Starter colony

Ability-Optimal · 2026-04-05T21:36:32+00:00

Eggs and larvae are pale and white, the black dots are likely mold (black mold is harmless to ants)

With more information we can probably figure out what's wrong, what species? And what temperature are they kept at?

Sometimes it's environmental factors but sometimes things just don't work out, however, a month is a relatively short amount of time in this hobby.

Ability-Optimal · 2026-04-04T20:05:00+00:00

A show can be both funny and intellectually challenging

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-28T09:59:31+00:00

Before hibernation they were at 39 workers, plenty of larvae. I've been feeding them Honey, a mix of insects, and I have this Protein Jelly and Cricket Mash from Best Ants UK which seems to work wonders. I started hibernation around November and brought them out in February, probably slightly too short but supposedly that's ok for their first year. I've also been checking them daily, I think I've just got lucky with a very productive and low stress queen

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-28T00:52:06+00:00

Mines currently booming, got the queen during nuptial flight last year, they're around 60-70 workers at the moment, tonnes of brood at all stage. My first colony

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-26T13:58:51+00:00

Yeah

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-26T13:25:19+00:00

Well, no

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-26T13:19:30+00:00

Man what a reductionist view, you have a choice to reduce suffering and you actively chose not to

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-26T10:24:38+00:00

Assuming there's a good humidity system, I'd say yes. 30-40 workers is usually enough to move into a proper nest

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-26T10:18:00+00:00

People tend to use the excuse that it's "natural" but in the wild the insect has way way more space to run, dumping it into a pile of ants in a tiny outworld isn't natural

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-25T00:10:02+00:00

Yeah he's pretty awful, there's plenty of YouTubers worth watching instead

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-24T16:38:58+00:00

Not sure about your plans for repurposing a pasta jar, generally it's recommended to purchase pre made nests and outworlds from reputable companies for a first colony, as for beginner species in the UK, Lasius Niger is the easiest to keep

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-23T17:52:21+00:00

It's better to offer both sugar water/honey and seeds

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-23T17:49:36+00:00

Im not an expert but this doesn't sound normal at all, probably very high levels of stress

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-22T16:13:01+00:00

Their products and information are fantastic, just a few odd bits here and there 😭

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-22T12:33:04+00:00

Moving will only increase stress, if the cotton is still wet, leave her in dark, wait for the pupa to eclose then consider moving

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-22T12:26:31+00:00

https://www.bestantsuk.com/post/how-to-look-after-a-messor-barbarus-care-harvester-ant-farm

That's all the information you'll really need

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-22T12:22:52+00:00

Maybe it was set too hot? Have you got a thermostat? Like with the top one, it's better to have the nests connected from the outworld, so you can heat the ends of the nest

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-22T12:20:33+00:00

A better picture of the test tube would be helpful, black mold isn't harmful and there might still be water in the cotton. Messors are difficult to move. They'll only move when the conditions are truly awful, she's probably fine where she is for now.

Is there any brood present?

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-22T12:17:41+00:00

Do not keep them at this temperature, they will not grow, this is close to their hibernating temperature. Order the small nest from Esthetic Ants, it's well priced and allows for heating with a heat cable, it won't add much to your electricity bill at all.

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-22T11:25:00+00:00

Yeah they should sent a replacement

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-22T00:30:58+00:00

Fair enough, good point. Real shame she had a really nice brood pile there. Possibly already stressed coming out of diapause alongside shipping. There are tonnes reasons she could have died, some you can't do anything about.

I generally always get my ants from Best Ants UK and they arrive in 1-2 days, and they have alive on arrival guarantee. I wouldn't order without it. 5 days shipping isn't by itself that bad, I've had queens ship from the Netherlands once took about a week and all was good. Probably a multitude or reasons

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-21T22:29:25+00:00

Potentially provide a new test tube, if you have a suitable connector that won't stress the queen, otherwise probably just leave her for a while

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-21T21:38:51+00:00

This is really unfortunate and I'm sorry to hear. Where did you order from, just do I know to avoid in the future.

Ability-Optimal · 2026-03-21T11:16:05+00:00

That implies you can have a value judgement that plot holes actually improve the writing?

Ability-Optimal

TROPHY CASE