13 replies to this topic

[AntManLuke]

Hey, just joined this forum and it seems quite awesome just have a few minor questions about my new lasius niger queen.

I have obviously done a LOT of research but seen some conflicting information.

Background info: My Lasius Niger queen (Antlizabeth) came yesterday from a good uk seller in a test tube set up with a free acrylic founding chamber, she only has 2 eggs that I can see so far and seems healthy.

Questions:
1. She was hibernated from November to now and she is very active should I presume she is ok to stay in the warm house now?

2. I have seen conflicting information about feeding Claustral queens but decided to give her some sugary protein jelly is this an okay food source for a founding queen?

3. Is it worth moving her into the founding chamber or should I leave her in the cosy test tube and wait for my first couple of workers?

Thanks for reading.

[ZllGGY]

Hey, just joined this forum and it seems quite awesome just have a few minor questions about my new lasius niger queen.

I have obviously done a LOT of research but seen some conflicting information.

Background info: My Lasius Niger queen (Antlizabeth) came yesterday from a good uk seller in a test tube set up with a free acrylic founding chamber, she only has 2 eggs that I can see so far and seems healthy.

Questions:
1. She was hibernated from November to now and she is very active should I presume she is ok to stay in the warm house now?

2. I have seen conflicting information about feeding Claustral queens but decided to give her some sugary protein jelly is this an okay food source for a founding queen?

3. Is it worth moving her into the founding chamber or should I leave her in the cosy test tube and wait for my first couple of workers?

Thanks for reading.

1. i would give her the full 4 months that i have seen a few of the more prominent people post here say

 

2. while normally you don't have to feed a fully claustral queen i don't think the small drop you gave her will have a negative impact on her

 

3.leave her in her test tube. idk how many workers she needs to move but from readings i read people say 25 or until the test tube looks crowded which is subjective but test     tube set up is always a good start for a queen

[Hunter]

just a FYI sugary protein jelly is not the best thing for them i would recommend some feeders and honey, homey-water,ect next time

[ZllGGY]

just a FYI sugary protein jelly is not the best thing for them i would recommend some feeders and honey, homey-water,ect next time

i do agree with the feeders and honey, i had a queen who loved her roaches but sadly didn't make it. also have fruit flies for those picky species too

[AntManLuke]

Okay thanks guys for the information, I have read a couple of things saying the protein jelly (made of bugs sugar and gelatin) is good for ants. I did not realise this wasn't the case, is there any reason why?

[Hunter]

Okay thanks guys for the information, I have read a couple of things saying the protein jelly (made of bugs sugar and gelatin) is good for ants. I did not realise this wasn't the case, is there any reason why?

Think about it they are wild, and will always be wild, you are trying to feed something made by humans to a wild thing, and in order to make the jelly you need to heat up and destroy most of the things they need in the insect,

[AntManLuke]

Ok that makes sense so what if I feed her a small piece of mealworm a week and a drop or 2 of honey water?

I've read that feeding fully claustral queens can boost egg production so even though she COULD survive on nothing I'd rather not make her if you know what I mean.

Sorry for all the questions I want to make sure I raise them in a healthy yet natural way.

[Will230145]

It is okay to feed her a small drop of honey wen you first get her, but after that, wait for the first worker, then you can start feeding them.

[AnthonyP163]

 

Hey, just joined this forum and it seems quite awesome just have a few minor questions about my new lasius niger queen.

I have obviously done a LOT of research but seen some conflicting information.

Background info: My Lasius Niger queen (Antlizabeth) came yesterday from a good uk seller in a test tube set up with a free acrylic founding chamber, she only has 2 eggs that I can see so far and seems healthy.

Questions:
1. She was hibernated from November to now and she is very active should I presume she is ok to stay in the warm house now?

2. I have seen conflicting information about feeding Claustral queens but decided to give her some sugary protein jelly is this an okay food source for a founding queen?

3. Is it worth moving her into the founding chamber or should I leave her in the cosy test tube and wait for my first couple of workers?

Thanks for reading.

1. i would give her the full 4 months that i have seen a few of the more prominent people post here say

 

2. while normally you don't have to feed a fully claustral queen i don't think the small drop you gave her will have a negative impact on her

 

3.leave her in her test tube. idk how many workers she needs to move but from readings i read people say 25 or until the test tube looks crowded which is subjective but test     tube set up is always a good start for a queen

 

They don't need a full 4 months, if she's laying eggs then she is fine. 

 

Okay thanks guys for the information, I have read a couple of things saying the protein jelly (made of bugs sugar and gelatin) is good for ants. I did not realise this wasn't the case, is there any reason why?

The protein jelly is good while its mixed with bugs too. I do not know where Hunter's facts come from, they seem like opinions, really.

 

Just leave her be until her first workers, she'll be just fine. 

[Serafine]

1. She was hibernated from November to now and she is very active should I presume she is ok to stay in the warm house now?

If she is very active and has EGGS I wouldn't put her back to hibernation (eggs don't survive hibernation, only larvae do). Four months is a bit on the short side but should be sufficient especially for the first year.
 

2. I have seen conflicting information about feeding Claustral queens but decided to give her some sugary protein jelly is this an okay food source for a founding queen?

You can offer her a small (small!) drop of sugar water or honey. Put it onto a small sheet of tinfoil or plastic and remove it after 2 days (it will mold).
If (and ONLY if) she seems to have trouble raising brood (like when she's repeatedly eaten her larvae despite you not looking at her more than once a week) you can offer her a dead fruit fly or a small dead spider.

Jelly is generally not a good food for ants. The best food for small ants like Lasius niger is some sugary liquid (sugar water, diluted maple syrup) in a safe feeder (like the byFormica Galileo feeders) or applied in REALLY small drops (so the ants cannot drown in them) and protein in the form of dead insects (fruit flies work very well for small colonies and stay fresh for a long time in the freezer).

