Bundle Offer – Camponotus barbaricus

Bundle offer including a Camponotus barbaricus ant colony (queen with 5-10 workers + brood), a starter set Habitat Desert L with 2x formicarium pads, a jar of our special whole blanched crickets (moist protein) and a honeydew mix refill pack 10ml

Only while stocks last.

Everything you need for a Camponotus barbaricus ant colony
This bundle contains everything you need to successfully get a Camponotus barbaricus colony through the first few months. It is flexibly expandable and explicitly suitable for beginners in ant keeping.

Ant species Camponotus barbaricus
Camponotus barbaricus is one of the largest ant species in Europe. They are found in Portugal, Spain, Sicily and outside Europe in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. Its colonies are monogynous (only one queen per colony) and, like most Camponotus species, it is a highly polymorphic ant species (forming so-called castes, i.e. smaller and larger workers).

In the wild, they can form colonies of several 10,000 individuals. Camponotus barbaricus aggressively defends its nest and hunting ground and is very successful in doing so due to its size. The majors (largest caste of workers) reach a size of around 17 mm.

Nest for Camponotus barbaricus
Camponotus barbaricus prefers to nest in sandy soils. Unlike most Camponotus species, they are rarely found in rotten wood. The Desert Starter Set included in the bundle is therefore perfectly tailored to the needs of this species.

Food for Camponotus barbaricus
In the wild, Camponotus barbaricus feeds mainly on insects and honeydew. For this reason, we have included both our blanched crickets as protein food and our honeydew mix in this bundle so that you can offer your ants a diet that is as species-appropriate as possible.

The optimum climatic conditions for Camponotus barbaricus are as follows:
Humidity:
Arena: 30 – 50% Nest area: 50 – 60%
Temperature:
Arena: 18 – 28°C Nest area: 21 – 26°C

Contents:
1x Camponotus barbaricus (queen with 5-10 workers + brood)
1x Whole blanched cricket
1x Honeydew mix (HT) – refill pack 10ml
1x Formicarium base – 20x20cm
1x Formicarium base – 20x6cm

1x ANTCUBE – arena 20x20x10 – flat
1x ant arena frame 20×20
1x ant arena cover 20×20
4x fixing point for arena cover
1x ANTCUBE – ant farm – L – 20×20 – upright

1x 0,5m tube transparent 20/16 mm
1x ANTCUBE – Red foil 20×20 – filter
1x adhesive clips – transparent 2 pcs.
1x substrate – desert – 1kg
1x Formicarium granules 200ml – beige

1x grid insert – 50mm – stainless steel
1x Formicarium plug for 50mm hole
1x Formicarium plug for 27mm hole
1x grid cap – 16mm – stainless steel

1x tank hose connector 27-14,16,20 mm – transparent
1x Drinking trough 2ml – 360 degrees
1x bowl clear 1×20 – sponge
1x drinking trough clear 20ml – sponge
1x Mini thermo-hygrometer analog – display – hanging
1x Ant escape protection oil 10ml
1x Tweezers spring steel – wide – soft
1x Tweezers plastic transparent
1x plastic pipette 3ml
1x hand magnifier – 2x – 30mm
1x foam wiper 150x18x2,5mm
1x photo back – desert – 20×10

Description:
This desert starter set is suitable for all ant species living in deserts, steppes or Mediterranean climates.

In the fully transparent farm (nest), the “Soil – Desert” is used to fill the farm. If required, additional modules can be connected via the 50 mm holes in the cover, e.g. the separately available foggers, fans or lights. Alternatively, suitable formicarium plugs are included to close the openings. If desired, the formicarium can also be operated open by simply attaching the removable frame and applying the ant escape protection oil to the edge. The “Drinker 2ml – 360 degrees” is intended for the honeydew mix, the “Drinker clear 20ml – sponge” for water and the “Bowl clear 1×20 – sponge” for the protein food. The “Mini thermo-hygrometer analog – display – hanging” can be attached to the frame or the cover and displays the climate values.

Important: Please moisten the substrate before use so that the mixture can bind and develop a firm hold in the ant farm. In addition, if the substrate is too dry and dusty, the ants’ airways may be blocked and, in the worst case, the animals may suffocate.

Recommendation: We recommend a substrate layer of 2 mm in height so that the animals cannot burrow into the arena and instead use the farm provided for this purpose. We also recommend that the nesting material in the farm (sand/clay, Digfix, etc.) is slightly pricked in one place to make it easier for the animals to dig.

