ANTSTORE World of Ants

[jartok]

i just made my order for some - Messor cf. capitatus ive never kept them and i see no info on hibernation which leads me too believe they dont need but im not sure - any help on this please

thanks j

[Andie]

This is on another ant shop.

Hibernation:

Yes, from late October to late March at 5-8 ºC

[jartok]

sure this is correct seems a little cold for a southern european species and a long hibernation for messors there usually short -

anyone know if this is real legit info or website got it wrong
thanks for the info tho

thanks

[jbc]

Hi jartok!

I have Messor cf. capitatus too.

Antstore said that they hibernate from December to January at 13 to 15 C

European ants hibernate 6 monthts, Messors less.

[jartok]

thanks for that thats more what i was in the lines of thinking i seen the website he mentioned and it is a bit bizare theey put that

thanks

[baumarkthammer]

At this time of the year at nights it already is about 2°C in countries like Croatia in which those ants live. If you bought your ants from antstore you probably even got some from Croatia, they are one of the most common ants there.
When I was to Croatia at this time of a year at 2010 they were still active when other ants like Plagiolepis couldn´t be found anymore.

In the winter Messor digg deep in the ground and even in spring there are nearly no chambers to 40cm in the ground.
I don´t know how deep they live at that time.

Anyhow 13-15°C is too much in my eyes, I think they would even countiniue to lay eggs at that temperatures.

I will hibernate my Messor capitatus at about 2-3°C. I don´t know how long probably about a month or two.
By the way my Messor capitatus still lay eggs and raise a very big larvae...

[jartok]

Ok im confused now antstore told me 12-15 nov to march now you tell me 2c for a few months which one works

[baumarkthammer]

Well thats what I will do with mine. You can go with the temperatures from antstore.
I hibernate every ant like that. In my opinion over 12°C is too much I think they won´t hibernate at such temperatures.
But I think you can´t make anything wrong with 8°C.

You could argue a lot about the length of hibernation.
In my opinion the most important thing is that the ants have a hibernation at all. It´s not that important how long exactly it is.
To be honest I didn´t ever hibernate something longer than 2 month.

[jartok]

ok ill try it your way 5c or so 2 months and see how they go

[jbc]

If you hibernate them at 2 C, baumarkt, because in Crotia its too 2 C?

Lasius niger live in Latvia too. In here was -30 C (minus). Earth in Crotia is warm. there is only few time minus temperatures. So i will max hibernate my ants for 3 months at 10 degres C.

[baumarkthammer]

Well it is 2°C now and they still are active.
In the winter it is way colder...

I don´t say that you have to do it that way, that is just was I was planing to do.

[jartok]

thanks all i got a good rough idea what i need just getting it to that temp in the thatll be the issue as my snakes make the room hotter then normal so prob go near window