Taking care of your first ant colony!

Basic information Messor barbarus

Scientific name: Messor barbarus
Distribution area: Mediterranean region, mainly Southern Europe
Difficulty level: 1.5/5
Queen size: 14-16mm
Worker size : 3-8mm
Soldier size: 8-15mm
Hibernation: early November-February at 15 degrees
Growth rate: 2/ 5
Temperature: 21-29 degrees
Optimal temperature : 25-27 degrees
Recommended nest type : ytong/acrylic
Diet: mainly seeds, insects, sugar liquids

Messor barbarus is a species in the subfamily Myrmicinae. 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. However, they are sensitive to stress, especially to vibrations. So make sure they are in a quiet place (not next to a door, for example)

Contents of the starter set

– Messor Barbarus ant colony
A queen and a few first workers (nanitics)
– 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 the outside world. Shake well before use!
– Feed syringe
Handy for administering the sugar water in small quantities.
– Test tube outside world
Outside world for the ants where they get food and take away waste.
– 5x test tube 16 x 150 mm
Additional test tubes, for expansion and/or replacement if the current one is contaminated or the water tank is empty.
–
Seed mix 10 grams A specially formulated seed mix for starting ant colonies.
– Sugar water , keep in the refrigerator!
Liquid sugar water
– Fruit flies
Small test tube with fruit flies, it is best to keep these in the freezer, then they will stay good for at least 3-4 weeks. – Moving supplies To be able to connect the colony to a new/clean test tube.

Create setup with the starter set

First you can connect the colony to the test tube outside world. You can do this by folding half the cotton pad in half lengthwise and rolling it around the end of the piece of tubing, then push the piece of tubing with the cotton pad rolled around it. in the test tube. Then you can connect the colony to the outside world, in the outside world, the colony can collect food and take away their waste.

If necessary, spread a small layer of anti-breakout agent along the top edge of the outside world, so that you can open the lid at any time without any unexpected escapes. Please note that this product must first dry (it will turn slightly white) before you connect it to the colony.

Offer food to an ant colony

You can offer the colony various nutrients in the outside world 1 to 2 times a week, such as seeds and a small insect, or some honey water or sugar water. Offer new ones to the colony if necessary.

Please note: with a small ant colony it is best to feed everything in small sizes and remove excess food from the outside world later. With liquids, even a very small drop is enough for small colonies, more and there is a risk of ants drowning. It is better to feed a little more often than to feed too much at once!

Heating an ant colony

As a beginner, we do not recommend heating an ant colony in a test tube with a heat mat or other heat source. If this is done incorrectly, the water reservoir in the test tube can overflow and the colony will drown. If the ant colony is large enough to fit into an ant nest, the ant nest can be heated. Then heat a small part of the ant nest with a heating mat or a heating cable, then place it on the nest to prevent too much condensation from forming in the nest.  

If you would like to heat a colony in a test tube, it is best to do this with a heating cable. This is done by placing the cable at the beginning of the test tube and thus heating a small part. 

Ant colony in hibernation

 
Early November is the time to start hibernation, colonies will also show less activity around that time, and the king will lay fewer or no new eggs. Reduce the temperature gently over a few weeks. For example, by no longer heating at night, or moving the colony to a slightly cooler room in the house. Ultimately, the colony may be kept at 15 degrees until February. Make sure that they are not in a dried out test tube (for example, the test tube should not be empty or moldy when they go into hibernation. If that is the case, first move the colony to a new test tube. Feeding during this time will be little necessary, rest is important (checking once a week is more than enough). Possibly placing a few seeds in the outside world can never hurt. For small colonies (under 30 workers) hibernation is not very important here so you can choose for yourself.

How do I move an ant colony?

Moving an ant colony is very important, you naturally want to offer your ants good welfare. To move an ant colony you need the coupling T piece and a test tube coupling piece. Connect the colony to a new test tube and the outside world to the T-piece. The colony will then automatically move to the clean test tube, which can sometimes take a long time. If there is an emergency when moving the colony due to, for example, too much mold on the cotton pad, a flooded test tube, or an empty water reservoir, etc., carefully transfer the colony to a clean test tube and then reconnect it to the normal setup.

When to expand to a nest and a larger outside world

If the colony becomes too big for the test tube (this is when the test tube is very full of ants and you have given the maximum space in the test tube) then you can start by purchasing a nest and a larger outside world. You can find these products on our nest and outside world pages.