The Messor wasmanni is a fascinating species of ant that is native to parts of Europe and North Africa. These ants are known for their distinctive appearance, with a dark brown or black body and long, slender legs. They are also known for their unique feeding habits, as they collect and store seeds in large underground granaries. Messor wasmanni colonies are relatively small and can reach about 7,000 workers in nature but not more than 700 in captivity, making them an ideal choice for ant enthusiasts looking to observe a fascinating and manageable colony in action. Order your Messor wasmanni ants today and experience the wonder of these amazing creatures
Claustral ant species: (do not feed the Queen until first nanitics)
Colony Form: Monogynous (one queen per colony)
Colony Size, Lifespan and ants' size:
Consists of over 7,000 workers
Queen's lifespan: Up to 15 years
Queen's size: Ranging from 12mm to 15mm
Worker ants' size: Ranging from 3mm to 10mm
Humidity: outworld: 40-50%; nest: 60-70%
Temperature: outworld: 24-30°C; nest: 22-26°C. It would be best if you used a heat mat.
Feeding: Give the young colonies and founding queens more protein jelly and honey, while established colonies with 50-100 workers can be fed 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, for instance: 30 ants = 15 seeds every two weeks). The first feeding dose must be doubled. Keep an eye on their food storage so they always have one nest’s chamber full of seeds.
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.
 
Messor wasmanni ants transport the seeds along their trail pathways back to the nest, sometimes spanning a distance of up to 600 feet in the wild. Once collected, the ants consume the harvested seeds by using their larger mandibles to remove the shells. These seeds are then chewed into a nourishing food source called "ant-bread." The ants derive 90% of their nutrients and nearly all of their water from this antbread.
Their water needs are mostly met through the consumption of seeds and insects. Honey is only accepted as a source of moisture when water is scarce. Messor wasmanni ants love our Protein Jelly!