Everything you need for a Lasius niger ant colony

Lasius niger, also known as the "black garden ant", is one of the most popular species for starting out with keeping ants. It belongs to the small to medium-sized ants and is very frugal. It is widespread throughout Europe but can also be found in Asia, Africa and North America.
 

Food for Lasius niger

In nature Lasius niger often keeps aphids to collect the "honeydew" they produce from plant sap. They protect them and even transport them to young branches. In the formicarium you can simply put a few infected branches (e.g. roses, elderberries, currants) in a vase and watch the ants "milking" the aphids. In the formicarium it is best to give honey solution and protein food (either live small insects or dried protein food).
 

Winter rest for Lasius niger

Lasius niger hibernates between around the end of October and the end of March at a temperature between 5-8 degrees. In the formicarium you can simply put the entire formicarium in a cool room or (if you have a formicarium with a removable nest insert) place the nest insert in the refrigerator. However, care should be taken that the ants are not exposed to temperatures below 0 degrees, as they are never as well protected from the cold in the formicarium as they are in the wild beneath ground. There are also reports from ant keepers who keep Lasius niger without hibernation. However, this can shorten the lifespan of the colony or slow down the development of the brood. During the hibernation, the animals do not need to be fed. However, you should regularly check the moisture and watch out for mold!

Formicarium for Lasius niger

Lasius niger fits best in our formicariums of the size S - M. You can start with one of our Combi Starter Kits, for example. This is enough room for about 1-2 years. Then you should expand both the nest and the arena area. Lasius niger prefers sand-loam mixtures as the ground substrate and sand-loam, Digfix or gypsum as nest material.