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Post by UKantz on Mar 30, 2012 6:16:48 GMT
On Wednesday I ordered 2 messor barbarus queens from antstore (luckily the postage wasn't bad at 5.99) and are due to be arriving either tomorrow or Monday/Tuesday.  I will be housing them in a 6ft Fish tank with Ytong along the side, but I won't introduce them until 100 strong so in the mean time I intend to keep them in there test tube or a small sand loam tub (used to keep stick insects in) I will update (hopefully) every 4-5 days update, as these ants get stressed easily  |
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Post by Jenny on Mar 30, 2012 9:30:41 GMT
I know I might be stating the obvious here  I am very concerned that your 2 Messor queens may be from different colonies, they will fight to the death if placed together in 1 tank if they turn up in seperate tubes. Only 1 queen will survive! It is the way your post reads, that you intend to place both queens into the 6ft tank with ytong attached? |
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Post by UKantz on Mar 30, 2012 15:06:40 GMT
I am not going to put the 2, together that would just cause them to fight, the only reason I got 2 was if one dies  Sorry I should have made it more clear ;D |
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Post by UKantz on Apr 5, 2012 9:40:38 GMT
I was beginning to worry, but after waiting 8 days for them to arrive they came at 10.20 sharp  Both queens rushing around with a group of eggs (both had around 5-8 eggs in there mouths) . I must say they are v.large ladies around 1.5 millimetres, and both have ruby red heads. I intend to keep them In test tubes until they have around 20-25 workers as both test tubes are clean and have a good water supply. I will post pictures shortly. |
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Post by UKantz on Apr 5, 2012 9:53:01 GMT
here are the pictures, sorry for bad quality I took them with my ipad as I cannot seem to find my camra Attachments:
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Post by IceWhyte on Apr 5, 2012 12:13:26 GMT
1.5 millimetres??? What a whooper  |
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Post by Wood~Ant on Apr 5, 2012 12:46:27 GMT
Both queens rushing around with a group of eggs (both had around 5-8 eggs in there mouths) . I must say they are v.large ladies around 1.5 millimetres, and both have ruby red heads. I'm sure you mean centimetres UKantz, which is about the right size for these ladies. Nice to hear they both have ruby red heads too. ;D |
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Post by UKantz on Apr 5, 2012 14:47:55 GMT
Oh yeh my bad  |
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Post by UKantz on Apr 6, 2012 6:50:02 GMT
Due to the fact that both queens are red headed, I have found no other way than distinguishing them from one anouther than to call them Q1 and Q2 much like wood did in his journals I hope he doesn't mind Q1- this lady is larger than Q2 and has more brood her egg count now at 8-11 eggs, :DI placed both on a heat mat and the extra heat seems to be doing them well. This queen keeps pulling at the cotton on the water reservoir, so I may transfer her to a sand loam set up. ;D Q2- this queen has around 5-8 eggs and she cares for them 24/7, this queen seems calmer than the other queen and isn't pulling on the cotton at all , this queen is kept quiet, warm but not dark as I intend to put her in a Ytong set up and I would like to get her accustom to the light, I hope it works Expect next update in 5 days |
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Post by Wood~Ant on Apr 6, 2012 6:57:45 GMT
Due to the fact that both queens are red headed, I have found no other way than distinguishing them from one anouther than to call them Q1 and Q2 much like wood did in his journals I hope he doesn't mind Not at all, as I don't have the monopoly on queen names; and I'm happy for other members to use my queen names as it is nice to know you read my journals, so using the same queen names is quite flattering really. |
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Post by UKantz on Apr 6, 2012 7:54:45 GMT
Thanks wood , and I realy like all of your journals but I have to say my faverout are the messor barbarus Ones ;D |
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Post by Smudge on Apr 6, 2012 19:52:47 GMT
Just a tip for you. Even though you want to put one queen in an y'tong nest she would benefit more from being in the dark rather the light, because shadows may startle her and she may become stressed which can kill her. Until she gets a young colony going she is going to be particularly vulnerable. However there is a way to observe her with her thinking its dark. Just get a piece of transparent red plastic as ants can't pick up red light. Hope this helps  |
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Post by UKantz on Apr 7, 2012 5:44:00 GMT
Thanks for the tip but I they are in red cello fame already ;D |
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Post by UKantz on Apr 10, 2012 15:14:39 GMT
Ok Q1 now has 3-5 small newly hatched larva, and 2-4 eggs left at most Q2 has 1 small larva and 3-5 eggs Progress is fast, but I think Q2 is slower because she is on the end of the heat mat where as Q1 is further in and that Q1 is noticeably larger than Q2. Overall very happy with progress |
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Post by UKantz on Apr 13, 2012 8:20:26 GMT
UPDATE Q1- has 2 larva and 6-8 eggs still present, with the eggs getting bigger and strangely the larva are in the same pile as the eggs- is this normal? Either way she is doing very well and is calm when I check her. She is never lets the eggs and larva out of her sight and is always tending to there needs. Q2- sadly not doing so well , she has eaten her only larva and only cares for 4 of her eggs (though very attentively) with 3 being the other side of the test tube. I hope she find them, I also gave her some mini mealworm as she is smaller than the other queen  . |
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