Introduction: 50 year old Nerd's 1st Ant Colony (Lasius Niger)

Hello fellow Formicarians,

So I got interested in Ants, watched a hundred youtube tutorials and read a lot of articles...
After that I ordered what I think I need the 1st year or more...

The package will probably arrive somewhere after next weekend...
A good time to start a Journal to keep track of all things happening.

So what did I order that's being delivered somewhere next week ?

For starters I ordered a Ant colony of Lasius Niger with 12-20 (nanitics) worker ants.

- Honeydew surrogate
- cottonwool
- extra tubes 1 meter 10mm
- exta endcaps
- a very small 1st nest with only 2 chambers + sponge
- a few water drippers
- some protein jelly cups
- 1 feedig 'fountain'
- insect tweezer set
- brushes
- Fluon
- 10 extra tubes to catch the same species when they fly end of lujy here in the netherlands.
- some tube splitters y and x and T shapes
- tube connection parts

anthouse-acri-king-9x5x13cm-acrylic-anth

The nest:

Lasius-niger-1-MierenNederland.nl_-scale

The Lasius Niger Ants:

Perhaps I over did it since the ants won't need much more then a tube or two the 1st few months.
But better to have stuff in stock when sarting this new hobby seriously

Any tips and tricks on stuff I missing out on are welcome !

See you in the next post when the order is in

Greetz,
Peter Lunk
Velsen, Netherlands

Comments

Lasius Niger Nuptual flight was today in Netherlands, Velsen.

Just now an hour ago many Queens landed all over the backyard... I caught 4 in Test-tube setups.

Learning more about ants: Anatomy

A pretty detailed anatomy page can be found here: Mississippi Entomological Museum Below is image with more basic schematic overview: Source: Wikipedia More will be added over time...

The Phenomenon of Ants' Nuptial Flight: Insights into the Fascinating World of Lasius Niger

Understanding Nuptial Flight 'Nuptial flight', also known as the "swarming" or "flying ant day," is an annual event when winged reproductive ants, both males and females, leave their colonies in large numbers to mate and establish new colonies. This behavior is crucial for the survival and expansion of ant populations. The Life of Lasius Niger Lasius niger is one of the most widespread ant species in Europe, known for its characteristic black coloration. These ants build their nests in soil, often under stones or in rotting wood, and are commonly found in gardens, parks, and forests. Lasius niger colonies typically consist of a queen, worker ants, and a few males. The Nuptial Flight Process During nuptial flight, Lasius niger ants engage in a synchronized and spectacular event. It usually occurs during warm, humid summer days. Before the flight, young winged ants, called alates, develop within the colony. When the conditions are favorable, these alates under...

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