Italian mild weather x messors
Moderator: ooper01
Italian mild weather x messors
It's been very mild here in Florence Italy, the queen stopped laying eggs about a month ago and there were very few young. I didn't disturb them for about two weeks and when I did I discovered she started laying again! And many!!!it's getting pretty cold in their room but they seem like tough ants and send out a few scouts always.i gave them some teff seeds and they got buisy for many hours. Now its cold and I see between 1 to 5 ants out each day. There is always at least one out and moving slowly. How are your ants going?
Keeper of:
* Messor Barbarus
* 1 Crematogaster Scutellaris queen 1 worker.
* Messor Barbarus
* 1 Crematogaster Scutellaris queen 1 worker.
- UnrealSparks
- Posts: 192
- Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:45 pm
- Location: Turin - Italy
Re: Italian mild weather x messors
Hello Ant108!
It's good to see other Italians from time to time!
I'm from Turin and my Messor Barbarus have stopped laying eggs a few weeks ago, and they now have very little brood. Tomorrow I'll put them in my garage, where the temperature is around 15 *C, and I'll let them rest until the end of February. Until now I kept them at around 17-18 *C.
This year they have grown incredibly fast, going from 25-30 workers (May 2018) to about 250-300 workers now!!
Can't wait for spring!!
It's good to see other Italians from time to time!
I'm from Turin and my Messor Barbarus have stopped laying eggs a few weeks ago, and they now have very little brood. Tomorrow I'll put them in my garage, where the temperature is around 15 *C, and I'll let them rest until the end of February. Until now I kept them at around 17-18 *C.
This year they have grown incredibly fast, going from 25-30 workers (May 2018) to about 250-300 workers now!!
Can't wait for spring!!
Keeping the following colonies:
- [2x] Camponotus Barbaricus
- [2x] Lasius Flavus
Re: Italian mild weather x messors
mine are in complete hibernation. well at least most of them. I have 3 camponotus colonies and 3 Tetramorium. Both are hibernating except my tapinoma sessile colony they are busy with workers out all the time. more than ever even. i put some sugar in the out-world but they are not satisfied. could this be because they are found in warmer climates as well as Michigan? tapinoma sessile are found all the way to Guatemala even! could they think that they are in a tropical climate and that the do not need to hibernate?
Some of My Informative Sheets
https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=19099
Includes :
https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=19099
Includes :
- Ant Care Sheets
Queen Hunting
How To Identify Ants
Re: Italian mild weather x messors
I started with about 15 messors at the end of Dec.2017. Now they are around 250- 300. I'm thinking of putting them in hibernation. Also thinking of putting my 3 Crematogaster Scutellaris queens in hibernation. One of the queens has about 10 brood. They are developing eyes.
Keeper of:
* Messor Barbarus
* 1 Crematogaster Scutellaris queen 1 worker.
* Messor Barbarus
* 1 Crematogaster Scutellaris queen 1 worker.
- UnrealSparks
- Posts: 192
- Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:45 pm
- Location: Turin - Italy
Re: Italian mild weather x messors
That's cool!!Ant108 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 01, 2018 3:35 pmI started with about 15 messors at the end of Dec.2017. Now they are around 250- 300. I'm thinking of putting them in hibernation. Also thinking of putting my 3 Crematogaster Scutellaris queens in hibernation. One of the queens has about 10 brood. They are developing eyes.
Crematogaster Scutellaris are definitely on my list for next year! They are super cute and I've seen them in my town two months ago!
Hibernation is a must if you want the colonies to stay healthy by the way. So the queen can rest for a couple of months from her laying duty.
As far as Tapinoma Sessile I've found a journal on the forum talking about them, and the owner had hibernated them. I've also read on wikipedia that during winter they all group up in a single nest with all their resources to have better chances of surviving. Then, after winter is over, they spread out returning to the satellite nests.antnest8 wrote: ↑Fri Nov 30, 2018 3:08 pmmine are in complete hibernation. well at least most of them. I have 3 camponotus colonies and 3 Tetramorium. Both are hibernating except my tapinoma sessile colony they are busy with workers out all the time. more than ever even. i put some sugar in the out-world but they are not satisfied. could this be because they are found in warmer climates as well as Michigan? tapinoma sessile are found all the way to Guatemala even! could they think that they are in a tropical climate and that the do not need to hibernate?
Keeping the following colonies:
- [2x] Camponotus Barbaricus
- [2x] Lasius Flavus
Re: Italian mild weather x messors
Air temperature inside where messors currently are is 16*, outside is 12*.12* I read is too cold. What is too cold for them? I will measure temp in garage.
Keeper of:
* Messor Barbarus
* 1 Crematogaster Scutellaris queen 1 worker.
* Messor Barbarus
* 1 Crematogaster Scutellaris queen 1 worker.
- UnrealSparks
- Posts: 192
- Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:45 pm
- Location: Turin - Italy
Re: Italian mild weather x messors
As long as you see your ants foraging or just reacting for example to vibrations is not too cold. I'm currently keeping my Messor Barbarus between 12.5 - 15°C and they're doing fine.
I've also read on the internet that they usually hibernate at around 15*C but keep in mind ants are masters of survival, they know how to adapt.
Keeping the following colonies:
- [2x] Camponotus Barbaricus
- [2x] Lasius Flavus
Re: Italian mild weather x messors
I checked my messors about a week ago and the eggs seem to have grown fast and young have legs and just need to change from white to a darker color before I can move to garage. I cut off their out world, they have a big storage of seeds in the in world. I hope in 1 to 2 weeks I can put them in hibernation.
Keeper of:
* Messor Barbarus
* 1 Crematogaster Scutellaris queen 1 worker.
* Messor Barbarus
* 1 Crematogaster Scutellaris queen 1 worker.
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests