ANTSTORE World of Ants

[paulhdear]

Hi, this is probably a dumb question but...
I got some C. ligniperda (queen plus about a dozen workers) around the beginning of December. They are in a glass ant tank, about 10 inches x 8 x 8, with light soil, a few plants, and some peices of bark, debris and dead wood. They have a bright light on for about 8 hours per day, and there's a heat-pad under one corner of the tank (so, some areas are at about 25°C, others are around 18-22).

Initially, they explored a lot, but now they have vanished - I've seen only one worker on a couple of occasions.

Are they likely to be hiding and protecting the queen while she starts a new brood? Or dead? Or are they trying to hibernate (in which case, I should have kept them colder)? I don't want to go digging around to find them, in case I disturb them.

Any ideas on whether/when I should see some more activity?

[thomie]

hello,

Because your colony got only 12 ants they have to be very carefully.
Maybe they explore first to search for a good place for the queen. When they found a good place they hide inside the nest till it grows (30-40 workers). They probably only go out at night. The same with my Lasius Niger nest, i only see the workers in the nest, but when i put an insect in the tank they'll take it to the nest and eat it.

Gr,

Thomas

[paulhdear]

Thanks, Thomas. About feeding, what do you recommend? I've tried dead insects (no interest) and sugar (no interest) and small pieces of meat (no interest!). How much will they need, and how often? Thanks!

[darradar]

Hmm hello paulhdear and welcome to the forum..

Well your first instincts are right, they for sure have found a place out of sight, and your right not to go digging for them, i do not think that they will be dead, i would assume they are where the heat source is, they will only go into hibernation if the circumstances are right, and as you are providing heat for them, and light, its likely they will not. I assume you have been feeding them, have they been feeding well, I ask this only to determine if your able to wind them down and let them hibernate if only for a few weeks, all you need to do is, keep the light off and turn the heater down maybe over a 2 day period, then put them somewhere cold, (i personally have put my colony up in my loft, which has worked a treat,)and then all you need do is just add fresh water and maybe some suger/honey now and then, disturbing them little, and then you can wake them up again in a few 4-5 weeks time, then yuor queen will start work on building her colony, I think i have coverd most things here, but there will be others to guide in anything i have mist. I hope i have helped a little.

[darradar]

I've tried dead insects (no interest) and sugar (no interest) and small pieces of meat (no interest!).

Unless they drag the insect back, otherwise they take mouthfulls back and feed the queen, so its unlikely you will notice much food being taken with so few ants. same with the suger water, even my ants its only that i see them at the drop i know they take it. but it doesnt necerally look it to the naked eye, but they will be eating im sure, maybe at night when your not around !

do you mean suger water and not suger grains?

[Yankee]

Sorry to disturb your conversation, but:

In my opinion you should provide honey, not sugar. As far as I know, sugar can not replace honey and it is the wrong kind of food for the ants. Or am I wrong?


Hopefully you are able to understand my english writing.

[darradar]

indeed forgive me, suger/honey water is what i meant...... im forgetting our forum knowledge slang is not understood by all...

[thomie]

we understand it.
I heard honey is better than sugar. But sugar also holds much energy. (the honey is for the energy the insects for the growth).
The food always have to be liquid.

[paulhdear]

I had sugar solution (not honey) and also sugar grains because I wasn't sure which would be better. So, a better option is honey diluted with water?

Also, if they are happy in their hole, how long before I should expect to see a larger colony, and some ants exploring?

Thanks to you all for your patience!

[thomie]

Yeah, it's much more easy for the ants to drink food (because of tear "dry" stomach)

In the beginning the colony grows very slow. At the next winter sleep you probably have 20-40 workers. The next year ±100 workers and then ±300 i guess (not sure!)
The first year the ants in a sand nest are a bit boring because you don't see them. But when the nest grows it's much fun to see the ants moving the sand etc. I'm going to start an sand nest two with Messor Barbarus inside (just received it today).
I keep the ants in the test tube (linked to a box with food) till there are 5-10 (maybe 30, depends on the speed of growing) workers then I'll place them into the sand nest.

[paulhdear]

Thanks (und danke) for all the advice - I guess I'll just have to be patient! I might start another colony in a second tank - can anyone recommend a species which will be more active and develop faster, to keep me amused while my ligniperda colony gets going?

[kashmir79]

lasius niger can grow very quick,and also Apheanagaster's, after hibernation, and if you give them plenty of heating then theyl grow, same with Ligniperda, nothing will be happen with them until march time..? around then when the temperatures rise.

nothing develops in the winter as there is no heat for them, but they will when the temps go up

[paulhdear]

My ligniperda colony is indoors, with a temperature in the low 20's centigrade. Should I move them somewhere colder, or keep them at this temperature now? What happens if they don't get the chance to hibernate?

[darradar]

to hibernate they need a lower temp, (do this slowley not stright away tho) move them to either an outside shed, (mine in the loft never drop below 2degrees or above 5degrees, i just check them every 3 days) or to a temp between 5-10 degrees, if you dont hibernate them, the queen will not produce so many eggs, she needs a good rest to "recharge" her batteries...and so produce more in the next year.. also in the spring time you will need to feed them insects cuz for the eggs and larvea to grow they need protien

[paulhdear]

Thanks Darradar - I'll move them to a lower temperature for a few weeks.