shane
Ant Photographer
Ant Species Image Gatherer
Posts: 1,738 
Likes: 819
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Post by shane on Oct 25, 2010 2:07:32 GMT
Though I'd post some pic's and a video of my dark queen eating budgie seed nut   |
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Post by odesssus on Oct 25, 2010 2:10:02 GMT
where did you get her from shane? how many have you got?
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shane
Ant Photographer
Ant Species Image Gatherer
Posts: 1,738
Likes: 819
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Post by shane on Oct 25, 2010 2:33:48 GMT
Got them from Wood.
With already having a messor from summer and how interesting they are as a pets and to observe as a colony and easy they are to keep as long as its warm.
I though I'd get my nephew one as they're nothing like Lasius niger to keep and also easier.
Just hope he looks after her once she starts a small colony.
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Post by Zarbi on Oct 25, 2010 11:12:44 GMT
Lovely pics Shane  I am surprised to see her eating as I think Messor queens bury themselves in the wild without any food, but yours looks like she is enjoying her meal  |
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shane
Ant Photographer
Ant Species Image Gatherer
Posts: 1,738
Likes: 819
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Post by shane on Oct 25, 2010 14:04:39 GMT
Lovely pics Shane I am surprised to see her eating as I think Messor queens bury themselves in the wild without any food, but yours looks like she is enjoying her meal Mine seem to eat if you put any food near them once they're settled and know its safe. It is a bit of a mystery how they live for first 3 months in wild, but they must slow themselfs down ready to save reserves for short hibernation, then eat some eggs either to keep alive or any miss handling, What ever reason, They do eat their own eggs. |
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Post by odesssus on Oct 25, 2010 17:11:25 GMT
I have not fed mine any thing. today I made up 2 tubs with mud in them and made a hole in the mud and put the test tubes in the tubs one is still in her tube the other is out but has not gone down her hole yet. I'm going to keep the other in the test tube the other 2 are for a friend. I also got a Tetramorium impurum queen who has a nice lot of eggs I think that I will not hibernate her this winter as I didn't want to take the chance of loosing the eggs.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Oct 26, 2010 6:45:52 GMT
"Tubs of mud", I hope you mean damp soil Odessus, as if it's too wet then the queens wil never dig into it, or they may even die as Messor species don't like it wet 
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Post by odesssus on Oct 26, 2010 11:14:37 GMT
I know just what you mean, I mixed the earth and sand with a trowel and a spray bottle adding water slowly so in the end the mix just held together if you squeezed a lump in your hand, but dry enough so no matter how hard you squeezed it no drops of water come out. I put them in last night and at the moment they are sitting on the surface of the mud so I will keep them in the dark and at the temperature you told me to. which is a bit harder then I'd like at the moment its at 64F., a bit to hot.
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