How to look after a Messor Barbarus (Harvester Ants Care)?

How to look after a Messor Barbarus ant (Harvester Ants Care)?

First of all, begin your ant-keeping journey with genuine knowledge about Messor Barbarus care to experience the wonders of these fascinating creatures who lived on our planet millions of years before us.

The Messor Barbarus also known as the harvester ants, is a common and easy-to-keep species for ant enthusiasts. The Messor Barbarus ants do not sting, but the major workers are so big they can bite you, it's more like tickling and not so painful though depending on your skin type.

These tiny creatures play an important role in the ecosystem and are essential for maintaining a balanced environment. Scientists say that if the harvester ants disappear, farming will be much more difficult, and the land will become a jungle after every harvest. Also, the extinction of harvester ants would destabilise the plant's growth and destroy the symbiotic relationship between the plants and our ecosystem. This species is monogyne which means there is only one Queen ant in the colony. Messor Barbarus are probably the most interesting ant species suitable for a beginner ant keeper as the queen ant is way bigger, reaching 18 millimetres and is more interesting compared to other beginner-friendly ant species queens. The workers are very polymorphic and are of three main sizes. From just 3mm to up to 15mm.

1. Small (minor: 3-7mm) workers - they usually care for the brood and the Queen ant's needs.

2. Normal-sized (media: 6-10mm) ones - care for the ants' bread-making and nest cleaning.

3. Majors - protecting the colony's nest and the queen. Sometimes cooperate with the media workers regarding the seeds' chewing.

Messor ants prefer to nest in sand-soil and shrub areas. Their colonies can grow to about 10,000 workers and are a great choice for those looking to start their ant-keeping journey. Messor queen ant's lifespan is up to 25 years. As the sole reproducer in the colony, the harvester queen ant will lay eggs in batches daily and provide a steady stream of workers. The workers will live up to 2 years and aid in the growth and success of your colony. The bigger the worker, the longer the lifespan.

An article you'll be thrilled with: Army Ants Unleashed: Understanding Their Role in the Ecosystem

Ants' arrival

First of all, keep in mind that we'll feed the ants before dispatch. Also, once you receive your ant farm and ant colony, leave the parcel unopened for 4-5 hours at room temperature so your ants can get used to their new environment. Avoiding toxins built up in your ants due to abrupt temperature changes is essential.

Then check if your queen ant is safe and sound, and leave your ants for 4-5 days to relax after their journey to you. Please keep them in a dark place with

no vibrations, at a room temperature of 20-26 °C (away from daily household activities).

Do not disturb and Do not feed your ant colony during this period. Checking them once 24 hours after arrival is enough.

If you disturb your queen ant, if you put her under stress by lifting your setup lid a few times a day to check if everything is going well or if you put your ant setup near your TV or stereo, so all that vibration will hit into the nest area, etc., all that will lead to a tragic end of your first ant experience. Why is that?

Imagine living quietly in your house, in a dark room because the light makes you scared, and suddenly a giant lifts up the roof above your head a few times every single day and on top of all, a bright light blinds you at the same time. Apart from this, the nasty giant screams strange noises now and then, sometimes so loud that the whole house shakes, the same as an earthquake affecting a person's house. How long are you going to last? I will leave the answer to you.

You should leave your little friends alone. Check them once a week for a minute or two in the evening when the light coming from the night lamp is softer, and be as gentle as possible.

How to proceed further and attach the ants to the Ant Farm, please find out here: How to set up your live queen ant farm?

Make sure the ant farm you have is suitable for live ants with a queen. Please do not make ants suffer! Find out more in this Ant Farm Guide: Ant Farm Kits Everything You Need to Know Before Making a Purchase

Messor Barbarus Harvester Ants care

Messor Barbarus feeding.

Feed them into the outworld only! Harvester ants' main food is a seed mix.

How to feed them and how much?

So the golden rule is 1 seed per ant per month. Feed them every two weeks (half dosage: 30 ants = 15 seeds every two weeks).

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The first feeding dose must be doubled. Monitor their food storage so that one nest’s chamber is always full of seeds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zqhn0amZuBE

Do Messor barbarus need insects?

You should also feed them protein-rich food like our Cricket Mash and sweets once every two weeks. Give them organic honey or fruit (half a grape, a similar amount of a banana, etc.) How much? Well, for a small colony with a queen ant and about fifty workers, the amount of the protein jelly must be similar to the size of a single rice grain. Regarding the live food, feed them mealworms, locusts, crickets or similar and do not forget to kill any possible microbes or mites the live food might be contaminated with. How? Just put it in boiling water for ten to fifteen seconds maximum, then chop it in half and put it in the ants' outworld using a tiny piece of tinfoil as a tray.

How to feed your ants Organic Honey and Protein Jelly? Video instructions? Click HERE!

