Lasius flavus, the yellow meadow ant, is a small golden-yellow ant from Europe that spends almost its whole life underground. In the wild it lives in meadow mounds and keeps root aphids for their honeydew, so you rarely see it out in the open. In captivity it is one of the calmest and shyest species you can keep. A colony starts slowly, but with patience it grows into a large, busy nest. Easy to care for and harmless to people, it is a great choice if you enjoy watching life inside the nest.

Shy · Lives underground · Slow start · Large colonies · Winter rest required

Key features

Very calm and shy, needs only a small setup
Golden-yellow workers adapted to life underground
Queens often start a colony together
Harmless to people

Lasius flavus

Name: Lasius flavus
Brand: Esthetic Ants
Price: 6.95 EUR
Availability: InStock

€6.95

Colony Size

Quantity

Difficulty: Beginner
Queen size: S
Worker size: XS
Growth: Slow
Colony size: Large
Climate: Room Temperature
Humidity: Moderate
Activity: Low
Winter rest: Required

Workers: Small, golden-yellow workers that all look alike, with tiny eyes suited to life underground.

Development: The first year is slow. Once there are more workers the colony speeds up, and in time it can become very large.

Origin: Across most of Europe, in grassland, meadows and gardens, where colonies build the typical grassy mounds.

Colony structure: After the nuptial flight in late summer, several young queens often start a nest together. A mature colony can keep more than one queen.

Good to know: In nature they farm root aphids underground and live mostly on their honeydew. Their meadow mounds can stay in use for many years. Now and then, a young queen of the parasitic ant Lasius mixtus sneaks into a Lasius flavus nest and lets its workers raise her brood. This is rare and has only been observed a few times.

Want to know more? Read our full Lasius flavus care guide or 9 facts about the yellow meadow ant.
Calm and shy: This is the most important thing to know about this species. Lasius flavus is very timid and hardly needs space. Keep the setup small and dark, and disturb the colony as little as possible.

Temperature: Room temperature is fine. Heating is not needed.

Humidity: Keep the nest slightly moist, as they like damp soil. Never let it dry out completely.

Winter rest: Required. From late autumn to early spring, keep the colony in a cool place, such as an unheated room or a shed that does not freeze. Feed little during this time, but always provide water.
Feeding
Do not overfeed: Feed only when you see many workers outside the nest. That is the sign they are hungry.
Sugar: Sugar jelly or sugar water. Be careful: Lasius flavus drowns very easily in sugar water, so use a liquid feeder or offer only a small drop.
Insects: Small pieces, such as fruit flies.
Water: Always provide clean water.

Housing
Founding queen: Keep her in a closed test tube until the first workers arrive.
The first two years: A Mini Outworld with one test tube is the best setup. A big nest or outworld is not needed.
Larger colonies: Move to a Mesh Nest, or use the All-In-One Test Tube Outworld, which is perfect for this species.

Lasius flavus

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