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Post by IceWhyte on Sept 20, 2011 11:39:05 GMT
My Barbarus have taking a fair amount of seeds into their ytong nest and some seeds near the nest area which I try to keep damp have started to sprout. I am going to have to remove them some how :/ Does anyone know if baking the seeds disables them from germinating? Also a few seeds have become mouldy, should I expect the ants to remove them or should I try to remove them myself? Don't have a clue how I will get them out though!
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Post by Jenny on Sept 20, 2011 12:34:08 GMT
It might be that the ytong has too much moisture in it causing the germination and mould. Can you reach the seeds without losing ants that is the thing, maybe a straw in there and suck them up slowly so you don't swallow the seed at your end? (just a suggestion) Cooking seeds can harden them and lose the oils within.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Sept 20, 2011 14:41:50 GMT
I would advise against cooking the seeds, since as Jenant says, it may result in the loss of beneficial oils and/or nutrients. If you want a crude but possibly effective way of removing them, maybe you could use a long, flexible piece of wire and try and get them out that way? I think it might be a bit tedious though.
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Post by IceWhyte on Sept 20, 2011 18:20:46 GMT
Thanks for the input. Do you know if freezing them would disable them from sprouting? Yeh I have been trying with wire but had not much luck. I need to get some better wire to scrape then into range for some sooking.
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Post by bobdol on Sept 20, 2011 20:53:51 GMT
I think they will remove them eventually
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Post by jameslovell on Sept 21, 2011 11:52:49 GMT
Hi, I had this problem when I first set up my tank for my Messor barbarus. I had a bottom layer of clay granules so when I watered it, the water would then spread accross the tank bottom so all the rocks would get wet and the seeds would germinate. I solved this getting rid of the dirt and by making the nest tall and adding water from the top as opposed to the bottom. So the top becomes wet and humid and the bottom half remains dry for the seeds. The workers usually remove seeds when they start to germinate so most of them should be removed. I'd stop watering the set up to let it dry out a bit. Supply the ants with water from a different water source such as a water well filled with stones etc instead. Looking at your set up it looks like you have ytong blocks and then loose sand? Bare in mind if the substrate gets wet they will dig in this away from the glass. Maybe also just add a little water to 1/4 of the set up to try and leave the remainder dry. Anyway I'm sure you will work it all out All the best James
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Post by IceWhyte on Sept 21, 2011 13:02:17 GMT
Cheers for the info.
I have clay at the bottom too so I think I must have the same issue.
So do you think I could get away with not trying to soak the ytong and just wetting the sand at the top and using a test tube to provide drinking water? My issue is that the queen never leaves the bottom section of the ytong nest so don't know if she will get plenty water.
Cheers
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Post by Wood~Ant on Sept 21, 2011 13:56:04 GMT
Damp sand will be adequate, as the queen and workers need less water than you might think. As long as there is some moisture around the brood and adults will be fine.
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Post by IceWhyte on Sept 21, 2011 14:43:43 GMT
Thanks Wood but my problem is that I can't get the brood wet without getting a large area wet, then that is what is creating the moisture which is allowing the seeds to get mouldy and germinate. Here is a picture showing.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Sept 21, 2011 17:18:29 GMT
I would stop adding water as the nest looks like moisture droplets have formed, so the nest is wet enough already. Let it dry out as Messor barbs come from dry places with low rainfall, so even if the nest looks dry it will still be damp enough for them to survive. A wild nest will allow rain to drain away, but in a set up it has nowhere to go except build up inside the nest and form condensation on the glass, which you don't want for this species or it may prove to be more harmful than good
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Post by IceWhyte on Sept 21, 2011 21:34:46 GMT
Ok cool, I will ease off the water and see how it goes. Do you know if the queen ever shows signs that she is thirsty? Like would she ever go looking for water?
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Post by Wood~Ant on Sept 22, 2011 7:55:30 GMT
Ok cool, I will ease off the water and see how it goes. Do you know if the queen ever shows signs that she is thirsty? Like would she ever go looking for water? Let's put it like this. I have never seen my Messor queens actively seeking water, or even the workers for that matter; and I have 2 colonies which number over a thousand ants in each. In fact they prefer to seek out the drier parts of the nests where humidity is low. They have never shown much interest in drinking honey or sugar water either, but seeds and insects are always taken in by all my Messors, both barbarus and structor alike. As long as there is some hint of moisture, my own Messors are fine; but they hate too much water and will avoid it like the plague. We have other members who have kept this species in Ytong or plaster nest set ups, James Lovell is currently very successful with his Messor barbs if you've watched his videos? So don't worry about the ants having very little water for drinking, but rather having too much water which might cause other problems
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Post by IceWhyte on Sept 22, 2011 13:55:24 GMT
Ok thanks for all that info. I will let it completely dry and just give the sand the odd light spray. Hopefully the ants remove the mouldy seeds soon.
Cheers
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