Use a small cotton ball to pour a drop or two of the organic honey to prevent ants from getting stuck and drowning, and again, put the honey cotton on a tinfoil tray to avoid contamination of the outworld’s substrate. Now, the most important part is always to discard any remaining food after 2 days or fungus may appear.

If you want to know more about ants' food, please read this article: From Sugar to Insects: What Do Ants Eat

What Ant Farm for Harvester Queen Ant with Workers?

Once your colony is large enough, you can consider moving it into an ant farm.

I would recommend the small to medium ant farm for a small colony of Messor ant species. The best options among our products are the A7 Plus, Antie or the A6 Ant Farm, where you can enjoy watching them harvesting in the outworld.

If you'd like to monitor the temperature and humidity levels inside the nesting area, which is a must for a beginner, all three ant farms are equipped with a digital temperature and humidity meter.

All three ant habitats are designed to maintain an air humidity of about 70% if your room temperature is about 22 °C, pouring 1.5-2.5 ml of bottled (mineral or purified) water once a week ensures optimal conditions for your ant colony. With easy access to food and water in the outworld, your ants will be happy and healthy in their new home. Give your ants the best possible care and living space with our harvester ants' habitats.

Consider getting the Antie Ant Farm with the heating mat if your room temperature is lower than 22°C during the summer. Harvester ants need a higher temperature for their proper brood development, so 25-26°C would be great. Temperatures above 28°C will endanger the queen ant!

Maintaining the correct humidity in the nest area is crucial. Messor Barbarus loves low-humid areas, so keep the moisture between 65 and 75% on the meter. Do not get confused by some Messor Barbarus care sheets, which state a moisture level, as it's different from the humidity levels.

To summarise:

Air humidity: outworld: 40 - 50% and in the nest: 65 - 75%;

Temperature: outworld: overnight 18°C and maximum daily temperature 28°C.

In the nest area: 22°C - 26°C.

Heating mat usage

When utilising a heat mat, it is important to understand that the temperature displayed on the thermometer attached to the nest reflects an average of the nest and the surrounding environment.

Therefore, if the ambient room temperature is approximately 20°C and the nest thermometer indicates 24°C, the heat mat is likely set to around 28°C.

In summary, when using a heating mat, ensure that the nest's thermometer does not register a temperature exceeding 24°C!

You must heat only 1/4 of the ant farm's area, or you might cook the ants alive! Avoid heating the watering area to prevent condensation inside the ant nest.

What heating mat for harvester ants?

Ensure your harvester ants thrive with the Advanced Heating System for Ant Farms Small 4W, exclusively at Best Ants UK. This top-notch heating complete system guarantees super precise control of your ants' habitat, providing an environment where they can flourish. It's an amazing and trustworthy option if your unique ants require optimal care.

Best Ants UK specialises in Unique Ant Farms, Nests and Formicariums, Live Ants and Ant Colonies, Nesting Materials and Accessories, and other essentials. Give your ant colony the comfort they deserves with reliable and effective heating.

The mat operates on 5 volts, making it energy-efficient and completely safe for children and adults alike. А power adapter is also included, 5V-3A.

Ants' Escape Prevention.

Harvester ants are not the best climbers, but if you do not want to deal with escaped ants, which is a common issue while you feed them, apply about an inch wide of our PTFE Fluon. It is a full-strength product and lasts for weeks, a non-stick material that creates an impenetrable barrier against crawling insects. The ants will not be able to crawl out due to the very slippery surface and will fall back into the outside world.

How to apply the PTFE Fluon Escape prevention. Video instructions? Click HERE!

Ant Colony's Hibernation.

A few words about the hibernation. To remain healthy, your queen and worker ants require proper hibernation during the winter months, but it's not a must during your ant colony's first year. The Messor Barbarus ants hibernate through the winter, starting at the end of November, and wake up around late February/early March. To hibernate, the temperature of the nest needs to be reduced to around 15 degrees Celsius, which is not too cold for the ants to survive.

It is important to lower the temperature gradually, first when you put your ants in hibernation and afterwards when you take them out of hibernation. I recommend 0.2-0.3 degrees Celsius daily. The lower the better. If you decide to listen to some people and put your ant farm into your fridge, make sure the temperature is not below 15 degrees Celsius, so check it with an accurate thermometer first.

If you do not have the necessary skills or equipment to hibernate your ants, just do your best and move your ant farm to a colder room at least. Bear in mind that they will hibernate in any scenario, no matter the environmental temperature. They will become more clumsy and not so active during this winter period, so feed them once every month or so. Just make sure they have a freshwater supply all the time.

If you have a heating mat, switch it off during the winter months! Give your queen a chance to recover and gain strength for the upcoming spring.

When to Change Ants' Water?

Once it is finished or looks contaminated (cloudy, changes colour, etc.). You must know that harvester ants get their supply of water from the seed bread. That's why they are keeping the seed for their bread in a nest's chamber with higher moisture. Do not give them water feeders; they do not need them and will cover them with the substrate, as the water feeder is considered dangerous. Our water stations work just fine.

