New Antkeeper questions

[ProZocK]

Hi everyone, I got myself a Lasius Americanus queen with around 12 workers, and I would like to know if it would be unsafe to move them from their test tube to an actual formicarium I have purchased from AntsCanada.

I want to do this because Im getting worried about how clean the test tube is, as I am having a hard time cleaning it up since Im afraid I will hurt one or more workers while doing it.

[JoeHostile1]

Typicaly you would wait till around 25 workers or so to ever move a colony from one test tube to another. 12 is is very small to put into a large nest. But yes, you could still do it.

[ProZocK]

Typicaly you would wait till around 25 workers or so to ever move a colony from one test tube to another. 12 is is very small to put into a large nest. But yes, you could still do it.

Thank you. I just want to make sure it wont be detrimental to them in some way to have more real estate on this point in the colony development, from your answer I take it it wont be bad.

[JoeHostile1]

They may not like having more space than they need. But the only detrimental part would be that small colonies often start a garbage dump inside the nest as opposed to in the outworld. Their garbage pile could start to mold, but I never had any problems moving small colonies into nests that are too big for them.

[AntsDakota]

Lasius colonies usually grow fast. A Lasius cf. americanus colony that I had in the past grew to about 30 workers before hibernation!