Italian mild weather x messors

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Ant108
Posts: 102
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2018 1:55 pm

Italian mild weather x messors

Post: # 54298Post Ant108
Fri Nov 30, 2018 2:37 pm

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.

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UnrealSparks
Posts: 192
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:45 pm
Location: Turin - Italy

Re: Italian mild weather x messors

Post: # 54299Post UnrealSparks
Fri Nov 30, 2018 3:02 pm

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!! :mrgreen:
Keeping the following colonies:
  • [2x] Camponotus Barbaricus
  • [2x] Lasius Flavus

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antnest8
Posts: 1438
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2018 2:11 pm
Location: Detroit, MI

Re: Italian mild weather x messors

Post: # 54300Post antnest8
Fri Nov 30, 2018 3:08 pm

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?
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https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=19099
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Ant108
Posts: 102
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2018 1:55 pm

Re: Italian mild weather x messors

Post: # 54350Post Ant108
Sat Dec 01, 2018 3:35 pm

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.

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UnrealSparks
Posts: 192
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:45 pm
Location: Turin - Italy

Re: Italian mild weather x messors

Post: # 54379Post UnrealSparks
Mon Dec 03, 2018 3:43 pm

Ant108 wrote:
Sat Dec 01, 2018 3:35 pm
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.
That's cool!!
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! :D

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.
antnest8 wrote:
Fri Nov 30, 2018 3:08 pm
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?
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.
Keeping the following colonies:
  • [2x] Camponotus Barbaricus
  • [2x] Lasius Flavus

Ant108
Posts: 102
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2018 1:55 pm

Re: Italian mild weather x messors

Post: # 54419Post Ant108
Wed Dec 05, 2018 5:09 pm

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.

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UnrealSparks
Posts: 192
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:45 pm
Location: Turin - Italy

Re: Italian mild weather x messors

Post: # 54440Post UnrealSparks
Thu Dec 06, 2018 12:52 pm

Ant108 wrote:
Wed Dec 05, 2018 5:09 pm
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.
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

Ant108
Posts: 102
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2018 1:55 pm

Re: Italian mild weather x messors

Post: # 54713Post Ant108
Tue Dec 11, 2018 5:34 am

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.

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