Keeping conditions and information :

- Day temperature : from 23 to 27°C. The ideal is to propose them a hotspot at 27°C and a cooler part in the habitat.

- Night temperature : from 21 to 24°C, eventually less

- Hibernation : 45 days at 10-18°C is recommended. A higher temperature is also possible during that period.

- Humidity : Can adapt to all our Ant Farm models. A dry part is necessary for the seeds and a humid part of the ants.

- Drinking-Trough : Recommended

- Light : Pretty tolerant, doesn't fear light but musn't be exposed to sun.

- Possible growth rate : From 30 to 1000 workers in a year in the best conditions.

- Workers size : From 3 to 14mm

- Queen size : about 13mm

- Dangerousness : None, no venom, isn't aggressive or invasive but shouldn't be released in the nature!

- Type of nest : All the Ant Farms available in our shop (Antworks excluded).

Thanks to our Messor barbarus ant colonies, having an ant keeping has never been easier. This fascinating species only requires a few minutes of care per week but will offer you hours of wonder everytime your eyes are catched by a new behavior.

200 species live in France but we only chose Messor for you. This is the only species we recommend, it is the easiest to keep but beginners and most of people who have kept ants for a long time like this species very much.

All our ant farms perfectly respect the natural needs of ants.

How  to feed my ants ?

You just need to give your ants a spoonful of seeds everytime their food reserve discreases. This reserve can lasts for more than 1 mounth and a bag of food is enough for several mounths.

You can give different solid foods to you ants and to observe their reaction. Messor ants like dead insects very much, you can feeze flies, crickets and different insects before offering them to your ants.

What if my colony has fulfilled the ant farm ?

You can choose between leaving the colony in the ant farm, the population will stabilize, or you can connect the artificial nest to a second one, the same model or another one, with a pipe and connection holes. It is possible to connect several ant farms together before your ant colony have fulfilled all the nest to observe it using more space.


How to heat my colony ?

Many houses and apartments are already at the correct temperature (about 23/24 degrees minimum). Otherwise, it is possible and easy to approach a desk lamp from the nest to reach about 26 degrees. The light may interfere with some ants, the lamp can be oriented obliquely for the rays are less direct.
Ceramic lamps are ideal and do not produce light, different solutions you can find in animaleries are also suitable.

For 1.5 mounth during winter, you ants will need a perdiod of rest at lower temperatures (13/18°C or a bit higher). You can find this temperature in a cellar. Don't forget to keep feeding and filling the water reserve during this period.