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Post by 56will65 on Jun 25, 2015 10:16:24 GMT
My Lasius Niger queen and about 15 workers arrived midday yesterday. I put there test tube in the outworld section of my combined nest and outworld. The workers were raring to go as soon as I took the cork out the tube and they very quickly found the pot of honey solution I put in for them. There was a flurry of activity in the first couple of hours as workers moved some substrate into the entrance to the tube and fed from the honey. I've put in some small pieces of Turkey this morning which they seem very happy to eat. The tube had red film wrapped round it which I left on to avoid stressing them out, but I'm thinking I should have removed it to encourage them to move out.
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Post by 56will65 on Jun 27, 2015 21:48:19 GMT
Today and yesterday workers have been in and out of the ant farm, carrying dirt out and I think I saw one carrying in what looked like an egg today. The queen is still in the test tube, but atleast the ants are starting to move into the farm. I can't see the chamber the ants are digging out yet, but hopeful they will expand up to the glass soon.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2015 6:49:57 GMT
Nice journal 56will65. Lasius niger are my favourite species and so I am always looking out for other people's experiences with them. Sounds like they are happy in their new home and hopefully should settled in soon.
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Post by 56will65 on Jun 28, 2015 11:52:28 GMT
Nice journal 56will65. Lasius niger are my favourite species and so I am always looking out for other people's experiences with them. Sounds like they are happy in their new home and hopefully should settled in soon. Thank you myrm. The ants have all moved out of the test tube overnight, I guess the queen was waiting untill the cover of darkness that night brings.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2015 14:05:54 GMT
Yes, the queen is usually moved in once everything is ready to go, and only when it is safe to do so. I look forward to reading about this colony.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2015 17:56:17 GMT
Hi, I have book marked your journal so every update you post I get a notification I am going to enjoy following you and your colony Just a quick edit, have you found other Lasius niger journals in the journal section? Others Lasius niger journal's really helped me to raise a healthy colony and it is good idea to have a quick read
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Post by 56will65 on Jun 29, 2015 11:29:38 GMT
Hi, I have book marked your journal so every update you post I get a notification I am going to enjoy following you and your colony Just a quick edit, have you found other Lasius niger journals in the journal section? Others Lasius niger journal's really helped me to raise a healthy colony and it is good idea to have a quick read Yeah, I've had a quick scan of a bunch of niger journals. I was orignally hesitant to start with Lasius niger, I was concerned that being so common they would somehow be uninteresting. It was reading through some niger journals that made me realise how silly of a presumption that was.
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Post by 56will65 on Jul 16, 2015 21:16:02 GMT
So I've had my colony for just over 3 weeks. Things seem to be going well, the ants have dug themselves out a decent sized nest and have a healthy appetite. I can see a bunch of eggs clustered up against the glass. They're not picky about there diet really, just as long as its fresh. They've had crane flies (aweful lot of those around so they get loads of them), a spider, moths and a mosquito. They haven't touched any bottle flies I've put in, I found them dead on the floor so I'm guessing they weren't fresh enough. The ants have been less active over the past few days, with only the odd ant occasionaly out to scout and food being dragged in by just two or three ants rather than the usual half a dozen or so. I reckon this is just because they are busy tending to the brood, which I can see them doing.
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Post by Antkeeper on Jul 17, 2015 13:11:28 GMT
Great journal, I love reading about other Lasius niger colonies. They are doing well!
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