Thank you very much I appreciate that.
Unfortunately it turns out that formica rufa are a protected species in Austria.
The reason I'm so passionate about the vivariums is to provide the best life possible for my ants and let them live as naturally and unrestricted as possible.
The lifestyle of these ants is almost impossible to recreate in a setup smaller than a room and I'd not be true to my principals if I kept these protected ants in a far less than optimal setup.
As sad as it is I gave the queen some sugar water and out of respect released her where I found her to go find a host nest, kill the queen and tell tales of the encounter with the giant ever after. lol
It wasn't supposed to be but I'm sure I'll find a queen this season that I can care for.
This one was needed in the Austrian forests