Re-homing a colony

[buzz]

Hi guys

Not terribly impressed with the Ant worlds to be honest....

I am now looking at buying a small plastic aquarium and separate foraging tub etc similar to those in the pics I have seen on the forums.

However I am sure its not as easy as it sounds so need some advise pls:

1. I have 2 antworld colonies - L.flavus and L.niger - are both suited to life in an aquarium type set up?

2. What is the best substrate for them both - I was looking at getting a light coloured one to show off the L.niger better and a darker one for the L.flavus.

3. How do I actually move them without burying them unnecessarily

4. Whens the best time to move them - they have only been in their ant worlds a day or 2 and not even making it into the foraging tube/tub yet. I presume once they are settled would be better

5. Anything I am missing?

Cheers
Buzz

[Kyle]

both L. niger and L.flavus can live in a aquarium type set-up, it might be better to keep them in the Antworld till maybe 100 workers or more, as at least you would be able to see them in the tunnels and chambers which you might not be able to do so well in a basin set up, as they would try and dig away from the light thus being out of sight.

Any thing that can hold moisture well would be good, so maybe a mix of peat and sand for the L.niger and maybe peat and normal garden soil for the L.flavus, as long as it can hold moisture and has strength (will not cave in) it should be ok.

As hibernation is more or less here I would say maybe next year when they have warmed up (only if your hibernating them), as they would naturally be slowing down for the winter.

hope this helps

[Black Ant]

You can pay a lot for a more professional set up, that's why ant worlds are fairly cheap. I agree with Kyle that as Lasius are coming up for winter hibernation, now may not be the best time to move them, and in a tank you won't see as much of them as in an upright slim set up

Flavus are underground ants anyway most of the time, and a loam soil would be best to watch them in, while niger will look good in paler medium.

Check out some good ant home ideas on both of these

www.anthillwood.co.uk/anthomes.htm

store.edu-sci.com/-c-80.html?osCsid=ce9b98370356f89ddaf72f004235affb

[buzz]

OK,

Was not intending on hibernating them as they have just arrived - both setups are in the dining room which stays quite warm and is South facing as well.

L.niger are still in their tube as other antworld not turned up yet so I have ordered an aquarium type set up for them.

Hopefully seeing them foraging for food will keep Hannah's interest peeked, but as you say you can see more in the antworlds. Will have another look when the aquarium set up arrives.

Cheers

[Kyle]

I would wait till they have more workers before placing them in an aquarium set-up, but you could still add the foraging area to the antworld set-up.

[Wood~Ant]

It is always difficult when you first get ants, as you want to watch them do normal ant things like digging, foraging or laying eggs.
While most wild ants native to Britain are almost into their hibernation period, I know from experience that many of my own ants don't hibernate until late November; some not even then if the room we keep them in gets a lot of sun.

As you have only just got your ants, then Hannah will want to see them active, so as long as you keep them away from too much heat, but not expose them to excess cold either, they should be active enough without thinking Spring has come around early

What you don't want is the queen(s) laying eggs yet, as she normally will not do so until about March. It won't harm the ants to not fully hibernate as long as they don't become overactive, as this behaviour would be very abnormal for native British ants during the Winter period, and should only happen for 7-8 months from March onward.

[buzz]

OK, for the advice guys!

Will leave them be in the antworld and put the L.niger in the other antwordl when it arrives.

Both colonies that arrived had eggs in the tubes already, is that OK?

L.flavus have dug well into the antworld - just one chamber but not seen any workers out looking for food, it looks like that have re-sealed the tunnel they dug. I can see them moving around OK in there, but even food on top of the sand is not enticing them up, never mind any in the foraging cup!

L.niger colony still in their tube devoured a piece of wax worm I put in! Lots of them with lots of eggs as well, just waiting for Royal ** mail now

Thanks again

[Wood~Ant]

You'll find Buzz that your flavus girls will do most of their hunting for food at night, when all is nice and dark and you and your family are tucked up in bed.
This is because they are a specie that forages mostly on insects and other creatures that live below ground, and the only time the workers go above it is at night. With the exception being for the time when mating flights occur around July/August, when they briefly come up into the sun, or if their nest is disturbed for any reason.

If the queens have eggs, this means they are new queens from this years mating flight, so they mated around August and their workers are nanitics (sometimes called "Minims"), which means they are her first workers and will be quite small in size.
As the colony matures, the workers will increase to full size, as the older workers will bring in food for the larvae.

You will find that even the L. niger workers may tend to stick around their queen for awhile, but they are more likely to forage during the day than flavus are.
Hopefully your flavus girls will come up for food at night, whereas the niger ladies will forage far and wide once they get settled in and learn where you leave food for them