Lasius Niger
3,00€
Lasius niger is an active, hardy ant, perfect for starting your ant-keeping journey 🐜. Easy to care for, with long-lived queens and hardworking colonies. Great to watch their growth from the very beginning!
🐜 Technical Sheet: Lasius niger
Common name: Black garden ant
Scientific name: Lasius niger
Origin: Europe, Western Asia, and temperate regions
Size:
- Workers: 3–5 mm
- Queen: up to 9 mm
- Males: 4–5 mm
Color:
Mainly shiny black or very dark brown. Some young workers or newly founded queens may show light brown or shiny brown tones, especially in their early life stages.
Founding type: Claustral (the queen doesn’t need to feed until the first workers hatch)
Number of queens: Monogynous (one queen per colony)
Colony size: From hundreds to tens of thousands in mature colonies
Lifespan:
- Queen: up to 15 years
- Workers: 1 to 3 years
- Males: only live a few weeks
Behavior:
Very active, exploratory, and hardworking species. They coordinate well as a colony and are excellent foragers. Quite hardy and easy to care for, making them ideal for beginners.
Diet:
Omnivorous. They feed on sweet liquids (sugar water, honey), fruits, nectar, dead insects, or protein-rich foods made for ants.
Hibernation:
Yes. They need a winter hibernation period (approximately November to February), with temperatures between 5°C and 10°C.
Optimal humidity and temperature:
- Brood area: 50–60% humidity
- Foraging area: 30–50% humidity
- Ideal temperature: 20–28°C
Recommended formicarium type:
Acrylic, plaster, or substrate-based. They adapt well to most formats, including test tubes. Easy to maintain.
Nuptial flight:
Summer, mainly between July and August. After the flight, queens lose their wings and look for a place to start a new colony.
Care difficulty: Easy
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