Messor barbarus 5 to 10 workers

Information type

Messor Barbarus is one of the best known ant species in the ant world. They are also called the harvester ant, because they are known to accept various types of seeds and grind them into a paste which they then feed to the larvae and the queen. They are fairly easy-going and undemanding to their conditions, making them an ideal strain for patient beginners.

Specifications :
Scientific name: Messor Barbarus
Common name: Harvester ant
Distribution area: Mediterranean region, mainly southern Europe
Difficulty level: 1.5/5
Queen size: 14-16mm
Worker size: 3-8 mm
Soldier size: 8-15 mm
Maximum age of queen: 25 years
Winter rest: November to March at 15 degrees
Growth rate: 2/5
Growing to number of workers: 10,000
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Foundation: Claustral
Colony formation: Monogyne

Care:

Nutrition: seed mix, small insects such as fruit flies, redrunners, crickets, mealy/buffalo/morio worms.
From how many workers to a nest: from 30 workers the colony can be moved to a small nest.
Recommended nest type:  test tube, AntLab Fusion Nest, 3d, acrylic.

Messor barbarus is fairly easy to care for, the most important thing is that the colony always has enough seeds and water. In addition, you can offer the colony an insect a few times a week, then watch its behavior carefully. For example, if the colony does not accept the food, the colony has sufficient food available and you can try again a few days later. It is also important that this species is placed in a place where there are little to no vibrations, as this species is very sensitive to this and this causes stress.