for more than a few months, depending on its size and various other factors. --Ant and Mr. Ant

A colony without a queen has very little motivation. They will still construct tunnels and be fun to watch. If you want to study them properly, then you need a queen. When the workers die in a queenless colony, they will not be replaced, thus the colony will only last a short period of time. This depends on the age of the workers/eggs/pupae/larvae you collected as well as the species of ant, but don't expect your colony to still be thriving after six months. --Richard Smith