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Post by 1moldavite on Mar 29, 2019 11:39:03 GMT
They arrived today, the Queen looks very healthy and she has about ten eggs and three workers. I could not spot any cocoons or larvae. I have attached the test tube to the ytong nest as my nodas weren't interested in it,I've left them alone to settle in.
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Post by 1moldavite on Mar 30, 2019 10:40:30 GMT
This morning I found the nest had a lot of condensation and the queen looked dead,I removed the lid of the nest to check on her knowing that Messor ants don't like much humidity after a while she started moving and seems okay now,she only has one worker now as the others seem to have escaped,I'm not sure how they did this,but I will have to watch out for them and hopefully return them to their queen,I have left her out of the nest and in an enclosure with slightly damp soil loam,and she was last seen carrying eggs in her mouth trying to dig under the nest into the soil
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Post by 1moldavite on Apr 8, 2019 13:07:36 GMT
This is a short video of my Queen worker and very small brood,although the cover is not on the nest she refuses to leave it and nest in the soil,she is taking in protein which is good and I try to not disturb her very often,so this is the first and last time I'll probably be filming her
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Post by 1moldavite on Apr 18, 2019 18:30:39 GMT
The nest she was in started growing mold as well as bits of the outworld almost overnight,so I've had to put her in the ytong nest for now.Since the ytong is dark it has seemed to make the Queen and her worker more nervous running at every vibration or unexpected noise,hopefully they will be okay till tomorrow,I've blooked the opening of the nest with cotton wool,and put them some where quiet,I intend to replace the soil in their outworld with wood chippings to reduce moisture levels,I'll be putting in small branches,moss,and something for her to hide in,as I know she isn't completely happy with the ytong nest at all.
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Post by 1moldavite on Apr 20, 2019 4:08:05 GMT
This is my Queens new nest/outworld,she seems more relaxed,less nervous than previously,she did fall a few times but she was unharmed as she fell onto moss,she eventually went under the moss where there is a tunnel,her worker has escaped so I'm on the look out to find her,with the Queens new relaxed mood though hopefully she will start laying again especially with the weather getting warmer.
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Post by 1moldavite on Apr 22, 2019 15:19:45 GMT
Despite her three workers deserting her I'm pleased to have spotted under her coconut hide some ant bread she has made out of the seeds I'd put in for her,this to me at least shows that she is more relaxed and happy in her newly decorated nest/outworld,and hopefully in time she will lay eggs and acquire some new workers.
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Post by 1moldavite on Aug 16, 2019 18:13:33 GMT
Unfortunately I found my Queen Messor dead today,she never produced any eggs after her workers deserted her,and although I feed her a variety of foods and gave her honey water she had been refusing food for a while,despite my attempts to get her interested in feeding,so this is the end of another journal,I don't think I'll be keeping this species of ant again.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Aug 16, 2019 23:15:25 GMT
I'm sorry to hear about your loss. It took me a number of attempts before I managed to succeed with a Messor barbarus colony. Perhaps one day you'll reconsider?
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