3. Is it worth moving her into the founding chamber or should I leave her in the cosy test tube and wait for my first couple of workers.

No, leave her in the tube until it runs dry. Lasius niger does NOT like to relocate unless absolutely necessary, they have a reputation for that.
A regular 150mm long test tube setup can easily give shelter to hundreds of Lasius niger workers.

Edited by Serafine, February 15 2018 - 1:30 PM.

[ZllGGY]

 

 

Hey, just joined this forum and it seems quite awesome just have a few minor questions about my new lasius niger queen.

I have obviously done a LOT of research but seen some conflicting information.

Background info: My Lasius Niger queen (Antlizabeth) came yesterday from a good uk seller in a test tube set up with a free acrylic founding chamber, she only has 2 eggs that I can see so far and seems healthy.

Questions:
1. She was hibernated from November to now and she is very active should I presume she is ok to stay in the warm house now?

2. I have seen conflicting information about feeding Claustral queens but decided to give her some sugary protein jelly is this an okay food source for a founding queen?

3. Is it worth moving her into the founding chamber or should I leave her in the cosy test tube and wait for my first couple of workers?

Thanks for reading.

1. i would give her the full 4 months that i have seen a few of the more prominent people post here say

 

2. while normally you don't have to feed a fully claustral queen i don't think the small drop you gave her will have a negative impact on her

 

3.leave her in her test tube. idk how many workers she needs to move but from readings i read people say 25 or until the test tube looks crowded which is subjective but test     tube set up is always a good start for a queen

 

They don't need a full 4 months, if she's laying eggs then she is fine. 

 

Okay thanks guys for the information, I have read a couple of things saying the protein jelly (made of bugs sugar and gelatin) is good for ants. I did not realise this wasn't the case, is there any reason why?

The protein jelly is good while its mixed with bugs too. I do not know where Hunter's facts come from, they seem like opinions, really.

 

Just leave her be until her first workers, she'll be just fine. 

 

i was just going by what i have read on the forum as more of a general rule, which in hindsight i should of mentioned that 

[Hunter]

Hey, just joined this forum and it seems quite awesome just have a few minor questions about my new lasius niger queen.
I have obviously done a LOT of research but seen some conflicting information.
Background info: My Lasius Niger queen (Antlizabeth) came yesterday from a good uk seller in a test tube set up with a free acrylic founding chamber, she only has 2 eggs that I can see so far and seems healthy.
Questions:
1. She was hibernated from November to now and she is very active should I presume she is ok to stay in the warm house now?
2. I have seen conflicting information about feeding Claustral queens but decided to give her some sugary protein jelly is this an okay food source for a founding queen?
3. Is it worth moving her into the founding chamber or should I leave her in the cosy test tube and wait for my first couple of workers?
Thanks for reading.

1. i would give her the full 4 months that i have seen a few of the more prominent people post here say
 
2. while normally you don't have to feed a fully claustral queen i don't think the small drop you gave her will have a negative impact on her
 
3.leave her in her test tube. idk how many workers she needs to move but from readings i read people say 25 or until the test tube looks crowded which is subjective but test     tube set up is always a good start for a queen

They don't need a full 4 months, if she's laying eggs then she is fine. 
 

Okay thanks guys for the information, I have read a couple of things saying the protein jelly (made of bugs sugar and gelatin) is good for ants. I did not realise this wasn't the case, is there any reason why?

The protein jelly is good while its mixed with bugs too. I do not know where Hunter's facts come from, they seem like opinions, really.
 
Just leave her be until her first workers, she'll be just fine.

Lol my facts come from 8 years of growing feeder insects

[Jonathan21700]

Just a tip: the moment she gets a few workers give them an outworld makes things much better. And also, if you want proper colony growth feed them protein as much as they can take especially when they have larvae, irregular feeding will result in poor colony health, larvae eating and population decline. Be sure not to stress them too much, checking 1-2 times a week should be OK. Good luck!

Edited by Jonathan21700, February 16 2018 - 11:00 AM.

[AnthonyP163]

 

 

 

Hey, just joined this forum and it seems quite awesome just have a few minor questions about my new lasius niger queen.
I have obviously done a LOT of research but seen some conflicting information.
Background info: My Lasius Niger queen (Antlizabeth) came yesterday from a good uk seller in a test tube set up with a free acrylic founding chamber, she only has 2 eggs that I can see so far and seems healthy.
Questions:
1. She was hibernated from November to now and she is very active should I presume she is ok to stay in the warm house now?
2. I have seen conflicting information about feeding Claustral queens but decided to give her some sugary protein jelly is this an okay food source for a founding queen?
3. Is it worth moving her into the founding chamber or should I leave her in the cosy test tube and wait for my first couple of workers?
Thanks for reading.

1. i would give her the full 4 months that i have seen a few of the more prominent people post here say
 
2. while normally you don't have to feed a fully claustral queen i don't think the small drop you gave her will have a negative impact on her
 
3.leave her in her test tube. idk how many workers she needs to move but from readings i read people say 25 or until the test tube looks crowded which is subjective but test     tube set up is always a good start for a queen

They don't need a full 4 months, if she's laying eggs then she is fine. 
 

Okay thanks guys for the information, I have read a couple of things saying the protein jelly (made of bugs sugar and gelatin) is good for ants. I did not realise this wasn't the case, is there any reason why?

The protein jelly is good while its mixed with bugs too. I do not know where Hunter's facts come from, they seem like opinions, really.
 
Just leave her be until her first workers, she'll be just fine.

Lol my facts come from 8 years of growing feeder insects

 

You growing feeder insects for your whole life has nothing to do with protein jelly.