ANTSTORE World of Ants

[Spooky]

Well i'm not sure I am doing the best thing or not but after reading some of the forum I decided to go for it as it seemed that ants are a tough creature and don't seem to need much to survive

Basically my brother has always been fascinated with ants and ever since we were young he has wanted an antfarm......so we thought we would treat him to one as his xmas present some 30 years later

So due to Xmas postal issues we have had to purchase everything a little earlier than we wanted (glassfarm/arena starter set with some extras and colony of lasius niger which hopefully will be arriving any day ).....................this I knew would require us to 'babysit' them for a week or so

I wouldnt like to fill his formicarium display up with sand/loam so I was thinking that maybe the best idea would be to place the colony tube within the basin until my brother is ready to help them build their nest

I guess my question really is what should I be doing to help them in the mean time? I can provide them with honey water, dried crickets, fruit, ham etc but I am not sure that this would be a good idea as I have read on the forum that it can encourage them to hibernate............do they need any plantlife to make life interesting for them?

should I be giving them any sand/loam within the basin as a temporary habitat?.......I have read that the queen tends to stay in the tube for a while anyway but I wouldnt want her to attempt to create a nest in the basin ..........as I am sure my brother would want that to happen in the display

how about light and temperature?

in short the last thing I would want to do is harm the little critters but at the same time i'd like them to be ready to settle when they are passed to my brother

I'd really appreciate any tips and advice that any of you can offer and tbh ive enjoyed researching this and generally reading up on ants so much that I think I may get my own farm

thx

[sithmaster676]

hi spooky
yes you are right by providing them with the food that you wrote as then they will settle in faster:)
they don't need any plants for them but you can provide grass if you wish as i do in my tanks
if you want to put some sand loam mixture in the basin for temporary arrangements then aslong as you put no more than 1 cm in the tank they should be fine if you place more in ther then they may dig:)
fo lasius niger there is no need to provide extra light or temperature as they cope really well all that you need to do is when you get them cover the test tube in maybe cling film remove the bung and place them straight into the tank:)
it is very likely that they wont move out of the test tube as this is perfect for small colonies they will move when ready:)
maybe you should also consider hibernation after about 2-3 weeks if they eat a lot they may get ready to go into hibernation
i hope that has helped
Sithmaster676
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[Sced]

Hello spooky
I would place them the basin ( Dont' fill basin with sand/loam ) and place a little food in and open tube so they can eat. Due to thier being no sand in the basin the ants wont nest in thier and will stay in their tube. They dont need water as there is a supply in the tube ( you will see when you receive them )

Feel free to ask any more questions you need help with

[JimmyVe]

Hi Spooky and welcome to this forum.

They don't need for right away. just water is fine (but like sced sad, it is in the tube)
If they arrive they will probably be in hibernation (like all European ants right now) if you like them to be awake if you give them to your brother i would say put them in a warm room (about 15-20°c) but it is better for them to stay in hibernation until end of march. If you bring them out, keep them out of it for this your and let them hibernate next winter.

My opinion, just leave them in the tube give them to your brother next week, let him build his farm if it is finished put the tube in the farm (leave the ants in it) and put the farm in a room where it is between 5-10°c and let them hibernate until end of march.

Greets and good luck.

[Spooky]

thankyou very much for your responses guys

they arrived safe and sound with the starter kit yesterday.........although smaller than I was expecting, the starter kit is of the highest quality and should get my brother off to a good start

Ive opened up the tube and laid it in the basin

I have laid a thin layer of sand/loam mixture and 'dampened' it as I noticed that the ants didnt want to walk on it when it was dry

Ive also filled the sponge that I placed within the feeding dish with honey water, which they seemed to enjoy

After almost vomiting after opening the tin of crickets I put a few in the basin for them but they arent one bit interested

They seem happy and determined to cause me grief as they occasionally escape from the basin but already I have wasted many hours watching them

I can sense another purchase coming on

[mpir]

Hi spooky

Congratulation for a good start with antkeeping.

You've said that you've had problems with ants escaping. If you don't want to aply PTFE there are other ways to prevent escape. Simple ones like cover the basin with a lid or you can just cover it with a woman nylon stock. It will allow the air to get in and it will keep the ants in too.

Lots of fun with the ants.

[sithmaster676]

yeah hope your colony does well in its new home
you seem to be on the right direction
Sithmaster676

[Sced]

Good to here they are ok Spooky.
My lasius niger dont like crickets either :\ I recomend you ffer them a worm or a fly

[sithmaster676]

that strange as my colonies first bug was a cricket when they where only 15 workers strong and they swarmed it but ate nothing maybe like you say they dont like cricket
Sithmaster676

[JimmyVe]

Nice to here they are doing fine.
if the colony gets bigger they probably take one the crickets.
Now you better give them small bugs (like fruit flys or something). The honey is good. Are there any eggs in the tube ? if not they are probably preparing for there hibernation.

[LeonofLondon]

Spooky they should be kept in a cool place like the loft or basement as they need to hibernate it is essential that you do this soon having their seasonal rest disturbed could hinder their development greatly. this is also the reason they are inactive your ant will be very drowsy. Hibernation is as nescesary as water to northern european ant species, for real mate.

[sithmaster676]

yes hibernation is definitely needed for ants in the UK i keep my colonies in my garden shed as it best simulates the weather outside but never gets as cold outside:)
my colony ate a little bit for about 3 weeks then decided to go into hibernation on there own accord:)
maybe yours will do the same
Sithmaster676

[Spooky]

unfortunately mpir although the lid is a close fit it isnt quite as good as it should be

that sounds like a very good idea with the stocking ......[s]i'll raid my weekend supplies[/s]....I mean go out and buy one

what is PTFE??

as far as the crckets go....strangely enough one of the colony has shown interest for the first time a few minutes ago....he was definitely having a bit of a chew but I think you guys are right.....it is time to try out some flys and worms...looks like it is a trip to the pet shop today for me

over the last couple of days the colony have been showing me their awesome construction skills and teamwork as they have been building what amounts to a cave entrance about an inch away from the queen and the sleeping masses........they really are very clever creatures

unfortunately though this is just another sign to me that they are indeed getting ready for hibernation or that they had already started and that my introduction to them interupted it.............it would be a shame to hand over a present to my brother that he will get limited enjoyment out of for a few months but I guess that if it is inevitable then there is little I can do about it ......................

One question if I may.................once ive handed over my new mates to my brother along with the basin and display................should he part load the display with sand ...put the tube in and then carry on loading the display with sand on top of the tube ..........................or should he just load the display with sand fully and then place the tube on top?

btw thx for the warm welcome

[JimmyVe]

Hi Spooky,

First things first. I now you want to give them to your brother when they are awake but for the good of the queen and colony you better keep them in hibernation, they live longer if you do. they really need it.
He just have to be patient than

About the display, fill it with sand fully and just place the tube on top off it. if they like to move they dig them selfs in and make a nest. could take a few weeks. even after hibernation. Don't worry they are fine in the tube.

[mpir]

....strangely enough one of the colony has shown interest ....

One of the colony? So there is more than one already? Welcom to AA club.

PTFE is a liquid that you apply at the top of arena and when it drys the ants are unable to go over it. So it keeps all the ants where they should be. Antstore is selling it. It's some sort of teflon.

Put tube on top. Don't burry it. You can also place it in arena. They will move all the same. But this move might take a while. Mirmica rubra for example will move very fast while Lasius niger is not so keen on moving.