15 replies to this topic

[CatLord]

So I've been wanting to get another colony buy one i have a small lasius niger colony (20 workers) and I've been wanting to have 2 colonies (i won't get them now in about 2 months just wanna know which one is better for begginers)

 

 

MESSOR CF WASMANNI

 

LASIUS FLAVUS

 

MESSOR BARBARUS

 

MESSOR BARBARUS RED HEAD

 

iam buying them from this website: https://www.antsrus.com/

its a nice guy and website

[Barristan]

Hi,

 

I would start with a Messor species. Messor barbarus can be a little bit challenging if starting from a single queen, but if you buy a small colony you should be fine. Messor wasmanni is similar. Lasius flavus is an underground species so maybe not the best one to start if you want to have a lot to observe.

[Serafine]

Messor barbarus can be bought cheap and easily, Anthouse.es sells small colonies for effectively 11€ (the ants are free, the shipping is 11€) which is really cheap.

Edited by Serafine, March 2 2018 - 9:58 AM.

[CatLord]

ok thank you messor barbarus it is will get that that's what everyone else told me to get when i asked but just wanted your guys opinion aswell thanks!

[CatLord]

Messor barbarus can be bought cheap and easily, Anthouse.es sells small colonies for effectively 11€ (the ants are free, the shipping is 11€) which is really cheap.

Yea about anthouse.es should i trust it cause when i found it i thought it was some sort of scam cause like they're free should i trust them?

[Serafine]

Anthouse.es is a very reliable source. They usually sell for educational purposes that's why their ants are so cheap (they also only have species that are native in their area, they don't sell any exotic ants). Also note that they often send 2 colonies (when you order 1), so be prepared for that to happen

 

Messor barbarus is a great species but be aware that they can be a bit difficult sometimes. They grow quite fast and when they have reached a certain colony size they will start to completely smash your decorations. These ants LOVE to dig, build and generally modify their environment as much as possible. They can carve out bottom substrate, cut up artificial plants, make gardens (they even water seeds that are germinating), combine different materials to build tunnels and hills, chew through ytong/plaster/gypsum/hydrostone, move even heavy objects, completely unroot and move plants, they're really really good at making feeders leak and sometimes they even chew on vinyl tubing (and if the vinyl tubing is too thin they can cut holes in it).

Edited by Serafine, March 2 2018 - 10:52 AM.

[CatLord]

Sound intresting i will definetely give them a try!

[Jadeninja9]

Anthouse.es is a very reliable source. They usually sell for educational purposes that's why their ants are so cheap (they also only have species that are native in their area, they don't sell any exotic ants). Also note that they often send 2 colonies (when you order 1), so be prepared for that to happen

 

Messor barbarus is a great species but be aware that they can be a bit difficult sometimes. They grow quite fast and when they have reached a certain colony size they will start to completely smash your decorations. These ants LOVE to dig, build and generally modify their environment as much as possible. They can carve out bottom substrate, cut up artificial plants, make gardens (they even water seeds that are germinating), combine different materials to build tunnels and hills, chew through ytong/plaster/gypsum/hydrostone, move even heavy objects, completely unroot and move plants, they're really really good at making feeders leak and sometimes they even chew on vinyl tubing (and if the vinyl tubing is too thin they can cut holes in it).

Wow. The way you described them made them seem so human.

[CatLord]

Anthouse.es is a very reliable source. They usually sell for educational purposes that's why their ants are so cheap (they also only have species that are native in their area, they don't sell any exotic ants). Also note that they often send 2 colonies (when you order 1), so be prepared for that to happen

 

Messor barbarus is a great species but be aware that they can be a bit difficult sometimes. They grow quite fast and when they have reached a certain colony size they will start to completely smash your decorations. These ants LOVE to dig, build and generally modify their environment as much as possible. They can carve out bottom substrate, cut up artificial plants, make gardens (they even water seeds that are germinating), combine different materials to build tunnels and hills, chew through ytong/plaster/gypsum/hydrostone, move even heavy objects, completely unroot and move plants, they're really really good at making feeders leak and sometimes they even chew on vinyl tubing (and if the vinyl tubing is too thin they can cut holes in it).

 Is baby powder with rubbing alchol a good barrier for messor barbarus and lasius flavus cause i don't have enought money for fluon maybe i will get some fluon one day just wanna know some good barriers for Messor Barbarus And Lasius Flavus! thanks!

[Will230145]

Do they ship worldwide even though it is illegal, It was going to let me order to the US, I was wondering if it would even let you?

[CatLord]

Do they ship worldwide even though it is illegal, It was going to let me order to the US, I was wondering if it would even let you?

They do ship in greece where i live but i think its illegal in america  but in europe and the uk iam sure its legal i don't really know about other countries sorry man maybe google it i know that its only illegal in america 

[Hunter]

you could always try Echinocereus triglochidiatus they can be shipped to

[Jonathan21700]

Why would you buy Messor when you live in Greece. They are found everywhere there. 

But yeah I will also suggest Messor.

Edited by Jonathan21700, March 3 2018 - 12:51 PM.

[Serafine]

Is baby powder with rubbing alchol a good barrier for messor barbarus and lasius flavus cause i don't have enought money for fluon maybe i will get some fluon one day just wanna know some good barriers for Messor Barbarus And Lasius Flavus! thanks!

A baby powder barrier should be completely sufficient for Messor barbarus. They're quite big ants and they aren't really good climbers anyway, they will often fall from the glass even before reaching the barrier.

If they break out they usually don't do that by climbing out of their tank (if it has a barrier), it's more likely that they chew through tubing or the nest itself or manage to somehow lift the nest's lid (I know of someone who had a nest lid lifted even though it was held in place with clamps).

 

Not sure how well baby powder works for Lasius flavus (generally the smaller an ant is the more likely it is able to cross a powder barrier) but if it works for species like Solenopsis geminata it should work for Lasius flavus as well.

[CatLord]

Why would you buy Messor when you live in Greece. They are found everywhere there. 

But yeah I will also suggest Messor.

first of all yea i have ordered like 50 test tubes i have none i can't catch any cause its no their season(i don't think so anyways) ill try to catch some once i have the test tubes i ordered  their season is septemper-october

Edited by CatLord, March 4 2018 - 7:55 AM.

[Jonathan21700]

Also M. structor fly in April so you can try to find some. I'm not sure how common they are where you live but they should be found in all of the country.

Edited by Jonathan21700, March 4 2018 - 9:13 AM.