ANTSTORE World of Ants

[Sniengan Doo]

Hi All

How is this for SUPER service!

I only made my order to Antstore, either on Monday or Tuesday of this week. Today when i came home from work, there was my box....

I cant believe it... This parcel has come all the way from Germany to the Isle of Man and it got here faster than first class post from England!

Im in slight shock!

But now I really do have a question.

My Lasius nigar queen has arrived. She is still packed in her box (test tube untouched as yet). As the colony is going to be set up at work, and I cant get to work until Monday morning, do you think keeping her in the packed test tube will be ok until then?

Currently the entire box, packaging etc still containing the kit is sitting in the front room - cool (15 degrees C) and dark.

Will she need any food/water or should the test tube be adequate until Monday?

Or

Should I set it up tonight, and transport the lot again on Monday am?

I did wonder, if I should of had the delivery to College, and not to my home, but I was concerned it might arrive over the weekend with no one to sign for it.

thanks all

Mary

[JimmyVe]

Hi, If it is only a queen, keep her in the tube until monday, it won't hurt her. (also if there are less than 10 workers) If more they need food.

Good luck.

[mpir]

@Sniengan Doo

I have some questions for you. Did you read any old topic in this forum about hibernation? Test tube is ideal place for ants to hibernate. You can put them in the fridge and they will be all winter at constant +5 +8 oC - ideal temperature for hibernation. Do you plan to put your whole farm in fridge? Did you plan to hibernate them at all?

It also makes me wonder if your work is good place for ants? Of course most of the time it is not a problem but what when you go on holidays for 2 weeks or so?

I would recomend that you keep the queen in test tube until she has something like 10 - 20 workes. Meanwhile set up the farm and "learn how to use it". You don't want to flood the whole thing because of lack of experience and kill the poor things.

Nevertheless, good luck and lots of fun

[Sniengan Doo]

mpir, thank you for this. I am going to follow this exact advice, it seems very sensible. I have a small fridge in the prep room and this can be put at 5 - 8 degrees C. The lab fridge is at 3 degrees.

I feel that work is the right place. It has plenty of space, I am making a dark cover for the brood box, there are also lots of humans working in there, so even if Im off work, there is someone in the lab every day of the year so no need to worry when Im off work so long as the others are told how and when to feed etc.. (which they will be)

I am going to do as you suggested and get the farm up and running before I add the ants.

I have read a fair bit on another forum (antnest) and have printed out plenty to read about from there. This forum is excellent, and Ive got some very good advice, but I dont have hours of available time to scroll down and read them all. The sticky notices are well read though.

I really am very enthusiastic about this. I have kept all sorts of unusual creatures in the past, (newts, lizards etc). College is very keen that this works for the laboratory and will become a focus of interest for our GCSE and GCE students.

Looking forward to a successful formicarium.

Mary

[JimmyVe]

The lab fridge would be a little to could maybe (they would survive it but i prefer the small fridge)

There is in deed much information in this forum but like you sad it difficult to read the hole thing, but you can use the search engine of this page, very handy.