Click to view full story of "questions about ytong and arena"

wdj: questions about ytong and arena (1. Aug 2007 09:42)

Hi now i'm keeping a L. niger queen and a colony i'm trying to identify...
i'm keeping the colony in an antfarm and the queen in the test tube she came, i was thinking about build a ytong formicarium for the queen, but when have i to put she in the ytong? now? when she have workers? or i put the test tube in the arena and she'll go in the ytong when she want?

how much big must be the ytong? how much rooms? how big must be every room?

and do you think two colonies can survive with the same arena or they will kill each other for the food?

every comment and suggestion is welcome
thanks

sithmaster676: (1. Aug 2007 10:15)

hi Wdj
when building a ytong nest you need to think of how big the colony can get and if you can make it expandable, so that if the colony gets to big you will be able to expand the nest area. if i were you i would wait until the queen has her first workers before attempting to place her into the ytong she is more likely to move with her workers. It is best to feed the queen as well when she is on her own just to make sure she doesn't die.
if you are going to place lasius niger in the ytong then the rooms don't need to be to big around 6cm in width and 6 cm in length.
the ytong could be the size that antstore sells and you just fill this block with as many rooms and tunnels as possible.#
Sithmaster676

wdj: (2. Aug 2007 09:28)

I watch here: http://www.antstore.net/download.php?id=2938
Why did he close the other rooms? is a problem if the ytong is too big?

and what about the 3rd question, do you think i can have 2 antsfarm with the same arena?

Bye

Sam: (2. Aug 2007 11:05)

wdj I don't have y-tong nest at present but according to others if the nest area is too big to begin with a small colony finds it hard to keep clean, thus mould & other problems may arise. But like sithmaster676 says make it expandable for future growth. :D

This y-tong topic from Azzer may help:
http://www.antstore.net/viewtopic.php?t=5737

Oh yes don't mix the two species together.

JimmyVe: (2. Aug 2007 22:14)

The reason i closed the rest of the nest, this colony is not very big (yet) so if the nest is to big they can not keep it clean. This way if the colony grows i can expand the nest easily.

I mostly put them in a y-tong nest if the colony is about a 100 workers strong, before that i keep them in tubes (with an out world)

Don't put 2 colonies together (ore in have the same out world) they will kill each other for food and room.

Kiam: (3. Aug 2007 21:18)

Not all the times it really depends When i lift up rocks and see lasius niger there is always lasius flavus right near them and they do not fight... so if you do it right then maybe:p

JimmyVe: (4. Aug 2007 17:01)

Okay Kiam, but now you are talking about ants in nature, they have plenty of roam there, in captivity they do not have that. ;)
(some species you could have together in captivity, but not Lasius sp. )