messor barbarus queen's struggle to survive

[formica]

I have decided to give up hope on my messor barbarus queen. When I received her, she had 30 eggs but then ate them all and her only worker died. It then dawned on me that the temperatures in my country are nowhere near sufficent enough to support this species needs. I tried to put her in hibernation but that didnt work. All she did was lay 6 eggs. Yesterday I thought she had it when she was curled up in a ball with her eggs. The next day I checked to see if she was dead but she was not. She was perfectly fine but is what dissapoints me is she is about the size of a Lasius niger queen now. I am thinking about sending her away to someone in a different country who knows about this species and can temporally house her for me. I have given up hope for her to survive.

[Kyle]

Messor barbarus can grow perfectly well without any extra heating, but a little extra warmth won't hurt, try putting her in your airing cupboard.

[formica]

I have tried that already, but there was no success. I think she put some weight back on. Although, you probably do not know th temperature I live in. On average, its 5 degrees and in winter 1 or 2 degrees. She does have a heat rock for warmth though, as well does my camponotus cruentatus colony.

[Kyle]

At temperatures like that she would be hibernating normally, so the only other thing that I can think of would have been stress causing her to eat the eggs.

[Wood~Ant]

I think the main problem is, if she is feeling cold then she will not be inclined to lay eggs, as this is the wrong time of year for it anyway.
My Messor barb queens have always laid eggs from mid February, but they tend to stop from around late July unless kept very warm.

Although my M. barbarus don't hibernate, they do like the temperature to stay above 55F.
You would need to keep her really warm for any eggs to develop into larvae now, and perhaps it would be better to offer some food as she might be a bit low on her reserves by now

To be honest, if she hasn't raised any workers by now, then her chances of doing so before winter sets in are very slim. To be able to survive she should have had at least a dozen or more to help her, which she will never have if she keeps eating her eggs

[formica]

I have been keeping her in the airing cupboard and she has laid five eggs. That means she will be back on track. I will start a journal now.

[Black Ant]

Just goes to show you should never give up on a queen ant as long as she is still alive and kicking