My Lasius niger

My Lasius niger

Beitragvon Northbuster » 2. Okt 2013 13:05

Hey Ant Fans!

I am very new to ant keeping. Just got my 1st colony about 2 months ago. But first a little bit more about me. I am 27, from the netherlands and currently in school again. Always loved ants, being amazed by how such a small, tiny, fragile creature can survive. So in the beginning of this year i found a youtube channel about ant keeping. It amazed me. before i was sure i wanted this i watched a whole lot more vids, went outside to see what the world had to offer. I needed to be really sure i wanted to become an ant keeper. So on a hot summer afternoon, after feeding the ants in the garden a peace of apple (wich the loved and it was shortly after filled with ants eating from it), i order my own colony online! the next few days was spend with making an out world.

Then the day came i got them. Monday the 12th of august. It was like Christmas for me. Opening the box with all the things needed in them!!!! MUAH!!

Ofcours there was my queen, with about 10 workers. i think i have stared into the testtube for about 30 minutes. so then it was time to connect all the pieces. I had orderd a plaster nest and a couple of tubes. after setting it all up in my room i waited for the next day to set them loose in the outworld. i had a few freshly killed fruitflies (first time ever i was happy i had them in my hous) on a milk lid. On another lid a few honey drops and a test tube, i got from a friend, filled with water and a cotton bal.

Then came the moment to set the ants loose. early in the morning i open the lid from the test tube and waited on what would happen. it took them a few hours to find the honey, water and fruitflies. In the evening i noticed that 1 of the fruitflies was gone and moved in the test tube. So i knew they were happy and feeding the larve. It took them about 1 week to finaly escort the queen to the big nest, wich they are settled in now. I missed it happening tho!

So after 1.5 month now, there issent a lot of breed. nut much eggs, larve or pupea. Tho i started to feed them cut up crickets today to hopefully boost there protiens. they are now with about 20 worker, 5 pupea, 7 larve and a small amount of eggs. I hope the new amount of protiens will boost them before hibernation! (when ever that starts)

If you have any hints, tips, advice or questions!!! Feel free! tho keep in mind i am new and not an expert at all!

hopefully it issent tomuch of a message to start with. Please tell me what you like to know/hear about my colony. I will update when ever there is something to update!

Cheers!

Ruben
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Werbeanzeige: Acromyrmex cf. octospinosus



Re: My Lasius niger

Beitragvon Northbuster » 4. Okt 2013 12:37

Hey all!

I will keep on posting i guess.Tho no one replyed ;)

After feeding them 2 crickets (wich might have been to much) the activity has grown. The workers are walking all over the nest and are in the outworld a lot more. Its so much fun to see 1 ant dragging in the parts of cricket i cut up. Took 1 ant about 1 hour to get it from the lid to the right chamber. All te eggs, larve and pupea are now in a different chamber of the nest and i have a better view in that chamber. This made it clear that there was a HUGE pile of eggs. Man i am so happy!

I do have a few Questions:

1 - I know about hibernation and that its importent. Do i force them into hibernation, as in putting them in a cool/cold place or do i wait for them to slow down and bunch up together and do nothing?

2 - i give them Water (in a test tube), few drops of honey on a lid and cut up insects. Do they need anything more?

3 - What do you do as an ant lover during hibernation season?

i hope some can help! I am also trying to get a few pictures up here. still working that out!
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Re: My Lasius niger

Beitragvon Northbuster » 12. Okt 2013 23:08

Here is an update:

My ants got kinda active, never seen them this active. Constant foraging is going on, 1 or 2 workers at a time. I am waiting to put them in hibernation because of friends comming over on the 4th of November. Then they will go in a cold place. I do have a nice about of brood. 4 Pupea, about 30 larvea and i think about 15 eggs (most i have had sofar).

i hope ppl read this as the forum is getting a bit less active now. I think it has to do with everyone having ants in Hibernation. But i like it that my colony is very active now.

Check you all later!
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Re: My Lasius niger

Beitragvon Northbuster » 13. Mai 2014 15:07

Hey!

I know it has been a while since i made a post about my ant colony. For my 1st colony i think they are doing well! they are doing sowell they have broken out 1 time :evil:

I had to fix that with a new outworld and better anti-escaping stuff.

Let me tell you first on how the colony is doing now. I have about 30 Pupea, around 100 larve, a small cluster of eggs and atleast 60 ants! ( i will try to post a picture of the 2 chambers they are using at this moment in my plaster nest. I never thought they and I would make it this far! am feeding them about 2 small crickets a day, make sure they have enough honey (yes, pure honey, they like it and they clean up a small plate in a week) and always have a test tube of water and a cottonball in the outworld.

what i found one of the most amazing things about my ant colony is when a new ant is getting out of her cocoon. The whiteness and the amount of care her sisters give her is simple amazing and very interesting to watch.

I also gave them a few none flying fruitflies. Its funny to watch to see one ant fight and kill it, taking it in and then for it being used with the larve.

Now the reason why i all of a sudden started to post on this forum is simple! i have 2 new Queens!! :D a Messor Barbarus and a Camponotus Ligniperdus. I was amazed at how big these Queens are and i will make a Blog about them aswell, post pics and (hopefully) awnser questions!

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I hope the picture is clear enough, dont have a better camera to make closer-ups!

I will try to make an update ever week! feel free to ask you questions or things you would like to see in a picture!
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Re: My Lasius niger

Beitragvon joshjw » 30. Jul 2014 21:53

Been a while since u posted think its because no one is replying. There is a lot of larvae pupae and cocoons hope you keep on posting
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Re: My Lasius niger

Beitragvon Camoth » 31. Jul 2014 20:25

Yes, please let us know how they are doing!
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Re: My Lasius niger

Beitragvon mjbowman07 » 1. Aug 2014 18:58

very cool read, thhumbs up
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Werbeanzeige: Acromyrmex cf. octospinosus


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