ANTSTORE World of Ants

[mtrein]

Will they tunnel in plaster as well? I plan on having Messor and put them in a plaster nest since they like it dry.

[Andie]

I think they will but i haven't had experience of this yet. Mine will eventually go into either a y-tong or a plaster nest but it will be inside their arena just incase, or at least in some kind of escape proof container.

[mtrein]

The plaster nests I make are all inside a plastic tupperware container just in case.

But if they di through plaster then I might as well just make a very shallow nest so they can't hide.

[Andie]

I think that even if they destroy the nest, they will be doing something natural.

[Markus]

I don't come to the google translator so is plaster the same as Gips in german?
If it is: they come better through it, then through Ytong, and a big colony don't need days for tunneling in plasterparts of a nest- in the arena I used it too, but they dont try to destroy... perhaps because I just give water to it sometimes and not often!?

Through Ytong they tunnel very fast and you may see just a small amount of the colony, hundrets of ants could be there and you would not see them, often the queen is with them and you may think that she is dead... not very good for the ant-holder, and they could escape this way too!

Experiences with stronger building materials are made here:
viewtopic.php?f=135&t=15304&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

[sxfch]

Who has Messor barbarus, I would like to buy. I like ants very much. Please contact me!
I have a lot of other kinds of ants, who would like to buy or exchange?

[zhangyuanyuan]

How to keep the Messor barbarus ?I Like the kind of ants very much.Who can tell me the methord of keeping it ? We can interflow each other.

[Andie]

I think this link will give you the best information on this species Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar

[DigiSERBIA]

I think this link will give you the best information on this species Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar

Its on german :S

[Andie]

True, but i can translate via google and i have learnt so much from this site.

[zhangyuanyuan]

Thank you very much for your reply.
I heard your proposal that i translate it into English by via google.hehe...
I think you must like all kinds of ants because i saw many your posts.I joined in this forum yesterday but i want more interfolw esch other.Because i am interested in ants. hehe...I have many kinds of ant at home.I sent some pictures of ants next time.

[Andie]

Not much of an update
Temps are fluctuating between 9c - 15c and the ants of both colonies seem pretty quiet with just a few ants ambling about the arena. I'm adding a few drops of water for them on some cotton wool but nothing else. I have noticed a slight smell coming from both colonies, not sure what this is so i have put the small pc fans running to try and freshen up the air a bit for them.
Roll on the spring seems like an age away....

[urbanAnt]

Hello Andie (and everyone on this thread), I have had Pogo's and my own messor barbbarus which I had pretty good success with so I was prompted to read every post here : ) They are my Absolute Favorite!!! I've been out of the loop for a while but have a new small messor barbbarus colony now with hopes of a large empire in a few years if lucky.

I really appreciate you sharing this for the past year. Very interesting and motivated me to do much better and bigger. Really nice pics, set-up and ideas you have. I liked all of the comments as well. Good stuff guys.

I will mirror pretty much the same as what worked for me the first time around and adopt a few a liked here. If I may, I would like to share my original set up with you.

I started them out in a test tube but feeding became a challenge without disturbing them. I went to a 20 gallon fish tank filled 3/4 with white sand, a floral heat mat under the tank and no top (fluon along rim). I sacrificed not being able to see much for their privacy and comfort level. This worked because the colony exploded in 6 months. I fed them all kinds of grass seeds, bird seed and insects and after 3 years of trying every kind of best food, I found what they really preferred (at least this particular messor barbarus).

1) They went for the Nijer or niger small black bird seeds (I would vacuum hundreds of empty shells out from the tank every month).

2) They really liked the small black poppy seeds as well.

3) Their best choice was the small white termites. They would snatch these up just as fast as I could find them and place them directly on top of the larvae. I see now that I can order these on line which will help me greatly!

Sorry if I ran on here a bit on your thread. You have been helpful and I enjoyed reading everything.

I look forward to any updates you have - thank you

[Andie]

Thanks UrbanAnt. Your very welcome to share any information here, and welcome aboard

I will try Niger and poppy when they come out from their winter rest but for me, i found dandelion seeds good for developing the new colony as they were seeding about the same time in the wild and that the seeds were soft enough for the tiny new workers to cope with. I used to keep goldfinches many years ago and niger was their favourite but was quite expensive to buy in those days. I would imagine half a pound would last ants a while
I have to start thinking of larger accomodation for the messor very soon but also having to consider how i am going to hibernate them in something larger. What are you using for the nest and what problems do you have with them chewing thier way out ?

[urbanAnt]

Hello again Andie, I am using a 5 gallon fish tank for now. Filled just about to the top with white reptile sand. If the sand rises from their digging to close to the top, you can just carefully vacuum it out. This particular sand is a bit like loam, it holds really well when moist. It is a plastic fish tank so I drilled 1/16th holes (smallest possible) in the bottom for drainage. I started a hole for them with a pencil pushed down into the sand to the bottom. After soaking the sand down completely, I pulled the pencil out leaving a nice hole for them to start with. The first day I placed the test tube in the fish tank, they vacated the test tube and started digging out the hole more that I started and have not stopped till this day. They completely left the test tube in under an hour.

I look forward to watching your colony grow - I'm a bit old school so I'll need my sons help when it comes to pics : )