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Lasius americanus is one of the easiest ants you can keep
Lasius americanus (black garden ant) is one of the best beginner species due to its calm nature and slow growth. If you are a beginner ant keeper, definitely keep Lasius americanus.
Planet!
Anything new happening since your last update?
Sadly I think that queen is infertile. She has not laid eggs and is trying to escape.
Oh no! Is that a common thing? What happens when it occurs in the wild (if you know)?
It is pretty common among queens in captivity and in the wild. If a queen is infertile in the wild she usually dies pretty quickly.
Dumb question: Aren't ants mostly kept in a terrarium? How would their nature and behaviour change anything? The slow groth makes sense, but I don't see how temperament make a difference.
You mostly keep ants in a test tube filled with 3/4 water blocked off with cotton. There are many aggressive ant species which always try to escape their setups when you give them food. It’s just easier to care for chill ant because they move slowly and don’t want to attack you.
Isn't that kind of boring? Isn't it more interesting to see them live in a more natural looking environment?
No not really. It’s very fun to look at the colony, see how much brood they have, and make sure they are healthy.
I love your ant posts, they’re very wholesome.