Hibernation

Discussions about the care and keeping of ants

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AntChuck
Posts: 135
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2019 7:32 pm

Hibernation

Post: # 63126Post AntChuck
Sun Aug 25, 2019 11:45 am

With Winter fast approaching in Wisconsin I need to begin thinking about what I will be doing over winter. Currently I keep my colonies in a semi finished room adjacent to my garage however being that the weather here in Winter cam be a bit harsh its not logical to heat the room. My next choice would be my basement but since we bought this house in early spring I'm not entirely sure how cold it gets in there. I would assume they can survive the winters here obviously in the ground however if I were to leave them in the room outside would I need to insulate the tubes to do so or is there other ways to go about this
Keeper of:
1 x Lasius Flavus
1 x Aphaenogaster Fulva
1 x Tetramorium Immigrans
1 x Prenolepsis Imparis

LasiusSapien
Posts: 274
Joined: Tue Jul 16, 2019 2:37 pm
Location: Bristol

Re: Hibernation

Post: # 63127Post LasiusSapien
Sun Aug 25, 2019 12:01 pm

AntChuck wrote:
Sun Aug 25, 2019 11:45 am
With Winter fast approaching in Wisconsin I need to begin thinking about what I will be doing over winter. Currently I keep my colonies in a semi finished room adjacent to my garage however being that the weather here in Winter cam be a bit harsh its not logical to heat the room. My next choice would be my basement but since we bought this house in early spring I'm not entirely sure how cold it gets in there. I would assume they can survive the winters here obviously in the ground however if I were to leave them in the room outside would I need to insulate the tubes to do so or is there other ways to go about this
polystyrene box and a little 5w heat mat set at a good temp for them to safely hibernate at that's my plan anyway
1x Lasius Niger - early forging stage - 60-100 workers
1x Messor Barbarus - founding stage - <20 workers
1x Camponotus Turkestanus - claustral stage - 1 nanitic + brood
1x Odontoponera Transversa - semi-claustral stage - no eggs

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antnest8
Posts: 1438
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2018 2:11 pm
Location: Detroit, MI

Re: Hibernation

Post: # 63281Post antnest8
Wed Aug 28, 2019 4:00 pm

as long as tempratures don't fall below 40-50 degrees your fine, remember in hibernation you don't want ants to be frozen nor warm.
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https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=19099
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Hawkeye
Posts: 1557
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2019 4:38 pm
Location: Almelo

Re: Hibernation

Post: # 63884Post Hawkeye
Sat Sep 07, 2019 7:09 am

LasiusSapien wrote:
Sun Aug 25, 2019 12:01 pm
polystyrene box and a little 5w heat mat set at a good temp for them to safely hibernate at that's my plan anyway
The earth they dug into will be a good insulator for the ants, but you're probably right to be cautious with the temperature. A heating mat should be a good solution, although I am not sure how low you can set them. You're probably looking to keep them between 5-10 degrees Celsius right?
The polystyrene box would be my go-to as well, it will definitely be beneficial in keeping the cold out, it is however just as efficient in keeping the warmth in. So you'll want to make sure the nest is at the right temperature before lifting the setup in the box. After that, I would say open up the lid every once in a while to check the temperature inside and let some fresh air in.

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