what happens when the queen ant dies

Hello! Excellent topic choice for a biology project. When the queen ant dies, the colony can be destabilized because the queen is the only ant that can lay fertilized eggs. Usually, without a queen, the colony will slowly die off.

Usually, a colony will not survive without a queen. However, in some species, if the queen dies, worker ants can start laying eggs. But those eggs will only develop into males. Without a queen to produce more worker ants, the colony typically won't last long.

Yes, in some ant species, a new queen can emerge if the reigning queen dies. It usually happens if there are existing 'princess ants' available, who are essentially virgin queens. They will mature rapidly, mate, and take over the role of laying eggs. But not all ant species have this capacity.