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Product description
Messor barbarus harvester ant colony 200+
Species
The Messor barbarus ant is also called the harvester ant. They collect (grass) seeds. They chew these seeds finely and mix them with liquid. This is how 'harvesting' they turn the seeds into a kind of ant bread, which serves as food. Our ant colonies consist of a queen together with brood and a number of workers. This number depends on the number of eggs that have developed into an ant (egg-larva-pupa-ant). This colony already contains 200 workers or more and these workers were therefore produced by the queen ant itself.
Nutrition
The feeding set above including seeds is a complete diet for this species. The set consists of sugar water, honeydew, fruit flies and a starter set of seeds. The starter set of seeds is sufficient for the first year.
Suitable for
The ant colony is intended for the ant farms made of acrylic, plaster and sand. We also recommend using an arena. The ants can get their food there and take away waste. Many products have an arena integrated. At various ant farms you will find this ant colony in a combination price offer.
If you are looking for ants for a gel ant farm, we recommend the ant family.
Packaging and shipping
In the photo you can see how the product is actually delivered by us. The colony is in a test tube with a water supply behind a cotton ball to keep the nest tube partly moist. The colony can remain in this tube for up to a few weeks without care (after receipt). We also guarantee the queen's life for that long. If the queen does not arrive alive or if she dies within a few weeks, we will provide a replacement colony.
Specifications and information
Scientific name
Messor barbarus
Dutch name
The harvester ant
Difficulty rating
1. Beginner
Queen | Gyne:
14-18mm
Workers:
3-14mm
The larger the colony, the larger the ants that join it
Mediors and Majors (soldiers).
Type of colony:
Monogyn, 1 queen per nest.
Nest type:
Sand nests, relatively deep. Very wide, often under grass.
Temperature:
Room temperature, 15-30 degrees
Hibernation:
No, but hibernation. Our advice: a little cooler
keep in winter around 15 degrees.
For example in the basement, cooler attic or shed.
November-February
Our experience: even in winter at room temperature
these ant colonies continue to develop well.
Nutrition:
Sugar or honey water and small insects:
Our advice for smaller colonies: fruit flies.
Main food: various seeds (grass seed, birdseed,
dandelion seeds etc...)
Humidity:
Simple. Advice: Keep part of the nest slightly moist
This species likes it drier than, for example, Lasius
niger and Myrmica rubra.
Distribution area:
(South) Europe and (North) Africa
Messor barbarus harvester ant colony 200+
Species
The Messor barbarus ant is also called the harvester ant. They collect (grass) seeds. They chew these seeds finely and mix them with liquid. This is how 'harvesting' they turn the seeds into a kind of ant bread, which serves as food. Our ant colonies consist of a queen together with brood and a number of workers. This number depends on the number of eggs that have developed into an ant (egg-larva-pupa-ant). This colony already contains 200 workers or more and these workers were therefore produced by the queen ant itself.
Nutrition
The feeding set above including seeds is a complete diet for this species. The set consists of sugar water, honeydew, fruit flies and a starter set of seeds. The starter set of seeds is sufficient for the first year.
Suitable for
The ant colony is intended for the ant farms made of acrylic, plaster and sand. We also recommend using an arena. The ants can get their food there and take away waste. Many products have an arena integrated. At various ant farms you will find this ant colony in a combination price offer.
If you are looking for ants for a gel ant farm, we recommend the ant family.
Packaging and shipping
In the photo you can see how the product is actually delivered by us. The colony is in a test tube with a water supply behind a cotton ball to keep the nest tube partly moist. The colony can remain in this tube for up to a few weeks without care (after receipt). We also guarantee the queen's life for that long. If the queen does not arrive alive or if she dies within a few weeks, we will provide a replacement colony.
Specifications and information
| Scientific name | Messor barbarus |
| Dutch name | The harvester ant |
| Difficulty rating | 1. Beginner |
| Queen | Gyne: | 14-18mm |
| Workers: | 3-14mm The larger the colony, the larger the ants that join it Mediors and Majors (soldiers). |
| Type of colony: | Monogyn, 1 queen per nest. |
| Nest type: | Sand nests, relatively deep. Very wide, often under grass. |
| Temperature: | Room temperature, 15-30 degrees |
| Hibernation: | No, but hibernation. Our advice: a little cooler keep in winter around 15 degrees. For example in the basement, cooler attic or shed. November-February Our experience: even in winter at room temperature these ant colonies continue to develop well. |
| Nutrition: | Sugar or honey water and small insects: Our advice for smaller colonies: fruit flies. Main food: various seeds (grass seed, birdseed, dandelion seeds etc...) |
| Humidity: | Simple. Advice: Keep part of the nest slightly moist This species likes it drier than, for example, Lasius niger and Myrmica rubra. |
| Distribution area: | (South) Europe and (North) Africa |
More information...
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