Contents starter set messor barabarus:
– Messor barbarus ant colony
A queen with a number of workers.
– Cotton wool
To prepare a new test tube, for example, it is also useful to use a small piece for offering liquids (no risk of drowning)
– Anti-outbreak set
A specially developed prevention to keep ants inside and outside. Shake well before use!
– 100 grams of sand
To create a thin layer of ground cover for the outside world.
– Outside world
Outside world for the ants where they get food and take away waste.
– 5 x test tubes 16 x 150 mm
Extra test tubes, for expansion, and / or replacement if the current one is contaminated or the water reservoir is empty.
– Seed mix 13 grams
A specially composed seed mix for starting ant colonies.
– Fruit flies +- 100 pieces of redrunners S or baby dubias (whatever is available at the time)
A tube of fruit flies, a good food source for small ant colonies or redrunners, a very good food source with a lot of protein for ants and other insectivores. Store both the fruit flies and the redrunners in the freezer.
– Test tube connector
To reduce the opening of the test tube, to be able to connect to a nest, or to be able to offer a second test tube.
– Tweezers
Tweezers for preparing a test tube of ants, for example, or for cleaning up waste from the outside world.
- Manual
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 relatively easy to care for; the most important thing is that the colony always has sufficient seeds and water. You can also offer the colony an insect a few times a week. Observe their behavior carefully. If, for example, the colony doesn't accept the food, it has sufficient nutrients available, and you can try again a few days later. It's also important that this species is placed in a location with little to no vibration, as it is very sensitive to vibrations and becomes stressed.
