ANTSTORE World of Ants

[thomie]

Hello,

I just received my order, Messor barbarus with 0-3 workers.
There are no eggs or workers with the queen.
Does Messor barbarus lay eggs after a long period or something?
Needs the queen a winter rest or does messor barbarus lays eggs in summer?
Do i have to put food in the nest?
How much chance does my nest have to survive?

Gr,

Thomas

[mvannunen]

Hey thomie,

I don't know the awnsers but i hope they survive and become a great colony...

cheers,

Mike

[SteveUK28]

Hi Thomas i recieved the same sort of thing... I gave her some honey water which she has been drinking and i then put her in a dark warm place and left her be.. She now has 2 eggs that i could could.. So basicaly id suggest the same lines... Good Luck and Best Wishes.

[JimmyVe]

I already send you a PM Thomie but i answer it here to, could be useful for other members.

The queen is probably in hibernation so it is normal for her to be not active,
it also normal that there are no eggs, eggs don't survive hibernation, the queens stops laying eggs before she goes in hibernation.
It would be nice if there was some brood. (Larva ore cocoons)

Maybe it is best to wake her up. So she can start with laying eggs en build a colony.
I must say it is rather hard with this species to start with only a single queen. Good luck.

You could give here some food, it is a small chance she will take sugar water but you can try it. Also give here fruit fly's. If she don't accept them you can stop giving it but it is worth a try.

Give here plenty of rest, don't check on her to often, she needs rest. Check on her 2 ore 3 times a week. Just to see if she is doing okay.

Good luck.

[thomie]

I'll give her some honey water and a few insects.
I'll hope it will work Shes at 15Celcius within a few days 20Celcuis and then normal temperature .
How did you gave the honey in a medicine pocket?? (with some paper so the don't drown or just a drop of honey water?
Another question: Is is it possible that a Messor Barbarus have more than 1 queen?
Thx for the replys

[SteveUK28]

I used a pill pimple with a few drops in.. she loved it im keeping her around 22-25oC

[thomie]

and no seeds?

[SteveUK28]

nope.. the workers turn the seeds into bread for her.. so no point giving her them... lol
Remember queens are lazy gits.. egg laying machines..

[thomie]

yeah
Did you turn the temperature up slowly or just put her on 22oC?
I'm going to put her inside a shoe box with a heating element with an thermostat.
And with an little drop of honey water on the ground and a fruit fly.
She ain't gonna drown in a little bit of honeywater isn't she?

[SteveUK28]

lol id keep her in the testtube if i was you..
I dont have a heater at all.. just normal room tempreture.. she seems happy enough.. However when she has workers and i do move her into a tank i will prob have a lamp on the tank..

[thomie]

Oeps, I mean i put her testtube inside a shoe box, for isolation and heating .
The problem is that i don't heat a room all day long.
I put the queen in my sleeping room (15oC), i don't like a warm sleepingroom .

[JimmyVe]

It better to turn up the temperature slowly. So the queen could adjust to it. Normal temperature for this species is 25-30°c if you keep them lower the brood development is slower and with a single queen you can not afford that.
Yes i did forget to say that, no seeds yet, until the first workers arrive.
If you only use a drop of sugar water ore honey it would be fine.

[thomie]

I just put a drop of sugar water and it looks that the queen is drinking (she sits close to it with her head).
Is it possible that a messor barbarus nest have more that 1 queen?

[SteveUK28]

ahh well in that case yes i guess heating would be a good idea lol My room is always above 20

=> edit Mod
post from 6:52pm

ummm.. im not sure about the more than 1 queen.. but i dont think so friend.

[thomie]

I'm going to heat it very slowly. At the moment it's 10-14oC. Tomorrow or Saturday i'm going to put power on the heater and slowly turn the temperature up every day.
I let the queen in the test tube till it got more than 5 workers. Then i'll release her into the sand nest (witch isn't ready atm).
Which sand should i use for my nest? (I bought al little bit from antstore) but i need much more.
I think I'm going to cook the sand so everything dies, but witch sand is the best?