David
Leaf Cutter Ant
Posts: 74
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Post by David on Mar 13, 2007 17:49:04 GMT
Hi everyone. I have just ordered a Queen Messor barbarus, I have looked at other threads and done my research but I would appreciate some advice. This is the first time I have started with only a queen and it is the first time I have kept anything apart from Lasius niger. Thanks
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Post by Formicalondon on Mar 13, 2007 19:57:08 GMT
all I can advise is keep her in the tube and do not disturb her and in a few months you will have workers. Patience is all that is really needed once she has workers raise them like this. Its a simple Ferrero box, you know the choclate things with nuts in with a hole carefully drilled in the side. sorry to thouse member who have probably seen this pic already but I thought it easyer than directing him to old threads.
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David
Leaf Cutter Ant
Posts: 74
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Post by David on Mar 13, 2007 20:12:02 GMT
I have a decent sized fish tank whitch I plan to use is it ok to place the test tube in their and leave her? thanks for the quick reply.
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Post by Formicalondon on Mar 13, 2007 20:36:54 GMT
You could do I suppose but it’s easier to start small as I find it’s easier to manage and keep track of activity. Also the first workers never seem to leave the nest much. I had a tank when I first got my Messor colony but I kept them using the Ferrero method because I felt that it provided them with more security and that the tank would have left them feeling exposed. Are you planning on constructing a plaster nest?
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David
Leaf Cutter Ant
Posts: 74
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Post by David on Mar 13, 2007 21:32:14 GMT
I wasn't planning to do this, although I would like to. I have no idea how to do so, is this better for these ants?
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Post by Formicalondon on Mar 13, 2007 23:21:53 GMT
I have found that keeping my new colonies in small and manageable set ups has always guaranteed success.
When I first started keeping ants, I was always to eager to build some magnificent set-ups and get my ants in them has always ended in disaster.
I once had a colony of Pheidologeton diversus, which is a exotic ant species from Asia that behaves much like army ants. Anyway to cut along story short I paid over £100 for them and rushed them into the set-up, only to have all the workers die pretty soon afterwards.
About a month after that, the 2 queens died all because I was trying to rush nature. You just have to be patient, and really think hard and long about the design of your set-up.
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David
Leaf Cutter Ant
Posts: 74
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Post by David on Mar 13, 2007 23:32:37 GMT
I have been looking at the ant housing board and I like the plaster nests. I may attempt one in the future. They seem rather easy, well they LOOK easy.
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Post by Formicalondon on Mar 14, 2007 19:08:16 GMT
The are pretty easy to contsruct and they have many advantages to like control over moisture levels which is important for Messors as they should have a dry part of their nest to store seeds in.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Mar 21, 2007 9:59:29 GMT
Nice photo of your set-up David, and although the tank may seem too large for her now, it should quickly fill up with ants later on. Just remember to spray some water over the sand surface once or twice a week to stop it drying out too much. The water hopper for bird cages is a good idea too, though I think I would put a small wad of cotton wool in the base. This will still allow your ants to drink, but stop the risk of them drowning. Her first workers are quite tiny compared to their mum. I may have said these ants don't climb out of tanks, but just in case you ever do find an adventurous worker climbs up the glass sides, smear a bit of vaseline around the top; or better still, some Vick's Vapour Rub. This may smell of menthol for a time, but it does keep ants away from it, as they don't like the strong smell and will not cross this barrier
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David
Leaf Cutter Ant
Posts: 74
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Post by David on Mar 21, 2007 19:41:14 GMT
Thanks Wood, I'll remember. I placed the piece of wood in the tank in the hope that they would tunnel under there, but the queen has dug into the back right corner. She had some eggs which she is carrying around with her, but I can't tell whether she still has them. She seems very healthy, so I think the colony will be a success.
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Post by lasiusniger on Apr 29, 2007 10:03:58 GMT
I have a container about the size of a childs hand would that do her a while untill the firt few workes hatch.
LN
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David
Leaf Cutter Ant
Posts: 74
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Post by David on May 9, 2007 22:49:31 GMT
Hi everyone, I know I haven't posted in this topic for some time; but I didn't want start a new thread. Anyway I was in my bedroom today and I noticed movement in my Messor barbarus tank. I thought at first this was a new worker, but it turned out to be the queen on the surface dropping of a large piece of sand. Is it normal for a queen to still be expanding the tunnels at this stage? I measured the total length of the tunnel, and it is approximately 36 cm long. She definitely has a cluster of eggs, because I checked on her few weeks back. I thought that once she has eggs she settled down until they hatched? Can anyone shed any light on my overly-active queen?
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Post by Wood~Ant on May 10, 2007 7:46:33 GMT
Hi David, Being a keeper of 3 Messor barbarus colonies myself, 2 with workers and 1 just a queen with eggs; I can say that until your queen does have workers, she will remain very active. These ants are great diggers, and a single queen is no exception. When I got my very first Messor barb queen she carried on digging for ages, and only stopped when she had daughters to carry on the work for her Your queen will settle down later, but for now she is making a home for her new family.
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David
Leaf Cutter Ant
Posts: 74
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Post by David on May 12, 2007 20:39:52 GMT
Thanks Wood, I was worried that the queen had eaten her eggs.
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