Camponotus ligniperda
The largest native ant species. Powerful major workers, long development times and certainly not a species for beginners. Long-term keeping is rarely traceable online - queens/small colonies often stagnate and due to the long development times, most lose interest in this special ant species. The fun of watching takes place when a worker hatches, the colony is around 50 individuals large or when feeding is due and the feeder insects are brought in. Large colonies form major workers who guard the entrance and go exploring. While 10x10 connecting tanks are sufficient at the beginning, space must be provided later.
Species overview and husbandry reportI offer you an insight into my successful husbandry of ants and pass on my expertise as an ant husbandry specialist.Form your own picture of how I keep and deal with ants.
Camponotus ligniperda
You definitely need patience. It usually takes several years to build a colony. An alternative is to buy existing colonies - with the risk that a queen is of unknown age. However, they usually live to a very old age. My oldest colony was about 12 years old. They are fed with flies, maggots and other varied food. Nutrient solution and water are also a must.
breeding and keeping
The first workers are gradually replaced by trained minor workers. The first transitions usually occur in the second year of keeping. In the third year of keeping, the colonies train a few hundred workers - or sometimes even fewer. Keeping often stagnates due to incorrect handling, which can be read about in failed forums or Discord channels. Most of the time, the information provided is simply copied and the same result is achieved. We definitely do not recommend a 3D nest, earth nest or pure wooden nest for keeping small colonies.
Second year of keeping
The second year of keeping the ants offers the first real impressions that a small founding colony with fewer than 10 workers cannot offer. If growth stagnates, nothing happens in larger colonies either - conversely, you can really make progress under the right conditions - in addition to the different breeding stages, the ants are incredibly active. Outdoor activity also increases. Flies are a popular way of feeding them - 5 to 20 a week is fine. In addition to flies, boiled maggots are also a good alternative. I would advise against cockroaches and crickets - but they can also be used as an alternative from time to time. To reduce the risk of mites, the facility should be cleaned weekly and the feeder insects boiled.