Ants going to sleep
One of my Formica colonies with workers. Below is another colony with larvae.
One of my Formica queens with larvae around two months ago. Now she has fully fledged workers.
Just recently all of my colonies went to sleep. Here in Washington State, the rainy season has just hit and most of the Formica and Tetramorium species in my area have already hibernated, and the Argentine Ants, Linepithema humile, have shut down outdoors for the most part, but are making expeditions indoors.
All of my approximately 35 Formica colonies shut down their egg laying about a month ago, so at that point there wasn't really much point in keeping them awake. I put them all into the refridgerator for their hibernation. Around January/Febuary I will be removing them.
Hope you enjoyed this information/photographs!
If you are interested in keeping ants at all, I would recommend checking out AntsCanada on YouTube or watch some of my ant-related videos here, although I won't be uploading much since they are hibernating. You can also check out my Instagram if you want some more information.
Awe... Sweet dreams little ants.
Thank you for the comment!
They can really survive in a refrigerator? How low can the temperature go?
The minimum possible temperature is 3 degrees Celsius, and the maximum 12 degrees Celsius. Don't put them outside otherwise they will freeze. Naturally ants burrow underground, so they avoid the freeze at the surface, but ants that are contained in test tubes or formicaria are obviously not going to go underground.
They can really survive in a refrigerator? How low can the temperature go?
The minimum possible temperature is 3 degrees Celsius, and the maximum 12 degrees Celsius. Don't put them outside otherwise they will freeze. Naturally ants burrow underground, so they avoid the freeze at the surface, but ants that are contained in test tubes or formicaria are obviously not going to go underground.