Will queen ants break off their wings even if they're virgins?

[zimbu]

Like the title says. I caught some queen's during a mating flight about a week ago, but I'm not sure if they had mated already or not. Most of them have broken their wings off at this point and dug tunnels. Will they do so even if they haven't mated?

Also, if they are fertile, what should I feed them?

Thanks!

 

[dtknow]

Yes, they will remove their wings even if they are virgins...but will die soon after attempting to found a colony
.

 

[myrmecophile]

Also keep in mind that not all fertilized queens will drop their wings.

 

[zimbu]

cool, thanks guys