Hello everyone,
I have a young Messor barbarus colony that's about 2 months old with around 30 workers. Overall, the colony has been looking healthy. I keep them in my living room, where they're covered from light, but it can get noisy sometimes. I usually check on them about once a week, and they’ve always had enough food. They are still living in the breeding tube and haven’t moved into a nest yet.
Today, I noticed something unusual—the queen was wandering around the outworld area, which she’s never done before. Later, I saw one of the workers dragging her back into the tube, and the queen looked completely still, almost like she was dead. I’ve checked several times since, but she’s showing no signs of movement, laying in the exact same position.
I’m really concerned and have a few questions:
- Is there any chance my queen might still be alive, or is she definitely dead?
- What could have caused her death in a relatively stable environment?
- I’ve read about queen adoption, but I’m not sure if it’s an option with Messor barbarus since they are usually a monogynous (one queen) species. Has anyone tried queen adoption with this species, and is it worth considering?
Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated!