This species is not native to the UK. They live in warmer areas in Europe (Spain and Portugal) and North Africa (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia). It is illegal to release this colony into the wild in the UK. If you can no longer care for your colony, please contact us immediately.

Apart from the Messor Barbarus ants, we recommend the Lasius N. for your first pet ants.

Find out more in our new blog post: Messor barbarus vs Lasius niger: Which Makes the Best Ant Farm for Beginners? [2025]

Do's and Don'ts

Avoid direct sunlight on the setup.

The sun can heat the nest by up to 5 degrees Celsius for only 5 minutes so lots of toxins are being accumulated in the ants' bodies due to abrupt temperature changes. This can kill a worker ant for 1-3 days and a queen ant for 3-5 days if the sun does not boil the ants alive before that.

It is important to note that gel farms are not a suitable habitat for harvester ants, as they can quickly become mouldy and do not provide the necessary nutrition for the colony. To ensure the safety and well-being of these fascinating creatures, it is essential to provide them with a proper ant farm and diet.

Conclusion

After more than two decades in ant-keeping, I can admit that the most important part of successful ant-keeping is your patience, and I mean it.

Frequently Asked Questions About Messor Barbarus Care

What seeds do Messor barbarus eat?

Messor barbarus ants primarily eat seeds such as millet, grass seeds, canary seeds, and chia seeds. They prefer a diverse seed mix that includes both small and medium-sized seeds. For optimal nutrition, provide a commercial seed mix specifically formulated for harvester ants, supplemented with occasional protein sources like frozen insects. Remember that the seed quantity should be adjusted based on colony size (approximately 1 seed per ant per month).

How long do Messor barbarus ants live?

Worker ants typically live 1-3 years, while Messor barbarus queens can live 15-20 years in ideal conditions. The colony as a whole can thrive for the lifespan of the queen if properly maintained with appropriate temperature, humidity, and nutrition. Individual worker longevity depends on their role in the colony, with foragers typically having shorter lifespans than indoor workers.

Are Messor barbarus ants fast-growing?

Messor barbarus colonies are considered moderate to fast-growing compared to other ant species. A healthy colony with adequate food and proper conditions can grow from a few workers to several hundred within the first year. Growth is most rapid during warm seasons and slows significantly during hibernation periods. For fastest growth, maintain optimal temperature (22-26°C), provide protein supplements alongside seeds, and ensure minimal disturbance.

What is the best substrate for Messor barbarus?

The ideal substrate for Messor barbarus is a sand-soil mix at a ratio of approximately 70:30. This substrate allows for tunnelling while providing enough stability to prevent collapse. For the outworld, clean play sand or desert sand works well. Avoid substrates with added chemicals or dyes. The substrate depth should be at least 5-7cm to allow for proper tunnelling behaviour. Keep the soil slightly moist but never wet to prevent mould growth.

What is the ideal temperature for Messor barbarus?

The optimal temperature range for Messor barbarus is 22-26°C (71-79°F) for the nest area and slightly cooler (20-24°C/68-75°F) for the outworld. Temperature gradients allow ants to self-regulate by moving between areas. During hibernation (November to February), gradually reduce the temperature to 15°C (59°F). Always use digital thermometers for accurate monitoring and avoid sudden temperature changes that can stress the colony.

How often should I feed my Messor barbarus colony?

Feed a Messor barbarus colony 1-2 times per week, adjusting quantity based on colony size. For small colonies (under 50 workers), provide a small pinch of seed mix (approximately 1/4 teaspoon) per feeding. Larger colonies may require several teaspoons of seeds. Remove any mouldy or uneaten food before the next feeding. Supplement their diet with protein (small insects or commercial protein mix) once every 1-2 weeks and provide tiny drops of organic honey monthly as a treat.

How do I prevent my Messor barbarus from escaping?

Prevent escapes by applying PTFE Fluon to the upper 3-5cm of all vertical surfaces in the outworld. Reapply Fluon every 2-3 months, as it can wear off over time. Ensure all connection tubes between nest and outworld are secure and free from gaps. Regularly inspect your setup for potential escape routes, particularly around tube connections and lids. As an additional precaution, place the entire setup in a shallow tray with talcum powder or create a moat with water and dish soap.

Do Messor barbarus colonies need to hibernate?

Yes, Messor barbarus colonies should hibernate for 2-3 months during winter (typically November through February). Gradually reduce the temperature to 15°C (59°F) over 1-2 weeks. During hibernation, reduce feeding frequency to once every 2-3 weeks and maintain slightly lower humidity (55-65%). Hibernation is not a must!

Find out more in our article: How to Keep Your Ants Safe During Hibernation: A Keeper's Essential Guide

Enjoy the ant-keeping hobby!