ANTSTORE World of Ants

[highered]

Lasius niger went on their nupital flight yesterday, 16/7/09 in the south east of England. I collected about 30 queens, and 1 Myrmica rubra queen. Last year I got about 120 Lasius niger queens. How many did everyone else get?

[Magicalsushi]

Can't say I noticed it happening (I live near Oxford). The weather here was wet from mid-afternoon onwards. I bet they fly here this weekend, when I'll be away from home.

[SteveUK28]

120 queens, what on earth did you do with them all.. And what do you plan on doing with the 30 you have now??

[maxfly]

probably he eat them..

[highered]

No of course not. I separate them out and do research with them. For example this is how I know that spiders have alot more protein in them then crickets, crickets have hardly any protein in them and that beef is fine to feed them and is better crickets proteinwise. I have also worked out that ants need to be fed protein at least once a week, not once a month and need sugary foods twice a month. Plus I like creating new colonies, they are like my babies.

[JimmyVe]

That is no research, we all know that already. Still 120 queens is way to much unless you have a store. There where flight here last week to i only captured 5 queens and that is just to give away to friends or people from the forum beacuse i already have these species.

[highered]

I don't think we all knew about spiders having more protein then crickets and crickets having hardly any protein and beef being a good idea for protein. I was the one that posted these things, noone else. Also I doubt many people considered beef as a good protein source but since I posted about it maybe some people will try it? It works out cheaper then crickets, though you have to feed the beef from the start of they tend to not eat it.

[highered]

Oh and I sell them on ebay too.

[JimmyVe]

Okay, than i understand it. Still 120 queens is a lot. Make sure you leave a few for nature to.

[highered]

Yes of course I do but I got about 100 from about a 10 metre by 1 metre area, they were literally all over the place and I doubt many newly deceased colonies to take over from so I think most of the queens would not have successfully started new colonys.

post from 16:38 h

The thing about raw beef is that they tend to only eat it if you starve them of insects first, then only feed the meat and they will eat it.