Notes on production
The glass is cut to size according to DIN 1249 with a tolerance of +/- 1 mm. For extremely small ant species, additional break-out protection is essential.

Notes on the farm
Please note the following when attaching or removing hoses:
If the tube is very difficult to fit onto the connection socket, the socket should be lightly rubbed with a drop of our break-out protection oil or powder. The hose should then be pushed onto the socket using twisting or screwing movements without straining the socket with up and down movements. The same applies when removing the hoses from the farm connection socket. Please do not simply pull it off!

Instructions: (Version 2023, the updated version for 2024 will be available by 04/2024 at the latest)

– DE Gebrauchsanweisung Starter Set Habitat (PDF 3,21 MB)

– EN Instructions for use – Starter Set Habitat (PDF 3,21 MB)

– ES Manual de instrucciones – Set de inicio Hábitat (PDF 3,21 MB)

– FR Manuel d’instruction – Kit de démarrage Habitat (PDF 3,21 MB)

Note on honeydew:
Content: 10 ml
This is a natural product that we have refined after extensive testing in our laboratory and developed into a food that is very well accepted by ants. The reason for this is that unprocessed honeydew honey in its concentrated original form is not well accepted by ants and their metabolism.
Our honeydew was collected in the unpolluted wild mountain forests of Bulgaria. Honeydew is only produced for a very limited time, about two months in summer. It is therefore very rare. Due to the specific soil characteristics of the forests and the climate, essential nutrients are stored in the leaves of the trees, which are absorbed by the aphids. This is what makes this honeydew mix so desirable for ants.

Application:
Amount of food should be consumed within about 3 days.

Description:
Honeydew, unlike flower honey, is obtained from secretions of insects that suck on plants, such as aphids. Honeydew is a popular food source for many insects such as ants, bees and bumblebees. Bees and bumblebees lick it from the leaves or needles of various trees. Ants such as Lasius niger literally keep the aphids. They even defend them against predators and carry them to fresh shoots.

Honeydew is particularly popular with ants because of its somewhat different components. The main sugars in honeydew are sucrose and fructose, but smaller amounts of maltose, trehalose, melezitose, raffinose and other oligosaccharides are also found. In addition to sugar and water, honeydew also contains essential amino acids, minerals, trace elements, adenosines, phosphates and other ingredients such as vitamins.

Use:
For honey-eating ant species (Meliphagidae)
This is a supplementary feed
It can be offered to the animals as supplied. As the sugar concentration is reduced by the humidity and a fermentation process begins, the food should be replaced every 3 days. Clean the feeding bowl/tube thoroughly before reuse.
Once opened, the pack should be kept tightly closed until the expiry date.

Nutritional information per 100 g:
approx. 2.7 % fats
of which saturated approx. 0.45 %
approx. 95 % carbohydrates
of which sugar approx. 71
approx. 2.85% protein
Minerals (potassium, calcium, copper, iron, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and other trace elements) Amino acids (proline, leucine, phenylalanine, alanine, histidine, isoleucine, glutamic acid, arginine, aspartic acid, etc.) Organic acids Enzymes (enzymes)Flavorings Inhibins (antibacterial substances) Flowers Pollen

Storage:
To ensure the quality of the feed, the feed should be stored in a dark and dry place.

Note:
Information on the use of feed tubes can be found here: Link
Supplementary feed for honey-eating ants.
Please refer to the package insert for composition, analytical ingredients, best-before date and batch number.

Information hotline +49 30 76687051

Responsible veterinary and food inspectorate:
Steglitz Veterinary Office
Königin-Luise-Str. 92
14195 Berlin

Note on the blanched crickets:
Our Blanched Crickets are an easy way to provide your ants with freshly preserved protein food without having to feed live insects. The contained crickets (Acheta domesticus) have been gently blanched to ensure that nutritional values, taste and aroma are preserved. In addition, the chitinous shell of the insects is softened in this way so that it can be digested more easily. The bonds of the collagen proteins are broken down so that the ants can utilize them better. Canned Acheta domesticus has the same nutritional value as live crickets, but is easier to digest.

The blanched crickets are not suitable for hunting ant species that require live food. (e.g. ponerines (great ants) such as Harpegnathos or Odontomachus)

Further advantages:
Guaranteed mite-free
Can be portioned
Sterilized and vacuumed
Without additives
Crickets from sustainable, purely organic breeding, fed with organic waste

Please note:
Can be kept in the fridge for about four days after opening. Longer shelf life if frozen.