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jeoff82: Can Messor barbarus climb? (15. Apr 2009 21:19)

I have my queen in a large aquarium half full of sharp sand, I have a lid but it's not airtight so was wondering if the workers will be able to climb the glass and escape? The queen seems to be a bit of an awkard walker falling about on the sand lol an she hasn't even made an attempt to climb out. Wonder if the workers will be the same?

baumarkthammer: Re: Can messor barbarus climb? (15. Apr 2009 21:46)

Just one kind of ants isn´s able to walk on glas Messor barbarus sure are able!

JimmyVe: Re: Can messor barbarus climb? (16. Apr 2009 14:16)

Yes they can. Just wondering, your queen is walking around in your farm ? That isn't a good sign. Queens need to be in the nest laying eggs. (or a test tube)

jeoff82: Re: Can messor barbarus climb? (17. Apr 2009 18:14)

Yer she comes out of her hole at night sometimes bringin out chunks of sand. I suspose she's digging chambers.

Zagone: Re: Can Messor barbarus climb? (20. Apr 2009 17:33)

While they can climb class, they have a real hard time doing it. So if the glass is clean and vertical the chance of them getting up and out is like.... 1% maybe. Atleast mine are like that, aswell as my Messor minors.

donbilbo: Re: Can Messor barbarus climb? (20. Apr 2009 17:46)

my messor do not climb glass at all. its a colony with hardly 50 individuals and they never touch the glass. but i have seen pictures of messor climbing glass so maybe there will be more attempts to break out when they dont like the parameters or are a few hundret individuals....

Antlord: Re: Can Messor barbarus climb? (20. Apr 2009 18:20)

In my experience the very first workers couldn't climb glass at all, now however there are several hundreds of individuals they can climb glass easily and I already had a few escapees.
So you will definitly need some PTFE or something like that.

Phasmid: Re: Can Messor barbarus climb? (20. Apr 2009 18:34)

My Messor barbarus don't climb much but only because they don't really want to, they tend not to bother climbing rough surfaces (unless there are seeds on top, or insects :roll: ).
After all they are only supposed to collect seeds and insects on the ground and don't need to find aphids etc in trees.
Some times they go for a walk on the glass but they are soon stopped by PTFE. I have thousands of workers in my 2 year old colony but I never have any break outs, they even chase prey up the glass :shock: .

JimmyVe: Re: Can Messor barbarus climb? (20. Apr 2009 21:30)

Like i said, small colonies dont climb glass but if they get bigger be prepared. ;) I have a glass lid on top of my out world and they even climb on that (sometimes). :) And i'm pretty sure they have all they need all the time.

skywalker87: Re: Can Messor barbarus climb? (21. Apr 2009 16:22)

My colony is very small. They are 5 workers. And sometimes they walk around and even climb on the glass. So I think it´s necessary to do something against the braiking out