Antdemocracy's Messor Barbarus Journal

[antdemocracy]

So after quite a bit of research I decided to try my hand at keeping a Messor barbarus colony. I like the fact that this species has minor and major workers in a caste system. I think I will find it fascinating, in time, being able to distinguish between different types of workers and observing their roles within the colony. I also like the fact that harvester ants collect seeds, and harvest them and store them in ant granaries.
After reading advice and comments on this board, I decided to order a Messor barbarus queen with 5-10 workers from AntsKalyyta (thanks guys). I ordered the colony on Thursday so hopefully they will arrive sometime this week.

I am as yet undecided about what set up I'm going to use. I found a formicarium designed specifically for Messor barbarus on antstore, which includes a separate nest area to be kept completely dry that the colony can use as a granary to prevent the seeds germinating. Needless to say, it is quite expensive (around £100 inc delivery) so I'm going to have to try a different set-up. After reading wood ant's website and journal, my preferred antworld set-up would not be suitable. Does anybody else use a separate dry 'nest' area so they can use it as a granary?
For the time being, probably until the colony has grown to at least 30, I will keep them in the test tube placed inside a tub with dried desert sand as a makeshift outworld. I also have a heating mat that I used to use for one of my niger colonies. I will be placing the mat under the tub with the thermostat set to 25-27 degrees C to mimic the southern Europe climate. I will update next once the colony has arrived
Once again, any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks guys

[Wood~Ant]

Have you considered an acrylic nest See here on this link which you can keep the moisture low in the nest, and is also able to sit over a heat mat if you need to keep it warmer during cold months? The ants will fill some chambers with seeds, but although it looks messy you can keep it dry by not adding water to that area and letting the seeds germinate.

[antdemocracy]

Thanks woodant. Will probably purchase an acrylic nest

[Wood~Ant]

Jun 2, 2015 12:30:57 GMT antdemocracy said:

Thanks woodant. Will probably purchase an acrylic nest

I think you will be happy with your choice, and you can see how well ants love them from my latest videos and photos.

[antdemocracy]

I ordered that acrylic nest you recommended wood ant. I couldn't refuse another free colony though so it looks like I'll be receiving another MB colony
So I seem to have gotten off to a bad start The colony arrived Thursday morning. ! healthy looking queen, 8 workers and some brood. I placed the test tube into my temporary set-up along with a couple of flies and some seeds that came with them. Everything was looking fine. 3 of the workers were wandering around the out world exploring happily- although ignoring the flies and seed. I went to work and came home to find 3 dead workers in the out world
The only thing I can think of is that the heat mat fried them? I placed it under the container and set the thermostat to 25 degrees.
The other 5 workers and queen in the test tube seem to be ok and are happily wandering around the test tube so I have no idea what happened. I do remember however, the first day I placed one of my niger colonies in an outworld 2 of the workers mysteriously died. Maybe it's down to stress of a new environment?
This is a picture of my set-up, although seeing as I have another colony on the way it looks like this set up will be a more permanent home to one of the colonies.

[antdemocracy]

The acrylic nest arrived today, and I have to say I'm very impressed with the design. I got sent not one, but 2 free colonies? One with 5 workers and brood, and the other just a queen and brood. So from planning on just having 1 Messor colony a week ago, I now have 3 Has anybody had any success raising a multiple queen colony?
My immediate concern, as is still the case with my other colonies, is how much to hydrate the nest. I know Messors like drier conditions, but I'm not really sure how long to leave it soaking? I've had both the sponges soaking in water for the past hour just letting it hydrate the nest. I have also placed a heat pad underneath with a heat pad surface temperature of 27 degrees which should make the internal nest temperature somewhere between 24 and 25 degrees. I'm going to leave it a few hours for the nest to hydrate and stuff before attaching the new colony test tube to the nest entrance.

As you can see, the chambers with the sponges are beginning to condensate, so I've removed the water from one of them to dry and keep that area of the nest drier.

[chicken2012]

Hey Antdemocracy.
I know that Shane's Messor barbarus colony does have 2 queens, but that is basically an isolated case I think, 99% of the time they are a monogyne species. so you could have an interesting time comparing how the two colonies are developing together.

