ANTSTORE World of Ants

[damondeionno]

Ashhad

I also followed your lead when I saw your post on Sunday morning. Thanks for spotting the deal. I figured at that price, I couldn't lose. My M barbarus arrived today. I have a healthy looking queen and 11 workers. There are 2 small larvae, no eggs and 2 dead workers in the tube.

I have placed it in a small arena and the workers are busy foraging. They seem to like the small bit of apple I gave them. They took it into the tube and even the queen has been feeding from it. They also like the spirulina flakes I feed my fish and I have given them a small mosquito.

I don't think they can eat it all at once, and I will take out anything they don't want.

[ashhad1]

Well im glad i helped you out in buying a Messor barbarus colony

[SteveUK28]

Sounds good Damon.
@Poly, just wondering but how are you heating that big setup of yours ?

[JimmyVe]

Just an update on my messor, currently while the rest of the ants tend to the queen in the test tube one worker seems to be painstakeingly carrying sand grains one at a time into the test tube. anyone seen this behaviour before?

I wouldnt at all be suprised if they seal up the test tube entrance..

Yes, a lot of ant species do this, they feel saver if the entrance to there home i not so big.

[ashhad1]

Lol i need to buy a heat mat for my setup because it is really big (well the biggest i got) and all i got to heat it is my lamp hehe...
But they seem to do fine and the temp is around 22C-24C max
I hope when i get the heat mat it will increase to 26C-30C

Oh ya and today with my messors i noticed i have 10 workers not 9 hehe

[polyp]

im just trying to convince mine to leave the test tube , all this wasted labour lol

[ashhad1]

I havnt made a ytong for them yet
I want them to stay in the 2 test tubes ive given to them until they reach numbers of atleast 70+

[kerzhakov]

might be a bit late to add to this boys but just out of curiosity which seeds do ur messors prefer? mine have a massive store of the tiny blue seeds u get in the mixed packets from antstore + edu- sci. i think only about 1 ant knows about the stockpile. this was a grafter i tell ya! fair old pile of them and they are not easy to find these wee blue boys! fascinating stuff to watch!!

[JimmyVe]

Mine like almost all seeds that are not to big to carry.

[kerzhakov]

honestly, they were very very fussy off the blue ones. ive got a large variety off seeds and the go to great lengths to find these ones. that includes lifting the larger ones! . im sure some larger workers will put an end to this trend!! you cant beat a rhyme.

[JimmyVe]

If the seeds are to big they will carry them back out, they can not use big seeds.

[ashhad1]

by blue seeds u might mean poppy seeds???

[ashhad1]

Hey everyone!!! im bk after loooong time hehe, its good to say that my Messors are alive and kicking and have come out of hibernation quite some time ago. I will update my dairy asap once i get the oppertunity .xD

[Zagone]

Aah, the joys of a non-hibernating Messor species. ^^ *beams*