ANTSTORE World of Ants

[Ukantzz]

So I'm thinking of starting my 3rd colony of ants (Messor barbarus) and was just wandering if anyone would be willing to give me some ideas of a setup... I was thinking of a y tong block glued on the vertical side of a 6ft fish tank with sand in maybey?

Have any other ideas

[Edit:Mod]

[Andie]

Hi, My Messor barbarus are now in their second year and and have only just moved from their test tube into a plaster nest moulded inside an old faunarium. So you have plenty of time to think about your choices.
Remember that messors will eventually chew their way through a y-tong nest so glueing one inside maybe a problem when you have to replace it, although if they did chew their way out they would still be inside your arena. I think i would keep the nest seperate inside another small plastic box or aquarium attached to the arena.
Check out my thread viewtopic.php?f=197&t=15656

[Ukantzz]

Thanks for the info, I never new Messor barbarus could chew threw y tong

Back to the Messor, do they have to have a sorce of heating or is it just to speed up development as otherwise I'm looking at camponotus hurcUlenus as they don't require heating..

Also look forward to seeing your Messor progress, and nice pictures

Edit Uta

[Andie]

Well the recommended temp range for M. barbarus is beween 20 - 30 c and room temp is considered to be 22c. If you keep them at the low end of the scale they will be sluggish. Camponotus herculeanus comes in at 2 degrees lower and will still need some artificial heat i would think. Europe can have some hot temps and this should be replicated in my mind.It could be done on a sunny window sill but be carefull you dont cook them, even in the UK.

[Ukantzz]

Well I guess I will give them a try thanks for the info... But when you mean sluggish do you mean in a semi hibernation waybut thanks for the info once again

[Andie]

My queen is laying at 21c in the nest so its not to cold for them but in the arena they seem to be going at half steam, not as alert/active as they would be at a higher temp. They would probably exist at this temp but their metabalism would be slower.

[Ukantzz]

So the heating is purely for them to be in a more natural active state?

And is I didn't have a heat mat would still do well?

[baumarkthammer]

Well Messor normally live in the hotter regions of Europa. For example Croatia and south France and Spain.
There Messor live in places with very much sunlight and grasland. Normally low vegetation but around fields used by humans to some degree they also can live in higher grass.
The temperature they prefer is quite high but they also can survive low temperatures and a very long hibernation. However a 40Watt lamp is enough to heat them to a good temperature.
Camponotus herculeanus however at lets say 22°C will still have a lower birthrate than Messor barbarus I belive.

[Ukantzz]

So is keeping them at room temperature in the uk ok for them , without a heat sorce available for them

Camponotus is also off the list due to the fact that postage alone to uk is £16.00 which (in my opinion) is ridiculous

However I may consider Pheidole pallidula into account as they are acostum to room temperature and have impressive soldiers.

If Messor can live in room temperatures then it looked better for them as I now that Pheidole are good at escaping

[baumarkthammer]

Well as I said; they can survive at 22°C but it is highly recommended to keep them at higher temperatures.
Like I said before normally they live in hot habitats.

And again; A 40Watt lamp (which is the normal lamp you use to iluminate the room) is enough to heat the nest if placed in the right distance. And that costs nearly nothing.
I recommend at least doing that.

[Ukantzz]

Thanks for the info I wont however be able to have a constant heat sorce all I have is a tropical fish tank heater and I don't intend on using that...

So I will probably go for the Pheidole, I will need a lot of PTFE

[baumarkthammer]

PTFE is pretty much useless in my opinion but there are people saying that it works.

Pheidole pallidula is an ant that lives just at the exact same places as some European Messor species.
Messor barbarus, Messor capitatus and Messor wasmanni share the habitat of Pheidole pallidula.

Pheidole pallidula is so in need of heat that they even build small towers of sand in the summer to put a small amount of pupae in there so that those develope faster. The queen even sits in the upper most chambers of the nest in the morning when the sun starts shining on it so she gets more heat.

I would even say that they are much more in need of heat than Messor barbarus.

Why don´t you have the possibility to give your pets the climate they need and can feel well in and instead want to give them a climate they can survive in. Such a lamp doesn´t cost that much.

[Ukantzz]

The website said Pheidole is temperature insensitive and another website I use said room temperature... Now I'm confused

[baumarkthammer]

Well they surley can survive romm temperature but they are a tipical Mediterranean ant species.
They just love heat.

I just don´t see any reason why to keep any ant on room temperature.
The problem about room temperature is that it might seem high since 21°C is much outside but inside the house it is quite cold since the sun isn´t shining and heating the ground.
So when you touch your desk it won´t have 21°C but the air has. So the ants won´t have 21°C to live in.

Keeping the ants at exact 21°C will probably be ok but even if the room temperature will be 21°C you will need some heating to reach this temperature in the ants nest.

[Ukantzz]

I can keep them near the radiator but out of direct sunlight thanks for all the advice