[antdemocracy]

Thanks chicken2012, I'll give his journal a read. Yes it should be interesting watching the two colonies alongside each other

[Wood~Ant]

Try to keep one side damp and the other dry if you can, and you only need to add water about once every 2 weeks for Messor barbs, as they are very drought tolerant. The opaque film on the foraging arena can be peeled off with your fingernail, as under this it is clear and allows you to watch the ants better.
You won't be able to mix the queens either, as they will kill each other as they most likely are from different wild nests with a completely different colony scent. Shane only has 2 queens because one is the daughter of the existing queen mother; and you will find his younger queen acts more like a worker and as she is not mated is not a threat to the dominant queen.
I would suggest putting the biggest colony in the new nest and finding other alternatives for the others, as the queen with eggs is best left in the test tube until she has got several workers anyway.

[antdemocracy]

Thank you wood-ant. I connected the biggest colony, containing Queen, 5 workers and around 20 larvae to the nest entrance and it took them less than an hour to move in. Overnight they have moved to the far corner chamber, where one of the sponges is. I disconnected the water supply to it last night and left the other corner soaking to try and create a drier area in one corner. I've since disconnected the other sponge from the reservoir and will top up only that one every few weeks or so as you suggested
I see what you mean about them being a bit messy. They've scattered seeds across 3 chambers. They seem happy enough. I left 2 fruit flies in the outworld area and they've ignored them for now. I will try and upload some more photo's soon once they've settled in. I'm going to try and not disturb them for a few days.

[antdemocracy]

17/6
I placed red acetate on top of the nest several days ago. I originally just covered it with a towel, but whenever I wanted to take a peep the queen would go mad and start running around. MB Queens are very fast and seem quite aggressive too.
The colony seems to have split into 2. The queen tends to be located in the corner around one of the sponges, with 4 or 5 workers and around 10 eggs. I am not sure whether these eggs have been laid since the colony moved into the nest or whether they were there beforehand when I received them.
On the other side of the nest, one of the chambers contains around 15 larvae, with 3 currently a dark brown colour so I assume they're close to eclosing? There is always 2 or 3 workers tending to this pile, although neither of the brood seem to be being fed by the workers. I can only assume it's because the larvae are at different stages that they've been placed in different locations around the nest?
We've unfortunately had 2 casualties. One dead worker has been placed in a chamber full of seeds, and the other dead worker seems to have been dumped in the chamber next to where the Queen is residing. I guess it's just about being patient now and waiting for the brood to develop.

[antdemocracy]

Bad news I'm afraid; This colony has died. Over the course of just over a month all workers died off one by one. The 10 eggs dissapeared (eaten by the queen?) and around 6 new workers eclosed but died shortly after. For around 2 weeks The queen held on, seemingly healthy with 1 worker tending to her, but alas both worker and Queen perished. I'm quite disheartened, as I can't really see what could have gone wrong. They had access to water, seeds and the nest was kept dark and hydrated with a little heat at 25 degrees covering around 1/4 of the nest.
I think the lesson I'm taking from this is I'm going to wait until a colony is well established in a test tube set-up before introducing them to a new nest. My 2 other MB colonies which arrived with my order from ant house are seemingly doing ok-ish. 1 queen with 7 workers and no brood is now 1 queen with 3 workers, 4 of the workers died the night they arrived but we've had no more fatalities since (but the queen hasn't laid any eggs). My other MB Queen arrived with just brood and she now has 3 workers so I'm hoping she is going to be ok.

I have a quick question if anyone would be so kind. My 2 MB queens are in test tube setups, and I placed several seeds inside; is it best to keep replenishing the seeds every now and then or can those seeds last a relatively long while? It doesn't look like either Queen has broken any of the seeds to feed her workers, although I may be wrong. There are no majors yet to do that job for her. I don't really want to disturb the colony so is it best to just make sure there are plenty of seeds then just leave them to it?
Thanks guys.

[Jenny]

Aug 1, 2015 1:33:51 GMT antdemocracy said:

I have a quick question if anyone would be so kind. My 2 MB queens are in test tube setups, and I placed several seeds inside; is it best to keep replenishing the seeds every now and then or can those seeds last a relatively long while? It doesn't look like either Queen has broken any of the seeds to feed her workers, although I may be wrong. There are no majors yet to do that job for her. I don't really want to disturb the colony so is it best to just make sure there are plenty of seeds then just leave them to it?
Thanks guys.

The seeds get mashed up to what looks like a yellowish pulp (called ant bread) usually by the workers. The queens may not touch them until the first workers appear and will live on their reserves. Keep them quiet and dark reduces stress so they don't eat their eggs is the goal.   They are not easy to get going, but once they do they make a big colony, especially in a dirt nest as they love to dig. The  seeds do last a long time so no need to keep disturbing them. 

[antdemocracy]

Thanks jenant