Lassitudes L.Niger colony -Day 1

[lassitude]

Introduction:  I've been curious about ants and their social behavior since I was a boy and I've only recently discovered other people share this interest. 

I started in a misguided way by buying a gel formicarium and a rather small L.Niger queen from ebay back in early March of this year. I've had no success with this dimunutive Queen and along the way I even brought parts and costructed a traditional glass (acrylic) sided formicarium and moved her into it (see below). The design includes a separate feeding chamber, a small pipe with syringe to add water to the colony and ventilation holes in the lid protected by narrow gauge gauze.

My old queen has disappeared and my thoughts are she has either died of burried herself in frustration.



Day one-  Today (27/7/2013) the L. Niger queens were flying where I live in Eversely, Hampshire so I have decided to try and start my colony again. I've thoroughly searched my formicarium and there is no sign of the old queen so I have introduced the new queen (along with a hapless male ant who I know will only last a few days at most).

I introduced the new queen to the formicarium and the difference in behavior to my ebay queen is dramatic. The new queen has explored the whole formicarium but not the food chamber but is not interested in going down the hole in the soil I have created for her. I am hoping she will settle down in the coming hours and start the process of building her nest.

My set up:




Water Irrigation:


My Queen (who seems to be exploring her new environment repeatedly at the moment


If anybody has any advice about how to best get her settled in I would appreciate it.

I've pre-drilled a tunnel and covered the exposed side with dark card and hope she will use it once she had calmed down a bit.

Thanks,

Chris

[crockatt]

I think the best thing to do, is keep her covered and in the dark and leave her, only checking for a short time every few days or even longer, good luck with your new colony

[Atomfix]

Very nice set up there. And as above said, try and keep your colony dark, but not all dark, then on the sides, cover it up with black bin liner where the dig mix is, but keeping above exposed to light, this will encourage her to dig.

Black bin liner is very good on blocking light, I suggest you try it

Good luck by the way!

[Deleted]

Never buy ants of ebay, sellers just clip their wings of and then well them as 'mated' queens.

[lassitude]

Day 3: The queen has gone to ground. She's decided not to use the burrow I started for her and I've not seen her since the end of day one.

I have screened off the sides below ground level and now I guess it's just a matter of waiting to see what happens. 

Is there anything else I need to consider as far as caring for her is concerned? (Other than leaving her alone to get on with it)

thanks,

Chris

[Black Ant]

Just leave her to do her own thing. It may be awhile and can get frustrating waiting, but being patient usually brings the reward of her raising a colony.  

[Atomfix]

As above said, you might start seeing some activity within the next month or so for the queens offspring to develop etc and start foraging for the queen to lay more eggs.