New Lassius Niger colony question

[gwrinkle]

So I have a new Lassius Niger colony introduced to my AntsCanada hybrid nest which is connected to an outworld via 4ft of tubing. It took them about 5 days for them to move in. Two weeks later and there is very little activity. Most of the workers hang out in a bunch in the connecting tube and only once have I seen an ant in the outworld. Is this normal?

[Carl75]

As the colony grows there will be more activity, as they will need to forage more often.

You might want to shorten the length of tube connecting the nest to the out world as this could be discouraging them from going to the out world.

[gwrinkle]

Thanks, Ill try shortening the tube. Its just that the bunch in the tube just seem to sit there. I guess they are just on guard. I haven't even been able to spot the queen yet. They seem to have set up home in a very narrow space between two chambers. There's a bit of debris that they've brought in from the test tube and between that and a bit of condensation on the glass cover, its difficult to see what's going on. They're alive, which is the main thing!

[antkeeperlevi]

sometimes ant's slow down when the tempoture is a below the tempoture that they need

[gwrinkle]

The temperature is fine and probably towards the upper end of what they would be comfortable in. I've shortened the connecting tube to 30cm however about 20 ants are guarding the entrance/exit to the out world as with before. With the occasional ant venturing in.

[antkeeperlevi]

im guessing that it's normal that the ants are guarding the nest and also if the ants that are guarding the nest bigger then most of the ants that would mean that they are soldiers and you wouldn't really need to worry anymore because thats their job to protect the nest.

[GriffinAnt]

lassius dont have a soilder cast.

[antkeeperlevi]

pop's my bad

[riverking9]

I find tht lasius niger ants are very slow going ants.