Present kit: Messor barbarus (Queen plus 10-20 workers) plus drinking dish plus seeds

Harvester ant, also known as harvesting ant. Ants of the given species are our sales hit mainly because of their interesting caste division and relatively easy breeding.

The customer receives a free drinking dish and seeds for ants.

All it is packed in a present box.

Species description of Messor barbarus (harvester ant)

Species: Messor barbarus
Size: queen: 13 - 16 mm, workers: 3 - 14 mm.
Colour: black/brown, slightly shiny.
Distribution: Southern Europe.
Nutrition in nature: insects and seeds.
Nutrition at home: insects and seeds ( e.g. flax, grass, poppy, sunflower)
Hibernate: yes
Temperature: 20 - 28° C
Nesting: sunny areas,without of moisture.
Difficulty: easy to keep
Recommended type of formicarium (not included in this offer): concrete (Hercules), nests and acrylic formicariums, plaster formicarium Lubi

Messor barbarus ants are interesting to observe because there is a caste division in them (queen, majors, supermajors and minor workers)

They are relatively large, if you compare them with Lasius niger.

They are not demanding - their basic food are seeds and occasionally protein (e.g. mealworm, wood eater insects, crickets). We serve protein foods killed, we do not organize battles between insects.

BREEDING ADVICE:

If you buy small colonies, we recommend growing the ants in a test tube to 12-15 workers before releasing them into the formicarium. Otherwise, the ants may feel lost and the colony will develop more slowly.

These ants are not native Polish ants and so cannot be released into the wild in Poland. In the event that you do not want to keep them, please contact AntCenter to transfer them.

Below you can download a detailed instruction on the care and keeping harvesting ants at home: