Messor barbarus - Harvester ants - interesting to observe and easy to grow
These ants come from the countries of Southern Europe,which is why you probably bought them by mail order, or you were lucky enough to catch the Queen during her mating flights on vacation, e.g. in Italy.
You bought ants online, they were transported by courier
Ants are stressed after the journey - give them a rest for a minimum of 2 days, and leave them in the test tube darkened (covered with a cloth, for example) at a minimum temperature of 22 degrees Celsius. Ideally, the ants should be away from any vibrations, in a secluded place.
How to take care of the Queen to give offspring?
If you bought a Queen only (maybe with eggs already) - do not feed the Queen until the first workers appear.
If you use a heating mat, be careful not to cook the Queen, it is best not to place the test tube directly on the mat. Control the temperature. For this purpose, it is best to buy a thermometer with a hygrometer function (this device will also be useful after settling the ants into a formicarium)
Do not let the ants into the medium-sized formicarium until 13-15 worker bees have appeared. Inhabiting the formicarium with too few ants is the most common mistake in ant farming.
What is the recommended temperature for Messor barbarus home keeping?
The recommended temperature for keeping ants, so that the ants are alive and want to lay eggs, is 24-26 degrees.
How to feed ants?
- Seeds are the basic food of Harvester ants, you can buy them in our shop.
- Protein food is essential for faster colony development so that the Queen will lay more brood.
You can buy protein food in our store or at your local pet store. These are mealworms, crickets, and wood eaters. We give protein food killed, we do not organize battles between insects.
- This species of ants have a low need for carbohydrates - sweet foods such as honey will be eaten occasionally.
- The amount of food given depends on the season (temperature) and the size of the colony - over time you will observe how often to feed your ant colony. Don't give more seeds if the previous ones are uneaten. If they do not eat the insects, it may mean that it is time to switch to a different type of insect.
- Remove food remains with tweezers (seed shells, chitinous shells of insects)
In what formicarium is the best to grow Harvester ants?
The recommended type of formicarium for a given species of ant is the hard-nest formicarium, as they have strong mandibles. That is why we recommend acrylic, gypsum or concrete formicariums for their growing. The most frequently purchased formicariums from the AntCenter offer are Lubi and Spring house.
There are customers who like to observe the process of devastation of the cork, then they usually choose a T-shaped formicarium (in our store it is colled Tower)
What is the recommended humidity for raising harvester ants?
These ants do not like too much humidity. It should be monitored with a hygrometer. The recommended humidity so that the seeds do not germinate and the mites do not develop is 50-70 percent.
Do Messor barbarus need hibernation?
Hibernate ants only if you have the conditions for it, i.e. a place with a temperature of 10-15 degrees, for 2-3 months, preferably in the winter months.
By starting hibernation, you lower the temperature by 1-2 degrees every day.
When you end hibernation, you increase the temperature by 1-2 degrees every day.
We know from experience that badly conducted hibernation leads to the death of the colony, so if you don't have the conditions, it's better not to do it.
Well-conducted hibernation prolongs the life of the queen and causes better egg-laying in the spring.
If you have any questions, you can always call us on the number of the Advice Center,tel. +48 728 215 422, on working days (9am-4pm)
We wish you successful ant breeding 😊
