Lasius niger
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Black garden ant
Adaptable, undemanding and found in almost every garden: the classic first colony.
Based on my own colonies, kept since 2020, and checked against AntWiki, AntWeb and published sources.
At a glance
- Nest temperature
- 23–25 °CIn the nest
- Nest humidity
- 40–60 %In the nest
- Hibernation
- 8–12 °COct – Mar
- Nuptial flights
- Jul – Aug
- Workers
- 3–5 mmAll the same size
- Queen
- 8–9 mmOne queen
- Colony size
- No data yetGrowth: Moderate
- Escape risk
- MediumKeep an escape barrier on the outworld
Year at a glance
Hibernation : Oct – Mar
Active season : Apr – Sep
Nuptial flights : Jul – Aug
- Hot days
- Calm weather
Months for temperate Europe and the Mediterranean. The weather decides the exact days, so flights can come earlier or later where you live.
How to recognize it
Small workers that are uniformly dark brown to black with a slightly shiny body, among the commonest ants of gardens, lawns and pavements. Unlike Lasius emarginatus, there is no reddish color on the thorax.
Often confused with
- Lasius platythorax
- Lasius emarginatus
- Lasius alienus
- Workers3–5 mm
- Queen8–9 mm
mm
Biology
- Queens
- One queenEach colony has a single queen: never put two queens together once the first workers arrive.In the glossary
- Colony founding
- Fully claustralThe queen raises her first workers without eating, living off her wing muscles and fat reserves.In the glossary
- Workers
- All the same sizeAll the workers have about the same size and shape.
- Defense
- Bites · Sprays formic acidNo sting: the workers bite and spray formic acid, which can sting small cuts.
Native range
- Europe
- Asia
France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Taxonomy
Formicinae › Lasiini
Lasius
Care at a glance
Difficulty
Why this rating
- Makes it easier: Fully claustral: the queen needs no food until her first workers arrive
- Makes it harder: Curious workers: keep an escape barrier on the outworld
Food
- Sugar
- Insects
Sugar or honey water for the workers, and insects as protein for the queen and the brood.
Best nests
From my colonies
Tip
Use a soil-based sandwich nest to watch them dig their own tunnels, or a white Ytong nest, where the black workers stand out sharply.
Tip
In the wild they milk aphids for honeydew, so they go wild for sweet food: keep honey, sugar water or ant jelly on offer and add a little protein, such as Gammarus or small insects, for the brood.
Watch out
They don't like dry air, so if the nest dries out too fast, rearrange the setup or add a piece of wood or bark that holds moisture.
Watch out
Don't hibernate the colony much colder than the recommended range: it can hurt the long-term growth of the colony. A basement or garage is fine if you have no fridge.
Care guide and related posts
How To Care for Lasius niger
In this guide, you will learn how to care for Lasius niger! Temperature, humidity, food, hibernation, nest type... and much more!
How To Catch Your First Queen Ant!
In this short article, we’re going to learn how to catch our very first queen ant, the mother of all the members of the colony!
How To Make a Test Tube Setup - Ant Keeping Basics
In this tutorial you will learn how to make a test tube setup, the best way to create the optimal environment for a newly mated queen ant!
How To Hibernate Your Ants - Hibernation Tutorial
In this guide, we’re going to talk about hibernation: What is it? Why do ants need hibernation? Should I hibernate my ants? Let's see!
FAQs
7A very long time. In the lab, Lasius niger queens have lived for decades, the longest lifespan recorded for any social insect. A healthy queen can keep a colony going for years, which is one more reason the yearly winter rest is so important for her.
Not always. Several very similar dark Lasius live in the same regions, and the best known is Lasius platythorax, which was split from Lasius niger and lives in woodland, while Lasius niger prefers open ground like gardens and lawns. Telling them apart for sure takes a close look under a microscope.
Lasius niger workers measure 3–5 mm, and the queen measures 8–9 mm.
Just one. Lasius niger is monogyne: each colony has a single queen, so never put two queens together once the first workers arrive.
No. Lasius niger has no sting: the workers bite and spray formic acid, which can sting small cuts.
In temperate Europe and the Mediterranean, Lasius niger usually flies in Jul – Aug. The weather decides the exact days.
Lasius niger is not on the EU list of invasive alien species and is not protected in the countries we checked. Rules differ between countries and can change, so check your local laws first.
Sources and review
Bruma's own colonies
Care
- 1AntWiki: Lasius niger
Reference · Taxonomy, Biology, Distribution
- 2AntWeb: Lasius niger
Reference · Taxonomy, Biology
- 3Wikipedia: Lasius niger
Reference · Biology, Nuptial flights
- 4
- 5A taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic members of the subgenus Lasius s.str. (Seifert, Soil Organisms, 2020)
Paper · Taxonomy, Distribution
Showing 5 of 6 sources
Last reviewed
- BiologyWell documented
- Care valuesWell documented
- Nuptial flightsWell documented
Legal status
Not on the EU list of invasive alien species and not protected in the countries we checked. Rules differ between countries and can change, so check your local laws before buying or collecting a queen.
Checked on October 10, 2026
All values are starting points: watch your colony and adjust. Found something wrong or missing?
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