New Queen Messor Barbarus help

[UnrealSparks]

I am tempted to purchase a 15W heating cable. If doing so, where should I place the cable in relation to the test tube.

Or I could just wait it out until the springtime.

Suggestions/advice much appreciated.


Read more: http://queenant.proboards.com/thread/11760/new-queen-messor-barbarus-help?page=1&scrollTo=68654#ixzz5dFjMbmR7

I'd wait for spring for that eating cable, and I'd feel safer to test it while the ants are in a formicarium, so that they can move where the temperature gradient is better suited for them.

[GGUUNN]

My queen has a white something in her mandibals. The test tube is bone dry. What should I do? take her out, then the cotton fill it up with water and replace the cotton and put her back?

kind regards

[UnrealSparks]

The best way to move her to a new test tube is:
First prepare a new and fresh test tube.
After that attach it to the old one (I usually use a bit of tape to hold them together).
Then cover the new one to make it dark, while shine a bright light on the dry one.
It may take a bit of time, but the queen should move to the darker section, bringing with her the eggs.

Tell me if you'll have any problem with the procedure.

[Hunter36o]

First prepare a new and fresh test tube.
After that attach it to the old one (I usually use a bit of tape to hold them together).

This works but personally I find you have to check on them more often to make sure they do not suffocate. This is purely my personal preference but I use rubber tubing and I put small air holes in it so I can leave them to it. Now I have Lasius Niger so this method suits me more because I find their stubborn nature causes them to take a life time to have them move when I want/ need them to. Messor Barbarus may be more willing to move quickly to a cleaner nest site and if that is the case then the tape is perfectly fine because they won't use up the oxygen before they move. Just a consideration.

[UnrealSparks]

First prepare a new and fresh test tube.
After that attach it to the old one (I usually use a bit of tape to hold them together).

This works but personally I find you have to check on them more often to make sure they do not suffocate. This is purely my personal preference but I use rubber tubing and I put small air holes in it so I can leave them to it. Now I have Lasius Niger so this method suits me more because I find their stubborn nature causes them to take a life time to have them move when I want/ need them to. Messor Barbarus may be more willing to move quickly to a cleaner nest site and if that is the case then the tape is perfectly fine because they won't use up the oxygen before they move. Just a consideration.

Thanks for pointing that out, I forgot.
I usually only tape around a bit more than half of the gap between the two tubes, so that I don't have to worry about oxigen. I thought in the past about connecting them with silicone tubing, but since this method has always been successful for me, I never tried.

[Hunter36o]

First prepare a new and fresh test tube.
After that attach it to the old one (I usually use a bit of tape to hold them together).

This works but personally I find you have to check on them more often to make sure they do not suffocate. This is purely my personal preference but I use rubber tubing and I put small air holes in it so I can leave them to it. Now I have Lasius Niger so this method suits me more because I find their stubborn nature causes them to take a life time to have them move when I want/ need them to. Messor Barbarus may be more willing to move quickly to a cleaner nest site and if that is the case then the tape is perfectly fine because they won't use up the oxygen before they move. Just a consideration.

Thanks for pointing that out, I forgot.
I usually only tape around a bit more than half of the gap between the two tubes, so that I don't have to worry about oxigen. I thought in the past about connecting them with silicone tubing, but since this method has always been successful for me, I never tried.

Ah my mistake, I took it up as you sealed it completely. Apologies for that. In that case the tape method is perfect.

[UnrealSparks]

Ah my mistake, I took it up as you sealed it completely. Apologies for that. In that case the tape method is perfect.

You don't have to apologize, I'm thankful you brought that up, otherwise I would have missed the detail!

[GGUUNN]

So I have my first worker! Yey! Now What's the next step? I see that the cotton inside the test tube look like it was "pulled" Should I put in some seeds now? I am thinking of connecting the tube to this:
https://www.antspace.design/product-page/queen-ant-formicarium-module-large-size
Should I or not?

[GGUUNN]

This is the one I currently have at home

Could I use this set up instead? This one is smaller

https://www.antspace.design/product-page/queen-ant-formicarium-module

[JoeHostile1]

Now that you have a worker I would provide an insect and sugar water plus some seeds. But your one worker may not be able to chew up the seed all by herself so they may not start working on the seeds yet, but they will probably still take some to store inside the nest.