2. Formica fusca colonies reach only about 500 workers, 2000 at max. Formica usually lay eggs only after hibernation, so no quick start here.
3. Should be fine. Baby powder is next best after fluon. Formica ants like to build "bridges" in oil or vaseline.
Search found 11 matches
- Fri Jun 07, 2019 6:26 am
- Forum: Ant Care and Ant Keeping
- Topic: Caught a Formica Fusca colony, what next?
- Replies: 2
- Views: 1893
- Thu Jun 06, 2019 6:52 am
- Forum: Ant Species Identification Center
- Topic: Queen from central Europe
- Replies: 1
- Views: 1327
Re: Queen from central Europe
So I was told it's Formica rufa, Formica pratensis or Formica polyctena. Those are all social parasites and that's probably just too advanced for me. So she'll be going back in the wild.
- Thu Jun 06, 2019 1:45 am
- Forum: Ant Care and Ant Keeping
- Topic: Predator in the tank
- Replies: 5
- Views: 3468
Re: Predator in the tank
Yep, they are very likely starting to hibernate.BeginnerAntKeeper wrote: ↑Wed Jun 05, 2019 12:50 amAnts in temperate environments go through hibernation in the winter I believe so that may have been the cause of the ant inactivity(I am from the tropics and have not seen ant hibernation so forgive me if I am wrong)
- Thu Jun 06, 2019 1:39 am
- Forum: Ant Care and Ant Keeping
- Topic: HELP! Lasius Niger colony won't move from dried test tube to acrylic setup
- Replies: 6
- Views: 4973
Re: HELP! Lasius Niger colony won't move from dried test tube to acrylic setup
Well, I think OP's biggest worry here is the black mold in their setup. Mold has killed many a new colony. I eventually always get black mold in my test tubes. The ants were never harmed and don't seem bothered by it (they refuse to move to a new clean test tube). Actually my Lasius niger refused t...
- Wed Jun 05, 2019 6:55 pm
- Forum: Formicariums and Ant Setups
- Topic: Ytong nest with magnet-attached screen
- Replies: 1
- Views: 1752
Ytong nest with magnet-attached screen
I'm making a vertical Ytong nest with a plexiglass screen attached by 4 neodymium magnets. Is there any hope that this will work for my Lasius niger colony? Is it possible to make the screen perfectly flush with the Ytong so that not even the tiny Lasius workers would be able to escape? Or will I ha...
- Wed Jun 05, 2019 4:56 pm
- Forum: Ant Care and Ant Keeping
- Topic: Stress from shipping (not moving out, no eggs)
- Replies: 1
- Views: 1357
Stress from shipping (not moving out, no eggs)
I would be grateful for advice on my new Formica cinerea colony (queen of 2018). I bought a queen and about 20 workers online. Shipping time was only 1 day and the weather was quite cool (around 15°C). When the test tube arrived there were still some white workers, so they must have been active late...
- Wed Jun 05, 2019 4:32 pm
- Forum: Ant Care and Ant Keeping
- Topic: Weird growth on ant head
- Replies: 7
- Views: 5054
Re: Weird growth on ant head
If I remember correctly, pandora sp. are transmitted through aphids. Unless you have aphids, or plants that have come in contact with aphids in your setup, or have even been feeding your ants predators that eat aphids (ex. ladybug nymphs), I doubt it's a pandora sp. But I definitely agree on it bei...
- Wed Jun 05, 2019 1:46 pm
- Forum: Ant Care and Ant Keeping
- Topic: No eggs for months.
- Replies: 16
- Views: 9883
Re: No eggs for months.
She's probably not fertile. Either because she didn't mate or for some other reason.
- Wed Jun 05, 2019 12:47 pm
- Forum: Ant Care and Ant Keeping
- Topic: HELP! Lasius Niger colony won't move from dried test tube to acrylic setup
- Replies: 6
- Views: 4973
Re: HELP! Lasius Niger colony won't move from dried test tube to acrylic setup
There must be still some moisture in the cotton. They will move eventually on their own, though it may take them weeks. My Lasius niger are stubborn like that.
Don't worry, they should move before they die from lack of water. They hopefully know what they're doing.
Don't worry, they should move before they die from lack of water. They hopefully know what they're doing.
- Wed Jun 05, 2019 12:42 pm
- Forum: Ant Care and Ant Keeping
- Topic: Weird growth on ant head
- Replies: 7
- Views: 5054
Re: Weird growth on ant head
Looks like some fungus to me (try googling pandora formicae)