🐜 From 5 Workers to 500 – My Messor barbarus Colony After 9 Months
From just a handful of ants to a fully active colony of around 500 — this is how my Messor barbarus developed over the past 9 months.
🔬 About the species
Messor barbarus is a widely distributed ant species from Southern Europe and one of the most popular species in antkeeping.
They belong to the subfamily Myrmicinae and are specialized in collecting and processing seeds.
What makes them especially interesting:
- they collect and store large amounts of seeds
- they produce so-called “ant bread”
- they show a highly structured colony organization
Workers are strongly polymorphic:
- smaller workers take care of the brood
- larger workers (majors) process seeds and help defend the colony
The queen reaches about 15–18 mm and can live up to 25 years under good conditions.
Colonies can grow to several thousand individuals.
🌍 Natural habitat
In the wild, this species is mainly found in:
- Southern Europe
- North Africa
- parts of Asia
They prefer:
- dry, sandy environments
- steppe-like landscapes
Their nests are usually built deep underground and consist of clearly separated areas for:
- brood
- seed storage
- waste
🌡️ Keeping conditions
This species does not require extreme conditions.
- Arena temperature: ~25–30°C (optimal), but room temperature can work
- Nest temperature: ~21°C is already sufficient
Once the colony reaches a certain size (around 100+ workers), it can often develop well even at room temperature, which is why many keepers do not use additional heating.
Humidity should generally be kept low, with only slightly moist areas inside the nest.
👉 Instead of molding, stored seeds will usually start to germinate if humidity is too high.
🌱 Feeding
Messor barbarus is mainly granivorous.
Their diet consists of:
- seeds (main food source)
- occasional insects as a protein source
Additional sugar sources are usually only taken when needed.
A big advantage of this species:
👉 With enough seeds and a reliable water source, the colony can easily sustain itself for longer periods (e.g. during vacations).
💧 Water & safety
Water sources should always be secured (e.g. with cotton or small stones).
Ants can drown even in small water droplets, likely due to the surface tension of water.
🧠 Why I keep this species
What makes this species especially interesting to me:
- their highly organized behavior
- visible seed storage
- constant activity within the colony
Watching them collect, transport, and process seeds inside the nest is one of the most fascinating aspects of antkeeping.
In general, all seed-harvesting ant species are relatively easy to keep.
🏠 My colony & setup
I started this colony about 9 months ago with a queen, 5 workers, and some brood.
Since then, it has grown to around 500 ants.
My setup consists of multiple connected modules:
- several arenas
- one main nest (farm)
- connected via tubes
This gives the ants:
- enough space
- clear foraging paths
- room for expansion
⚠️ Space requirements
One often underestimated aspect of this species is the space requirement.
Due to their large seed storage, colonies need:
👉 significantly more space than many other ant species
This becomes more noticeable as the colony grows and stores more resources.
🧠 Personal conclusion
With:
- enough seeds
- a stable water source
a colony can easily manage itself for extended periods without intervention.
The main downside is the increasing space requirement as the colony grows.
👉 If you keep Messor barbarus yourself, feel free to share your experience!