Edu_Sci...1st impressions

[Honeydewman]

After purchasing a Lasius Niger Queen from them, which supposedly was to contain workers, eggs and larvae, I received 8 live workers and one Queen.
After lower than expected activity, bearing in mind they are located in a warm Home, I decided to check them.
I have still got a live Queen. But, I have only 4 workers left alive and no eggs produced.
For a first impression of this Company I can only rate it as poor and bearing in mind the ages of people viewing this website I cannot vent my anger or frustrations to the level I feel.
Needless to say from my own experience I would advise anyone thinking of using this company to be wary.

Okay that's my moan for the day.

[lukegoddard]

When I have used them in the past they have always been really great and the ants I have received have been excellent conditioned.

Although the exact same thing happened to me with some Lasius Niger, I still think they are reliable. It could be the time of year or something you are not seeing about your set-up that is the reason for the worker's deaths as it cannot be the companies fault.

The fact that they will send you eggs and larvae etc as well is usually true but it has happened a lot with me where they have hatched by the time of arrival.

There was however one incident where I received a Messor Barbarous queen from them and in the end of the tube was a piece of dried up tissue paper and no water supply at all, but she was still very healthy with a worker and eggs.

I still think that 80% of the time they are reliable and I would recommend them.

[Honeydewman]

My set up is the same as I have used for my wild caught Queens. I only used Edu_Sci to see if they were any good to save me the time of waiting for wild caught specimens.

I already have 3 Queens of the Niger species, 1 of which is already established with workers and producing brood the 2nd of the 3 is at the stage of larval pupation, the 3rd is the control approx at the late larval stage.

The Queen was ordered and delivered within 24 hours so I cannot agree to the fact they hatched overnight as I specifically paid for Queen, eggs, larvae and workers. [ £ 19.99 ]
I have only seen 1 forager at any time feeding on dissected insects, Honey and sugar water so all the right conditions are there for the Queen to lay a new brood. The fact that 4 workers have died within the time I have had the Ants is disturbing too. The chamber has never been disturbed after set up and nothing has been done to endanger the workers.

I fear that the Queen and workers will die unless the Queen begins to lay a new line.

As a first time customer who has experienced a bad result I would still advise caution.

[jolon]

My Messor barbarus queen came from edu sci, and she is fine. She did get a dry tissue and no water source in the end of the tube! Like luke, but she still arrived safe and sound.

[theantkeeper]

I have used edu-sci in the past and my ants were safe and sound, but I must admit the packing was not as good as antstore
Andrew

[nod]

I have used them twice and the first time they were really good but the second time round most of my workers were dead. So if they cannot provide good service all the time then they are rubbish ant providers in my view.