Lasius niger, the black garden ant, is the most common ant in Europe and the classic first species for new ant keepers. You find it almost everywhere, from gardens and parks to the gaps between city paving stones. Colonies are very active, grow quickly once the first workers are there and easily forgive a beginner's mistake. They love sugar, need little protein and adapt to almost any setup, which makes them one of the easiest ants you can keep.

Fast growing · Very active · Large colonies · Room temperature · Beginner friendly

Key features

Super easy to care for, the ideal first colony
Very active, there is always something to see
Grows quickly once the first workers are there
Can live in almost any type of nest

Photos: © Virn Stothers, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist; Gino Brignoli, CC0, via iNaturalist

Lasius niger

Name: Lasius niger
Brand: Esthetic Ants
Price: 7.5 EUR
Availability: InStock

€7.50

Colony Size

Quantity

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

Workers: Small, dark brown to black workers that are all roughly the same size.

Development: The first workers take some time. After that the colony picks up speed and can grow to several thousand workers.

Origin: Europe and large parts of Asia. It lives almost everywhere: gardens, parks, meadows, under paving stones and right in the middle of cities.

Colony structure: One queen per colony. Sometimes several young queens start a nest together, but in the end only one remains. A founding queen does not eat until her first workers arrive.

Good to know: On warm, humid summer days, thousands of winged queens and males fly out at the same time, the well-known "flying ant day". In the garden these ants also keep aphids for their sweet honeydew.

Want to know more? Read our full Lasius niger care guide.
Escapes: This is the one thing to watch with this species. The workers are very small and squeeze through tiny gaps. Use an anti-escape barrier such as Fluon and check stoppers and connections regularly. For the rest, Lasius niger is super easy.

Temperature: Room temperature is fine. A little extra warmth speeds up the brood, but heating is not needed.

Humidity: Keep part of the test tube or nest moist and refill the water when it dries out.

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
Sugar: Their favourite food. Offer sugar water in a liquid feeder so they cannot drown, or sugar jelly.
Insects: They need only a little protein. Small insects such as fruit flies or red runners are enough, and larger colonies can also have pieces of bigger insects.
Water: Always provide clean water.
Hygiene: Remove leftovers so they do not go mouldy.

Housing
Founding queen: Keep her in a closed test tube until the first workers arrive.
Do not move too soon: Lasius niger does very well in a test tube, so keep the colony there for as long as it fits. Connect the tube to a Mini Outworld to give the workers room to forage.
Larger colonies: A Mesh Nest is perfect. This species can live in almost any nest, except wooden nests.

Lasius niger

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