32 replies to this topic

[Adama30]

 

 

The thing with Messor is food, food, and more food. They will eat any extra food you give them. So just go ham with them.

 

 

Thanks Nicholas, will do xD

 

[Adama30]

Its been a tough week. Those of you who don't know or were unaware last week I walked in to find my Messor Ceph queen had died.

 

 

This has come as a shock, there was no apparent reason and she was left in the outworld.

 

After losing the queen I was about at the end on keeping ants. The colony thou was plodding on now as if nothing had happened. workers were foraging, raising the larvae and tending the eggs. 

It was heart breaking to think this colony was going to slowly die out and I was dreading the day there would be one last worker wandering the nest. But this was not meant to be as something amazing was about to happen. 

Ants HQ had emailed and incredibly offered to replace my queen. I had updated them every step of the way on this founding process and they too were equally gutted by my tragedy and couldn't allow the colony to die out too. So we arranged a delivery date and I awaited my new queen. 

 

We discussed several options on the best way to introduce her, and we agreed it be best to move the workers and brood out the old nest, I then proceeded to clean this out, rehydrate it and await my new queen because we now had a plan in place. 

 

The queen arrived she was alert and had in her following four small workers and a few pupae, some larvae and eggs.  The plan was to add the old brood to the old now cleaned founding chamber. Then add the queen, her brood and workers and wait to see if they accept this new brood. This went down without a hitch. They instantly went in the chamber, collected all the brood and mixed it with there own. So after a few hours what now. It was time to start adding workers, but how, they surly would kill the queen. This is where it was nerve racking. I started with the smallest newest workers. Those that had recently eclosed, still were pale and thus not entirely loyal yet to there old queen. These were accepted no trouble. In fact they instantly started taking care of the brood and even were cleaning the queen. 

 

I then slowly worked my way up adding larger workers but these again were pale newly eclosed that week. these too accepted without any issues. I then added a smaller older worker. this thou was received totally different, it ran into the brood chamber , two of the queens workers grabbed it and started trying to drag it out the nest, the queens abdomen was vibrating madly and she was lunging at this little scrap that had now occurred. There was panic in the nest, all workers now rushing around. I removed this worker, the two queens workers let go and rushed back into the nest. This was the limit. Unfortunately I would not be adding anymore. She settled down and the colony of 16 workers carried on tending the brood.  

 

The colony have been settled for five days now. Id say they are truly merged. The larvae are growing, the egg pile increasing. But today we have fantastically had a media major eclose. This young worker is half the size of the queen. So far sporting a bright orange head and a right set of mandibles on her. At half the size of the queen astonishingly she isn't the largest pupae that was there. I'm sure she will be helping crushing those seeds. here are a few pics of the colony. 

 

Just look at all that brood, cannot wait till its all developed.



Looking fierce that media major. 

That's the update so far guys. Thank you for reading.

 

Have courage and Be kind 

AdamsAnts 

https://www.youtube....Fw33HYEKrhYkzjA

Edited by Adama30, November 16 2022 - 2:14 AM.

[T.C.]

Sorry to hear about that queen dying. I just had a few queens come out of hibernation that died. 

[Adama30]

Sorry to hear about that queen dying. I just had a few queens come out of hibernation that died. 

 Thank you, I don't know what happened, maybe she wasn't as strong as once thought. Luckily the new queen has settled right in 

[Flu1d]

I'm so sorry to hear that the old workers won't cooperate

[Adama30]

I'm so sorry to hear that the old workers won't cooperate

 

 

Its okay, been a week now and the small colony has settled nicely, going to be a few more pupae eclosing soon so will boost numbers and the new queen seems well settled. 

[Flu1d]

I'm so sorry to hear that the old workers won't cooperate

Its okay, been a week now and the small colony has settled nicely, going to be a few more pupae eclosing soon so will boost numbers and the new queen seems well settled.

Glad to hear it!!

[Adama30]

Well Happy new year Guys and Girls 

 

Time for a Messor Cephalotes update and I'm happy to say the colony is booming. 

 

* Current population roughly 60 workers. Mixture of minors up to Majors. 

* One Healthy Queen

* Lots of Eggs and even more larvae and pupae. 

 

The colony now have the freedom over several chambers, and a large foraging outworld. At 60 workers they are incredibly busy. It is interesting to note they still are not taking seeds properly or making ant bread but they are taking cockroaches by the day and taking there Formica Ant liquid and seem to love it. 

 

 

 

 

 

Just look at all that brood, Queen is laying loads of eggs, New workers are eclosing weekly. 

 

 

 

Being so Busy in the Brood chamber the queen now tends to hang out in one of the other chambers. I am hoping they start to use all chambers for brood and I am sure they will as colony grows. 

 

 

 

Workers are foraging a lot and love the red runner cockroaches I place in. 

 

 

To the left are cotton ear buds with formica ant solution on. They love it. 

 

That's the update so far, have an amazing day. 

 

Have courage and be Kind 

 

Adam (AdamsAnts on youtube )

[ANTdrew]

Very nice looking colony! 

[Adama30]

Very nice looking colony! 

 

Thank you, they seem to be doing amazing so far. 

[TennesseeAnts]

Amazing colony! I wish these were easier to get in the US.

[Adama30]

Amazing colony! I wish these were easier to get in the US.

 

Thank you, they are an amazing species. 

[Kristijan]

Any updates?