The Crushing Blow

[Honeydewman]

Today it saddens me to learn that my Lasius Niger colony has succumbed to the recent Arctic Weather we have experienced in the UK.
As usual at this time of year I begin to gently warm up my Ant Colonies to give them a good feed.
My Niger however failed to appear.
Gently digging through the Earth I found nothing but dead Ants. This continued until I found the Queens chamber.
She was also dead.

It is also possible that my Myrmica Rubra are also dead as I have seen no activity from them either.
I am keeping my fingers crossed however.

[Wood~Ant]

I know how you feel, as I have lost my Myrmica rubra colony over the past week But my L. niger are all doing fine so far, as are the rest of my ants.
Oddly enough, all my ants with the exception of my Camponotus cruentatus queen are in Jen's bedroom, which is only mildly heated at night to about 60F; and it can get quite cold during the day in there down to 47F, yet even the 2 Messor barbarus colonies are doing really well, and they come from warmer countries than Britain

Strange that native British ants should succumb to the winter cold, when they are hardier than those which are not native to the UK

[shane]

Many ants in UK I've come across over winter, seem to love compost to hibernate in.
I have seen many times over the years in winter, woods & moors have odd eggs which my dog seemed to accidentally dig up from time to time when smelling around. He digged in moss and that soft earth like compost or peat which doesn't seem to be frozen solid by frost. He seemed to like catching them mice or voles. Sometimes I think dogs and cats smelling and digging for mice all time when out walking. Dog though has passed away was 14 and upset me for months after.