How do I improve a queen ant's chances?

Discussions about the care and keeping of ants

Moderator: ooper01

Post Reply
hiitsmeiambored

How do I improve a queen ant's chances?

Post: # 26627Post hiitsmeiambored
Mon Jul 24, 2017 3:25 pm

Last year I tried to start an ant colony from 4 lasius niger queens. I bought 2 from an online supplier but both died. I then captured 2 during the flights but both of them died too. I have caught 5 more lasius niger queens last week and all have a decent sized pile of eggs. I keep them in seperate test tube set ups in the dark in the warmest room in my house. It isn't even that warm it's been a bit cold where I live lately, I keep a thermometer with them and it only gets to about 12 degrees c. I would appreciate ant tips on how to improve the chance that at least 1 will survive. I don't want to spend more than £5 on this as it is a one time thing if they live

User avatar
Jadeninja9
Posts: 732
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2017 9:00 pm
Location: SF Bay Area, California

Re: How do I improve a queen ant's chances?

Post: # 26664Post Jadeninja9
Mon Jul 24, 2017 4:46 pm

Yeah 12c is too cold for them. You're gonna have to buy a heating cable for them so they don't die from the cold. But a heating cable is gonna cost more than £5.
Keeper of:
1x Camponotus Hyatti
1x Lasius alienus colonies
1x Tetramorium immigrans

Serafine

Re: How do I improve a queen ant's chances?

Post: # 26675Post Serafine
Mon Jul 24, 2017 6:01 pm

They need at least 15°C to develop properly, better 20. I'd recommend buying a heat mat (they can be bought quite cheap on ebay).

Since they are temperate ants they can survive 12°C (in fact Lasius niger can survive 5°C, probably even colder) but will develop extremely slow or not at all. Also the queens might need a drop of sugar water due to the long time it takes to raise their first workers at these temperatures.

hiitsmeiambored

Re: How do I improve a queen ant's chances?

Post: # 26776Post hiitsmeiambored
Tue Jul 25, 2017 12:35 pm

Thanks for all your help I have managed to get the temperature inside their box up to 20 for about 2 hours today and have a small heat source for them but it only lasts an hour before I have to recharge it.

hiitsmeiambored

Re: How do I improve a queen ant's chances?

Post: # 30678Post hiitsmeiambored
Fri Sep 01, 2017 3:54 pm

I just wanted to update you guys that have helped me and unfortunately I lost one of my queens to a mold outbreak. 2 of my remaining queens have cocoons and the other two have larvae. One of the queens with cocoons has a small flood in her test tube but she is managing to keep herself and her brood away from it and safe. I am also considering starting a colony of mealworms to feed them (I will only keep one but my cousin would be interested in keeping one and eventually I would get more colonies) so does anyone have any tips on that. Thanks so much for helping me maybe I'll actually have a colony this year!

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests