I put the opened pack of needles in the top grove of the machine. There is a perfect indentation spot for the needle pack and an extra bobbin. Typically, the needle is a micro-tex 80/12 in the machine. They are my favorites. I also change needles after 8 hours of sewing or embroidery. Seldom have any issues with thread breakage.
I store packs of needles in one of the plastic bin containers. Serger needles are labeled with green labels. Green=serger item in my sewing room.