ANTSTORE World of Ants

[abz uk ants]

Ok so I got my Messor barbarus colony on wednesday with 3 workers witch were died so I only have a queen. she has no brood. Yesterday she ate a baby cricket. When do you think she will lay eggs

[MoPe]

It takes some time for her to produce the eggs... You should just feed her, keep her in the test tube in the dark and dont disturb her! That is very important!
Then wait some days, maybe some weeks and she will normally lay her eggs. I would say that she needs at least one week... But thats very different. Some people needed to wait longer, some didnt. Maybe you frightened her in the beginning and she ate her brood!? That happens quite often.

But I think one topic on your problem is enough, don't you?

[abz uk ants]

she still wount lay eggs wat temp is purefect for her to lay eggs

[Zagone]

She might not leg eggs until March/April, but she might also lay some tomorrow. Just don't stress her, keep her warm, offer her food and try not to disturb her too much.

Messor queens are easily stressed up and might even die from stress, but if she's laid eggs ebfor she's likely to lay them again, so just ahve some petience.

[abz uk ants]

Whould she be better in a small y-tong nest

[MoPe]

Just leave her alone in the test tube. If there is enough humidity in it for her (the water tank is not empty) she will like it there.

To make sure she likes her surrounding you can plug an external y-tong nest to the arena. So that she can decide on her own in which nest she wants to live. But dont stress her and dont force her to move into the y-tong. Otherwise you will loose your colony.

[abz uk ants]

were should I put the heat mat

[JimmyVe]

If hibernation time is over you can put the tube half way on the heat mat. But better not with the water part.

[fsredis]

I have quite the same problem. Now I have only the Messor barbarus queen. For proper breeding should she stay in dark?
My impression is that she is laying eggs, breading them but sooner or later she eats them….

[Catman1976]

As long as the test tube the Queen ant is in, is at house hold room temperature, this will be fine to raise M. barbarus. You do not need a heater mat to raise or keep this species of Messor. Granted a warmer temperature will speed up the metabolism on the Queen, eggs and larvae, but some mats if not thermostatically controlled could cook an ant in a tube. Honestly a nice room temperature and keep her quiet for at least 3 weeks undisturbed and hopefully you will get good results. She will feed, but she doesnt need to. Shes built to go ages without food.