Lasius — garden ants
Garden ants are the most familiar ants of Europe and Ukraine: hardy, long-lived and convenient for a first colony.
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Why garden ants are interesting
Lasius is a genus of small temperate ants that live in gardens, meadows and cities. Many species 'milk' aphids for sweet honeydew. Queens live for decades and colonies can number thousands of ants.
Care
- Food: sugars at all times and small insects several times a week.
- Temperature: room temperature with a warm brood area.
- Hibernation: essential for every species in the genus: several months at 5–10 °C.
- Farm: young colonies like it cramped, so move them into a formicarium only once the test tube is full.
Choosing a species
The easiest start is Lasius niger. Lasius emarginatus is just as hardy and has attractive two-tone colouring. Lasius flavus lives underground, so it is harder to observe.