ANTSTORE World of Ants

[Shog-goth]

Hi,

I live in Italy and want to start an ant colony in my apartment.

Do you send them outside Germany? And I need also suggestion about what I've to buy (farm, ants and accessory) because I haven't any idea about this.

I've little space so I don't want something big and I don't want to spend more than €150.

Thanks in advance,

Sincerely,

Alessandro Costa

[Martin S.]

Yes, we dispatch to completely Europe.
You can build also much.
You need only the colony.

[gonzobey]

Hello shog-goth!

I just want to give you some ideas how you could hold your ants. At the beginning you don´t need much tools, only the test tube with ants which you get by dispatch from antstore an a little plastic case. Over this you better take a mash stocking or something like this that the ants can´t run out.

For the following time you must look what kind of formicarium do you want: Ant-Isle, articifial stone, gypsum, antfarm .... at the german forum there are many informations which you could translate with a programm.

I hope that I could help you, if you have anymore question just ask, I will answer as good as possible.

[Shog-goth]

Hello Gonzobey,

thank you for you reply, unfortunately I don't know German and the transaltion programs I've tried aren't so good.

I've ordered form Antstore my first colony of Lasius Niger with a standard Ameisenfarm and Martin tell me that I'll receive them next week.

But I've some question because I'm a total beginner in mirmecology and I don't want to kill the ants so if you can help me, I'll appreciate it a lot.

The questions are the following :

1 - Which is the best manner to put the ants from the test tube in the Ameisenfarm to avoid damaging, stress or let them escape?

2 - How can I feed them? How many times a week I've to introduce food and water?

3 - The colony will grow without limit or (as I presume) stop when it reaches the maximum for the Ameisenfarm dimension?

4 - Is the standard Ameisenfarm sufficient to permit this colony to live well?

It's a mess I can't undestrand German because I think I can find the answers for these and many others question in the german forum, I hope in the future there'll be more people partecipating in the english one.

Thank you in advance,

Best regards,

[gonzobey]

@ all
I´ve talked with Mr. Sebesta and we decided that I try to translate some messages from the german forum here for you all! I hope that my english is quite well... we will see )

I know that there are so many questions and in the next few weeks I will try to write some basics... don´t be shy to ask me (that applies for everybody here)!



@ Shog-ghot,
Now to your questions:

1) The best manner ist to connect the test tube and the antfarm directly with a sleeving or with modelling material and wait till they relocate. You can also force them to relocate by cautiously shake out but there is always the risk to injure especially the queen. Also sometimes its not easy to relocate all eggs and brood - so I just recommend the other way obove!

2) Now in this time where the temperates here in Germany get low the ants make a hibernation. I don´t know how cold it is in italy. During the hibernation the ants don´t need any food, but water. That meens that you have to look if the substrate is always a little bit damp but not wett!

The hibernation is a special theme - we could talk about this on another "threat" (that word is used for a new kategory here in the forum).

During the "higher temperate-times" you can feed Lasius niger with a honey-water-composite and death insects. How often you must feed is not easy to answer because there are so many things that influence the frequency and amount. Just try to get them once a week a insect and honey-water. When growing larger they needs more, but I think thats not necessary to say.

3) The colony don´t grow uncontrolled, they will grow as much like the place will let them. So you don´t need in some years a new apartment to have more room for them )

4) At the beginning when the colony is small they don´t need much room but for the future it is better to connect another room at the antfarm - this was called in the german linge "arena". For example this could be plastic box or something like a aquarium basin.

[Shog-goth]

Hi Gonzobey and Martin,

Thank you for your reply that I find very useful to me,

I appreciate also your great idea about translating relevant threads from the german forum in English.

I think more people outside Germany will buy from you if they can learn the basis of mirmecology before placing an order.

Unfortunately German, like Italian, is not a widespread used language like English and this is a problem for us because we had to communicate in a foreign language.

But I see that your English is very good - not like mine - so I think that won't be any sort of problem in making this work.

I'm reading almost everything I found on Internet about Ants and I'm very fascinating in their Hive Mind. But this is a subject that rarely is discussed I see...

My ants arrived this morning and It's all Ok!

They are at the moment in their tube in a dark and warm place because I don't want to stress or frighten any of them.

There are a lot of eggs (I think they are) - at minimum they are 20 but I can't see very well, but I'm very happy about this.

I'm preparing the Ant Farm but I want a quiet relocation and I'm not in a hurry so I'm studying the best manner and I thank you for your tip about this.

So, if there are some other fellow european out there let's post in the english forum to help AntStore in their work.

Best wishes to all!