Ant keeping

Art of ant keeping

            MY LASIUS NIGER JOURNAL

I will try and update this as often as I can

4th March 08

My Lasius niger queen arrived today from Edu-Sci she has 1 worker, 6-10 eggs and 2-3 larva.  I have put her in a farm and basin setup (can be seen in my gallery) I've put cardboard on the farm and held it in place with rubber bands.

16th March 08

Well now that I've had a real good look I can see that she has laid a nice pile of eggs, she has not moved out of the test tube she came in.  There are now 4 cocoons, 2-3 larva and as i said a nice pile of eggs so all going well, shes been busy and so has her worker but they have yet to leave the test tube as far as i can see.

25th March 08

Not much to add they still not moved out of test tube I don't think they have even left it lol.  Egg pile growing, 5-6 larva in different stages and 5 cocoons.

29th March 08

Not much to add again only that I have 2 workers now the 2nd I saw walking around yesterday morning.  She was black so must have been around a while because she would have been white if only a couple of hours old.  They have yet to leave the test tube even to look around as far as I'm aware.  Egg pile is growing and i should have a couple more workers by the end of the week.

4th April 08

The queen has died I'm not sure how or why but she is dead :( i have got 4 workers and a pile of eggs still but the colony will not survive without a queen.  So this journal is finished :( i will get a new colony but not sure what, but i will make a new journal.