Lasius niger
The black garden ant is the most common ant species in Europe. Tough, easy to keep and an excellent first colony.
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Species at a glance
- Origin: Europe, including all of Ukraine; lives in gardens, meadows and cities.
- Size: queen about 8–10 mm, workers 3–5 mm, dark brown to black.
- Colony: a single queen; a mature colony has from a few thousand to 10–15 thousand workers.
- Lifespan: queens live over 15 years; the record in captivity is about 29 years.
- Difficulty: suitable for beginners.
Care conditions
- Temperature: room temperature; brood develops faster at 23–25 °C.
- Humidity: moderate; the nest needs a moist area.
- Food: sugars (sugar or honey syrup) and water available at all times; protein from small feeder insects several times a week. Remove leftovers within a day to prevent mould.
Hibernation
Hibernation is essential: roughly from late October to late March at 5–10 °C. Without it the queen wears out and the colony may die in spring.
Farm and colony growth
The queen founds the colony alone and needs no food until the first workers appear. Lasius niger likes cramped quarters, so a young colony is kept in a test tube with a small arena until the tube is full of workers. Only then move the ants into a formicarium sized for the colony.