Spring Wakening 2022. Welcome to Spring 2022, ant lovers.
Lasius niger
I am pleased to say that this colony has survived it’s winter hibernation phase, and they are now very active as they forage for food (and escape from their tank! Typical Lasius niger!)
The colony has grown in size during the winter, and there are a lot of cocoons and larvae present. On looking into the nest I can see some nest expansion. I could not see the queen, but I am confident she is well.
Myrmica rubra
This colony has also survived the winter hibernation, though they did remain fairly active during the colder months. There are some brood and a healthy number of adults (several hundred I estimate).
One thing of concern I have is that there is (or was!) a small spider that had taken up residence in one of the corners of the foraging tank, which as created a very small web. Unfortunately this has caused the demise of several workers. I even saw the body of a queen in that web. Hopefully it is not the queen. I did look for her inside the nest, but could not see her. However, this does not necessarily mean she is missing, but that she is well hidden. I will keep looking at regular intervals.