Lasius alienus

This is a classic temperate Lasius from Germany, ranging across Europe and northern Asia, and it is about as forgiving as a step-up species gets. The queen founds the colony alone, sealed in and raising her first brood without help, then the nest fills out into a busy, productive population. It is easy to feed as an omnivore and stings-free with only a mild bite, so handling stress stays low. It earns its Intermediate rating mainly from the mandatory four-month winter rest, making it a good move for a keeper leaving their first colony behind.

An omnivore that raises its brood on captured insects while the workers run largely on honeydew milked from aphids. Keep a sugar source available at all times and offer protein two to three times a week.

★★★ readily · ★★ moderately · ★ occasionally · ✗ not eaten

Begin this temperate ant in a test tube, then move it to an aerated concrete or acrylic nest as the colony grows toward tens of thousands of workers. Keep the nest moderately moist, drier through the foraging side with one damp brood area, in line with its preferences. Fit the arena with an escape barrier of fluon (PTFE), oil, or talc and water. ANTonTOP formicaria and starter kits suit this genus, pairing a humidity-stable nest with a dry foraging arena and barrier so you can scale up cleanly.

Keep it temperate and moderate: nest at 18-24 °C and arena at 20-27 °C, with humidity at 50-65% in the nest and 35-55% in the arena. Warm one side to give the colony a gradient to choose from. Hibernation is mandatory, a cool dormant rest at 5-10 °C for 4 months that this temperate ant relies on each year.

A steady grower for a temperate Lasius, building over a few seasons into a colony of up to 20,000 workers. The lone founding queen does all the early work before the population takes off. You receive a queen with workers and brood, ready to grow into a larger nest.

• Lasius are among the most successful ants of the northern temperate world, and much of their success rests on farming aphids for honeydew both above and below ground.
• Young queens often found new nests in the warm late-summer window after the mating flights, sealing themselves away to raise the first workers alone.
• The genus tends to nest under stones, logs and soil, where the warmth and stable damp suit brood-rearing.
• Lasius queens are long-lived for their small size, heading a single colony for many years once established.

Is Lasius alienus good for beginners?

It is Intermediate, easy to feed, but you must manage a mandatory four-month winter rest.

Does Lasius alienus need a winter rest?

Yes. A hibernation at 5-10 °C for 4 months is mandatory for this temperate species.

Does Lasius alienus sting or bite?

No sting, only a mild bite.

How big does a Lasius alienus colony get?

Up to 20,000 workers.

How large is the queen?

6-8 mm, with workers at 2.5-4 mm.

How fast does it grow?

At a steady pace, building over several seasons with a proper winter rest.

What does it eat?

Sugar water, nectar or jelly, and insects like crickets and flies.

Will it arrive alive?

You receive a queen with workers and brood plus a heat or cool pack, shipped within 24 h with tracking.

Escape prevention. Coat the inner rim of every open arena with fluon (PTFE), or use talc-and-water or an oil barrier as a backup, and keep a tight, fine-mesh lid on top. Check the barrier regularly, since dust, condensation and feeding debris break a fluon line over time. Keep tubing connectors tight and seal any gaps in the nest.

Keeping reminders. Always offer fresh water and never let the nest dry out completely. Give carbohydrates continuously and protein a few times a week, and remove uneaten insect prey within 24 hours before it moulds. Keep the formicarium out of direct sunlight and away from constant vibration, which stresses a young colony. A water-filled test tube plugged with cotton makes an ideal spare incubator whenever you need one.

Before you buy – do not rehouse too early. Have a test-tube setup or a small formicarium with an outworld and a working barrier ready before your colony arrives. A founding colony grows slowly at first, which is normal. Moving a small colony into a large nest too soon invites mould, mites and stress, and the workers die off one by one. Keep the colony in its open test tube on the arena, plug the nest entrance with cotton, and open up the next chambers only once the colony fills roughly 10-15% of the space.

What we ship. Every colony ships with a live-arrival guarantee, backed by our 24h unboxing-video guarantee: if the queen does not arrive alive, we reship free. Parcels travel with DHL, InPost (PL) or EMS, with a heat or cold pack to suit the season, packed discreetly and securely. We ship across the EU and worldwide, with free shipping over the Europe threshold.