ANTSTORE World of Ants

[sithmaster676]

hi all
i am planning on getting a new colony but i'm not sure what to get i think i have enough experience for messors and i was wondering if anyone could give me some information about what they are like to keep.
Sithmaster676

[Skippy]

Messor is very nice specie and not hard to keep. I feeding them only by insects or some seeds. They dont like wet. They need temperature about 25-30´C ,and hibernating (barbarus ,capitatus ,structor ...) circa 2-2,5 month in 12-17 ´C ,so not long and not so much cold like for other European species.
I have some capitatus and structor queens ,so If you searching ,PM

Skippy

[sithmaster676]

i was hoping to get myself a colony instead of a queen but thanks for the offer. i plan to keep them in an aerated concrete block
IMG]http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q78/massiveone/Picture017.jpg[/IMG]
currently i have the block sitting in a tray of water but i here that messors prefer parts dry so the seeds don't germinate, if this is right would i have to block of some of the tray so that the water didn't get through?
Sithmaster676

[JimmyVe]

I keep Messor barbarus myself, you can check out the pictures at the dutch part of the forum.

They are not really hard to keep, a little bit harder than central European ants. The only thing that these species have, they get stressed soon, especially the queen. So don't disturb them to much.

[Purifier]

I have some Messor spec. The only problem from me is that my ants are a little bit stuoid i believe ^^
They bring some corns in the nest but dont "prepare" it. They let it lay on the ground untill its starts to molder
I dont know what i should do. Let the corn away and only proteins untill the colony is bigger for corn??

[mpir]

You feed them with corn? Oh my. lol... I think corn is way to big for them. I feed them with mix of seeds for small birds (from pet store) and some dandelion seeds I collected myself. They always have drinking water and from time to time I give them some bug. I never feed them with sweet water. I tried to give them some sweet juicy fruit but they ignored it.

I think messors are the easiest species to keep. They are a specie for lazy people.

[sithmaster676]

they sound a fairly easy species to keep once the queen has her workers as like you say i have heard that the queens get stressed easily.
Sithmaster676

[JimmyVe]

In deed, don't give them corn, to big, i also give them small birds seeds.

[Messorus]

I´m keeping Messor barbarus myself too, but I have so much experience, than I can say you, what they need and other. But I must say, it is very beautiful ant specie and really interesting, because they have minors, medium, majors and submajors caste. I made small website about them, but I´m not working on...
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But I must say, it´s very ,,stupid" website, now I´m reading again, what I wrote a month ago...

[JimmyVe]

whit a bit work you have a nice site.

[Messorus]

Thank you, this was starter, than I will do on it, than the other keepers can said your clause, too.

[sithmaster676]

yes i am definitely thinking about going for this species as they seem a fairly easy but none the less interesting species.
Sithmaster676

[Purifier]

No, i write it wrong....i dont give them corn. I give them grits, some millet mix and other stuff like this....

[JimmyVe]

Okay, that could be better But try it with bird seeds. Mine like them.

[Purifier]

Can every seed mould?
Yeah. They like the grits too. Thats not the problem. Its the problem that they bring it to the entrance, let it fall and then the grits start mould....