ANTSTORE World of Ants

[mdm]

Hi

I bought 1 Messor barbarus and 1 Camponotus ligniperda, all with 6 workers. And from the two colonies i got two death workers.

I give the messor some grains and the Camponotus (in an outside world) some honey, sugar and crickets. I connected the tubes to an Ytongblock but they are still in the tube, one week after i connected them.

what i would like to know is when you get your tubes what do I have to do because i can't find anywhere how you have to start with 1 queen and a few workers.

Is it better to let them hybernate at this periode of the year, disconnect them from the ytong block or what do you suggest?

Thx for your help.

[JimmyVe]

Hello mdm and

It is best to keep them into the tubes for now. Connect them to an out world, that way it is easier to feed them.
Keep them in the tube until they have +-30 workers before you move them into a y-tong. I would suggest
to hibernate them from November till March.

Don't forget to feed your Messor barbarus also some insects.
Also, they can dig trough y-tong, don't forget that.

[mdm]

Thx for the reply, it helped alot. But when they hibernate, what do i need to do? Do I need to feed them? Do they sleep all the time? What about the temperature?

And i also bought another colonie ofCamponotus Ligniperda. But they are with 50 workers, do they have to hibernate 2?

Thx again for your help.

[gabranth]

messors collect seeds and make ant bread that they eat during hibernation they will still move around but alot slower than normal i think they hibernate at 15oC but not completely sure. Ligniperda also need hibernation at around 5oC and i don't think they need food during hibernation but should be fattened up before hibernation.

[mdm]

thx mate i hope ill do the right thing

[JimmyVe]

All European ants need hibernation. South European ants less than middle European ants.
Normally they don't need food at all, but they need water or they will dry out. So keep the nest moist.
I'm sure you will do just fine.

[mdm]

Hi again

I've got a new colony of Camponotus ligniperda but this time i have about 100 workers. I've putted them in a outworld, recorded to an Ytongblock with a tube and they all just stay in the tube. Why aren't they going in the block?

What am I doing wrong?

[gabranth]

probably because light is going into the ytong block you need to cover it so its dark in there

[mdm]

the tube needs to be covered 2?

[gabranth]

you just cover the ytong not the tube so the inside of the ytong is dark

[JimmyVe]

Probably the reason yes. If you cover it up they probably move. Also keep the ytong moist.

[mdm]

Thx and the temperature must be higher or lower than the room?

Everything is covered up and moist but there is still no movement

[Kale^^]

Just wait and see, they will move, my camponotus herculeanus stayed for a week in the tube until they moved to the y-tong.

[SteveUK28]

How much of the ytong is moist?

[JimmyVe]

It could take a few days before they move. Did we already said you need patient.