ANTSTORE World of Ants

[sithmaster676]

hi all
i was wondering if anyone could tell me when hibernation period ends in england currently i have a lasius niger colony that is in my garden shed they did not leave the test tube last year but i checked and all have survived the winter hibernation but as the weather here has now changed to colder climate i was wondering if anyone could please give me some advice on when the will be ready to leave the test tube and start foraging as normal
thanks
Sithmaster676

[JimmyVe]

about now would be perfect.
Depends off the weather but here its about 10-15 °c and my colony (Lasius niger) is out of hibernation. (My colony Lasius flavus is still in hibernation) It won't harm them if they stay in hibernation for a few weeks. If they are outside they wake up when the time is right.
Didn't you see any other ants out of hibernation in your garden (or somewhere else) ?

[SimGee]

hibernation time for Lasius niger is from about october till about (end of) march.

So they should and could start now.

I saw ants out of hibernation in the dining room of a youth hostel right on last saturday

Greetings
Simon

[sithmaster676]

hi thanks for the replies
my ants did come out of hibernation for around a week and were active within the test tube but due to bad weather lately i think they went back into hibernation so i am hoping they come out soon as i suppose they need food, but will come out to get it if they get really hungry i guess.
how long can they last in hibernation ??
Sithmaster676

[JimmyVe]

I'm not sure about that, but Lasius niger normally keeps a hibernation of 6 moths. So i guess there is no problem if they stay in it for a few days more.

[sithmaster676]

well my lasius niger colony has been in hibernation since the end of November which means they have been hibernating for around 5 months coming up to 6 so they should be ok but i have only seen glimpses of workers outside so maybe the time is still not right
sithmaster676

[JimmyVe]

They probably are waking up easily.

[willi461]

That's the reason i dont like lasius niger.They hibernate half the year lol...

[sithmaster676]

yeah they do hibernate a long time but when out of hibernation they are very active and increase the size of the colony very quick
sithmaster676

[sithmaster676]

one quick question does it matter if there is condensation inside the test tube in which my ants are in and what can i do about it
Sithmaster676

[JimmyVe]

That is not a problem sith. If the temperature in the tube is higher than outside it give a little condensation. that all.

[sithmaster676]

thats good news
but i now have another problem
talking to someone else who has kept ants for a very long time i asked him if it was worth me making a small hole using a cocktail stick in there barricade at the entrance to the test tube, as the weather was warm they came out explored little and may even eaten some apple but after they resealed the test tube again even after hibernation they don't seem bothered about feeding themselves or there larva
is there anything i can do
Sithmaster676

[JimmyVe]

So if i understand correctly, they are out of hibernation, closed themselves in and are just sitting there ?

Do you only give them fruits ? You now you need to give them insects and sugar/water mix (or honey, or nectar, or something else sweet) to.

[sithmaster676]

i gave them fruit again yesterday and i now think that they are not sitting in there because of the food but because of the weather it is extremely muggy inside my shed when he weather is nice and as soon as i left the door open for some fresh air after about 10 minutes there was 3 workers feeding of the apple
and they seem to be digging a new tunnel underneath the test tube which is great
but i have one quick question due to the shortage of insects is it ok to feed your ants boiled egg as it is very rich in protein
and do i also have to feed other sources of sugar instead of fruit
and how do i make it
Sithmaster676

[mpir]

Hey Sith,

Feeding them with egg yalk only (not the whole egg) is good idea. If you dont have bugs at hand you can also cut chicken or cow meat into small pieces, boil it well and leave it to cool down (dont seazon it or salt it). Gave it to them but throw away what they dont manage to eat in one or two hours.
As for carbohydrates... giving them "home-made" natural honey is the best. I got it from a friend of mine who has bees at home and it is 100% natural. Needless to say that they love it. Honey from shops might be ok as well but that one is for sure refined in some way and you never know what artificial things are added to it.

Nice to hear your ants are doing ok.