how long for first workers

[ShulerAnt]

Hi,
I got my queen ant back in mid February, as you can see in my above posts. She still has not produces any workers, just has eggs and larvae. I AM VERY WORRIED! I thought it maybe from the was the cooler/winter weather so I purchased a heating pad, now the weather is nice. Please let me know if there is anything I am doing wrong or any suggestions that I can do. She is still in the test tube with some seeds and water.
Thanks
Shuler

[AntsLuxembourg]

If there is larvae then it just means you have to wait a bit more. Sadly I don't know how slow or fast the founding process for Messor Barbarus is so I cannot give a good estimate, but I know that it can take a little while for them to get started. Just wait and you will see if it was successful or not. You can put a thermometer next to the testtube to see the temperature. It should be around 24°C and can be a bit higher but don't put the heating pad directly under the testtube. Put it close to the exit so the queen gets some of the nice warmth of it.