ANTSTORE World of Ants

[jartok]

hi when should i put my Myrmica* rubra into hibernation and when should i bring them out .

i not seen them for days but i guess thats normal in small colony

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[gabranth]

November to march

[JimmyVe]

Yes November till March would be okay.
How big is your colony ?
Small colonies are a bit shy.

[SteveUK28]

my girls are still very very active and still enjoy hunting spiders and what not.. i think the middle of this month i'll move them into a colder room where the tempreture will slowly drop as we get into winter.

[jartok]

i got a 25 to 50 and its around the 40 50 mark and i never see them

[JimmyVe]

They probably go out at night a lot. Don't worry, once the colony is bigger they will come out more. Could be they are already in hibernation. It a bit to soon but possible.

[jartok]

Ok i got a new colony of 100 ants to add to my tiny colony i had before was planning on doing this anyways and there active and that i got a sensor and my room is around 20c all the time and i know hibernation is coming any tips on dropping temp in room as i have no heaters on its just hot here Birmingham uk . also 16th be half way through month do i just cease food or feed them for 1 week longer as they only just arrived and same for lasius niger i just got ?

thanks

oh yeh and there are ants walking around with smaller ants but not babys in there mouths ?

[JimmyVe]

Ok i got a new colony of 100 ants to add to my tiny colony

??? You can add new queens to a Myrmica rubra colony but you can not add to colonies together. Won't work.

Put them outside where the temperature is cooler than inside. (in a shed or something)
Yes they sometimes carry other workers.

[jartok]

ok well i didnt know about workers explains why 5 workers have appared ripped apart but the others seem ok maybe they took them on the buggers have made there nest hole under the water trau not good for when i change water .

and i do not have a shed i can put them in thats my dilema and rest house is hotter then mine

[JimmyVe]

Maybe you can put them somewhere outside and make a roof over it...

[jartok]

So should i stop feeding my myrmica rubra and lasius niger now and if temp dont drop good enough by november put something small out for a day then stop completly ? this is my first hibernation

[gabranth]

carry on feeding them until just before they hibernate

[JimmyVe]

Yes, you can feed them until they go into hibernation on there own.

[SteveUK28]

ive started giving mine less food now.. before they was being fed everyday like 2 crickets maybe more.. now they only get 2 or 3 every few days.