Messor barbarus. Instructions and Important Information

Before you start your ant-keeping journey, we strongly recommend reading the care guide – it contains extremely important information that will help you avoid critical mistakes and includes essential tips for proper care.

Contents

1. Watering and humidifying the formicarium (most important)
2. Introducing ants into the formicarium
3. Temperature
4. Feeding the ants
5. Formicarium maintenance
6. Sand
7. Expanding the living space
8. Warnings!
9. FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Watering and Humidifying the Formicarium (Most Important)

1. Water is essential for ants.
2. Use only bottled, flavorless, non-carbonated water for humidifying and watering.
3. Boil the water before use, and rinse the container with bottled water.
4. Gypsum humidification:
   1. House MINI – 0.5 ml every 2 days
   2. House Standard – 1 ml every 2 days
   3. House Max – 1.25–1.5 ml every 2 days
   4. House BIO – 1.25–1.5 ml every 2 days
   5. House PRO – 1.25–1.5 ml every 2 days
5. Ensure the water dispenser always contains water.
6. Automatic humidification should be used only in exceptional cases, as it is not very beneficial. (how to use auto-humidification)
7. Violating these rules is the most common cause of colony death.

You can use a needleless syringe instead of a pipette.
A syringe makes it easier to fill the dispenser, humidify the gypsum, and store water longer.

Introducing Ants into the Formicarium

Introduce at least 20 workers. Too few ants may fear open spaces and use a nest chamber as a garbage dump, which is not hygienic or aesthetic.

Before placing ants in the formicarium, close all nest chambers except the first using the partitions. Pour 2–3 ml of water into the humidification chamber.

Temperature

Ants feel comfortable at room temperature.
Make sure the temperature is not below 20°C or above 28°C.

Feeding the Ants

Feed Messor barbarus ants a seed mix for a balanced diet.
Place seeds in the feeder; if they spill into the arena, ants will handle them.
They usually store seeds in the nest, though some may stay in the feeder with small colonies.
Ensure seeds are always available. A shortage is harmful.
You may also offer Turkish or Argentine cockroaches, mealworms, or beetle larvae — but with a small colony, there’s some risk.
Insects should be properly prepared (e.g., cut open).
Once the colony has at least 200 workers, you may offer apples or pears.

Formicarium Maintenance

Dust the formicarium with a dry, soft cloth.
Remove debris from the arena occasionally with tweezers or a paintbrush.

Sand

Add sand when the colony has 100–150 workers (optional).

Cleaning is easier without sand, but it looks nicer with it.

Expanding Living Space

The nest has chambers separated by partitions.
As the colony grows, open more rooms by sliding the partitions.
For example, open the second chamber once the colony reaches 100–150 workers. If all chambers are occupied, expand the living space.

Warnings!

1. Always follow the water usage rules – this is the most common cause of colony death.
2. Harvester ants must never be given sugar or honey syrup.
3. Absolutely avoid giving store-bought fruit – it may contain chemicals that can kill the entire colony.
4. Do not expose the formicarium to direct sunlight.
5. Keep the formicarium away from drafts.
6. When cleaning, never use detergents, alcohol-based liquids, or any other chemicals – all of these can lead to colony death.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

How quickly do I need to move the ants from the test tube? How long can they live there?

Ants can live in a test tube for at least a month, and usually longer – it depends on the amount of seeds and water available inside.

Can I use filtered water in the formicarium?

For humidification and water dispensers, only bottled, flavorless, non-carbonated water should be used – for example, Żywiec Zdrój.

My colony is growing slowly – how can I speed up the process?

To accelerate colony growth, you can:

1. Feed protein (e.g., Turkish cockroaches, mealworms) every 3 days. See instructions for preparing insects before feeding.
2. Increase temperature: place one side of the formicarium (arena side) near a heating mat and set it to 30°C.
3. Ensure ants are not stressed – cover the nest with dark material, avoid vibrations and direct sunlight.
4. Use a formicarium with exposed gypsum (ants must have contact with it). Gypsum is the queen’s favorite spot and provides the ideal microclimate. It's crucial for brood development and for moistening seeds.

My colony stopped growing, ants are dying – what could be the cause?

Possible reasons include:

1. Using unsuitable water. Only use bottled, flavorless, non-carbonated, boiled water.
2. Using a formicarium without gypsum. Harvester ants thrive best in setups with exposed gypsum. Other humidification methods are less effective.
3. Inadequate nest humidity or an empty water dispenser.
4. Stress – formicarium should be in a calm area, away from vibrations, drafts, and direct sunlight.