10 replies to this topic

[Works4TheGood]

I've read or heard somewhere that if you can't give your ants the warmer temperatures that they prefer, they will eventually die.  Can anyone confirm this?  We all know that ants prefer warmth, but needing warmth sounds unlikely to me.  Even in temperate climates, ants also seem to thrive in autumn even while temperatures are slowly falling.  So, do ants actually need warm temperatures, or is a slow metabolism the sole outcome of keeping them at cooler temperatures than they would prefer?

[klawfran3]

I had a Solenopsis xyloni colony I got from Drew and I provided it with a lamp to warm themselves up during the day. I deemed a little unnecessary and removed it, and a couple (2-3) weeks later the colony crashed to nearly 100 minor workers and some brood. The queen died and all the ants refused to forage and eat, resulting in the rest of them all dying out too. That same thing happened with my Monomorium ergatogyna colony when I removed their heat lamp, except since I had multiple queens they didn't all die I got it back up to about 1000 workers before they started escaping and I had to move it outside (somehow thye got past fluon, vaseline, AND baby powder). I understand that this isn't a large enough sample of any means to come to a conclusion, but so far in my personal experience it seems that ants do need a basking area to warm themselves up or they will die.

Edited by klawfran3, January 12 2016 - 8:43 PM.

[Miles]

I'd argue that, at least in some species, temperatures above typical room temperature (68 F) are a necessity for proper brood development, annual reproductive cycles, and overall health in the colony.

[klawfran3]

I'd argue that, at least in some species, temperatures above typical room temperature (68 F) are a necessity for proper brood development, annual reproductive cycles, and overall health in the colony.

And hey, it doesn't cost much to heat and it's easy to do, so why not heat your colony and provide it the option of a temperature gradient. It certainly wouldn't do any harm.

[drtrmiller]

Indeed, all ants are ectotherms, meaning the biological processes of development and metabolism are dependent on external sources of heat, similar to reptiles and amphibians.

 

All ants have optimal temperature ranges that coincide with the natural geographic ranges where they have evolved over millions of years.  For ants originating in the tropics, a warmer range of temperatures is more commonly preferred, while cooler temperatures may slow or stop development completely.  For ants more established in northern latitudes, optimal development may occur closer to room temperature, whereas temperature extremes on either end may hinder development.

 

Ants are masters at manipulating their environment to achieve a more stable, preferred temperature, which often varies considerably to the recorded temperature or conditions above ground.  They dig several feet down into the earth, create labyrinths of sophisticated climate control systems, and otherwise manufacture a microclimate perfectly designed by nature to successfully rear the next generation of ants.

 

Within the confines of a formicarium, however—especially a pre-formed formicarium—ants seldom have the luxury of this flexibility.  Therefore, providing a range of temperatures with the aid of a heating cable snaking across a formicarium is the best way to determine which temperatures your ants prefer (are they hugging the heat cable, or distancing themselves from it?), and to more closely mimic the natural climatic breadth found in the natural world.

 

There are many papers that have studied and documented these correlations.  If you are curious about a particular species, a quick Google search may yield just the answers you're after.

Edited by drtrmiller, April 20 2019 - 8:27 PM.

[James C. Trager]

See my comment about warmth and Camponotus planatus here:

http://www.formicult...016/#entry31039

[Crystals]

It depends on your location, the species in question, and what your room temperature is.

In Alberta, Canada the average room temperature here is 20C (68F).

 

I find if my local Formica, Camponotus, and Myrmica are not given additional heat they slowly decline until all are dead.  New brood will not develop into workers.

Yet, most Lasius I have encountered avoid my heat cable unless they have pupae and even then they pile the pupae in the heat and only have a few workers tending them while the rest reside in a much cooler location in the nest.

 

I suspect additional heat is the only reason my Tapinoma sessile did so well.  They hugged my heat cable where it was doubled over and the glass was 36C (96.8F) to the touch.

[Foogoo]

I had a Solenopsis xyloni colony I got from Drew and I provided it with a lamp to warm themselves up during the day. I deemed a little unnecessary and removed it, and a couple (2-3) weeks later the colony crashed to nearly 100 minor workers and some brood. The queen died and all the ants refused to forage and eat, resulting in the rest of them all dying out too. That same thing happened with my Monomorium ergatogyna colony when I removed their heat lamp, except since I had multiple queens they didn't all die I got it back up to about 1000 workers before they started escaping and I had to move it outside (somehow thye got past fluon, vaseline, AND baby powder). I understand that this isn't a large enough sample of any means to come to a conclusion, but so far in my personal experience it seems that ants do need a basking area to warm themselves up or they will die.

I wonder if it was the lack of warmth or sudden change from warm to cold that caused the die off.

[klawfran3]

I wonder if it was the lack of warmth or sudden change from warm to cold that caused the die off.

Well the brood development stopped entirely and it took a couple weeks for the lethargy to set in too.

[NightsWebs]

I know my P. Californicus developed very slow because of 70-75 degree temp and when I raised the temp 80-90 they started improving almost immediately.  I would also recommend keeping your ants out of air conditioned spaces because what is good for you is terrible for them. 

[Works4TheGood]

Thank you everyone for taking the time to post your feedback!!!  Your resounding verdict is clear; heat is a requirement.