Begginer ant keeper

[Ricper19]

Hi all, i'm pretty new as an ant keeper and i got a few months ago a small colony of Messor Barbarus.
They are in a small formicarium and yesterday i made them a new outworld. But today i've noticed that they are bringing sand into the entrance of the formicarium. Is this normall or are they trying to bury themselfs inside?

Thanks for the help.

[Ricper19]

This is what i'm seeing

[AM1C39]

Yes, that is perfectly normal if ants can dig they will.

[Antmanboy]

Nice setup! Don't worry at all it's in most ants nature to dig. Good luck!

[Ricper19]

Yeah i notice that they dig beneath the formicarium and on the corners.
But from what i've seen on youtube, i never saw them bringing sand into the formicarium.
They almost cover the tube that leads to the outworld.
But if its normal, then i won't get too woried

Here's the view from above



Thanks.

[Ricper19]

I've just noticed that the formicarium is empty... i belive that they all moved to the outworld, right beneath the formicarium. But is strange, since there's no water going there.. i thought that they need the place to be humid

[Antmanboy]

Are they a dry loving species so mabye their nest was too humid mabye? That's my guess.

[Ricper19]

From what I read about them and from the person that sold me the ants and the formicarium , was that they like the humidity and it's only humid on that tube standing up, it has a sponge there.
Probably it was my fault ... i did check up on them a few times per week... so i might "forced" them move out