51 replies to this topic

[Gregory2455]

Here, you can post a list of the species that can cross a certain barrier on foot that you use, or have experimented with.

By of foot, I mean that without building a debris bridge, or piling each other up to get across. I mean a single ant can just walk over it.

 

Some common barriers are:

 

Olive Oil

 

Vaseline

 

Talcum Powder

 

Fluon (Insect-a-slip)

 

 

Example Post:

Barrier Name

List of species that can cross barrier.

List of species that refuse to cross barrier, or have tried and failed.

Edited by Gregory2455, November 2 2014 - 11:30 PM.

[Gregory2455]

Oil (Usually Olive Oil)

Camponotus sp.

Lasius sp.

Myrmecia spp.

 

Formica sp.

Myrmica sp.

Tapinoma sessile

 

Vaseline

Camponotus sp.

Dorymyrmex bicolor

Lasius sp.

Nylanderia vividula

Solenopsis molesta

Tapinoma sessile

 

Solenopsis xyloni

 

Talcum Powder

-

Acromyrmex versicolor
Brachymyrmex sp.
Camponotus anthrax
Camponotus clarithorax
Camponotus essigi
Camponotus laevigatus
Camponotus ocreatus
Camponotus quercicola
Camponotus semitestaceus
Camponotus vicinus
Crematogaster spp.
Cyphomyrmex wheeleri
Dorymyrmex bicolor
Dorymyrmex insanus
Forelius spp.
Formica francoeuri
Formica moki
Formica ravida
Formica subpolita
Formica accreta
Lasius alienus
Liometopum occidentale
Monomorium ergatogyna
Myrmecocystus mexicanus
Myrmecocystus cf. mimicus
Myrmecocystus navajo
Myrmecocystus testaceus
Myrmecocystus wheeleri
Myrmecocystus yuma
Neivamyrmex californicus
Neivamyrmex nigrescens
Nylanderia sp.
Pheidole desertorum
Pheidole gilvescens
Pheidole hyatti
Pheidole moerens
Pheidole vaslitii
Pheidole vistana
Pheidole xerophila
Polyergus vinosus
Prenolepis imparis
Pseudomyrmex apache
Solenopsis amblychila
Solenopsis invicta
Solenopsis molesta
Solenopsis xyloni
Tapinoma sessile
Temnothorax rugatulus
Tetramorium spinosum
Veromessor andrei
Veromessor pergandei

 

Fluon

-

Camponotus sp.

Camponotus fragilis

Camponotus laevigatus
Camponotus semitestaceus
Camponotus vicinus
Crematogaster spp.
Dorymyrmex bicolor
Dorymyrmex insanus
Formica sp.

Formica francoeuri
Formica moki
Formica ravida
Lasius sp.

Myrmica sp.

Pheidole gilvescens
Solenopsis invicta
Solenopsis molesta
Solenopsis xyloni

Tapinoma sp.
Veromessor pergandei

Edited by Gregory2455, November 7 2014 - 7:18 PM.

[DesertAntz]

Vaseline

Dorymyrmex bicolor (Note: Although I haven't witnessed it with my own eyes I know for a fact there have been numerous escapees. One of my queens boomed to about 17 workers last week and now there are just 11, after letting them have freedom with a vaseline barrier. What's also interesting is that I had to pick 2 dead workers of that same colony two days ago from the vaseline itself. There have been other mysterious cases of workers missing with my other queens as well, too. I believe I'm going to reapply more vaseline and wait till I witness them try to cross to see if it's the thickness of the layer that is a factor. But they can cross, lol.) 

Edited by DesertAntz, November 3 2014 - 12:15 AM.

[dspdrew]

This is a great idea.

[Crystals]

Olive Oil

Formica

Myrmica

 

Tapinoma (spread thick they tend to drown, but if spread very thinly over a 1" wide band, they don't seem to want to cross it)

 

Camponotus

Lasius

 

 

 

Once this list gets bigger, we can make the first post a summary, so people won't have to read through 3 pages.

[Gregory2455]

This is a great idea.

I had a great idea!!!

Crystals- I will be adding to the first and second post myself to make that easier.

[Mathiacus]

Spray canola oil

Myrmecia nigrocincta (only after high humidity and condensation)

[Crystals]

Vaseline

 

Camponotus

Lasius

Tapinoma

 

 

I heard a rumour that mineral oil may also work on species that are undeterred by olive oil.  I have never tested it.

 

 

Fluon (insect a slip)

Lasius (some species can climb it vertically, but not upside down)

Camponotus

Tapinoma

Formica

Myrmica

[Gregory2455]

Vaseline

 

Fluon (insect a slip)

Lasius (some species can climb it vertically, but not upside down)

Camponotus

Tapinoma

Formica

Myrmica

Yay! First Fluon post.

Edited by Gregory2455, November 3 2014 - 9:56 PM.

[Gregory2455]

Looking for more contributors! 

[dspdrew]

These are the species I have used each of these methods on, and the results. These results are based on what I can remember over the last two years, so it might not be 100 percent accurate.

 

Talcum Powder

Acromyrmex versicolor
Brachymyrmex sp.
Camponotus anthrax
Camponotus clarithorax
Camponotus essigi
Camponotus laevigatus
Camponotus ocreatus
Camponotus quercicola
Camponotus semitestaceus
Camponotus vicinus
Crematogaster spp.
Cyphomyrmex wheeleri
Dorymyrmex bicolor
Dorymyrmex insanus
Forelius spp.
Formica francoeuri
Formica moki
Formica ravida
Formica subpolita
Formica accreta
Lasius alienus
Liometopum occidentale
Monomorium ergatogyna
Myrmecocystus mexicanus
Myrmecocystus cf. mimicus
Myrmecocystus navajo
Myrmecocystus testaceus
Myrmecocystus wheeleri
Myrmecocystus yuma
Neivamyrmex californicus
Neivamyrmex nigrescens
Nylanderia sp.
Pheidole desertorum
Pheidole gilvescens
Pheidole hyatti
Pheidole moerens
Pheidole vaslitii
Pheidole vistana
Pheidole xerophila
Polyergus vinosus
Prenolepis imparis
Pseudomyrmex apache
Solenopsis amblychila
Solenopsis invicta
Solenopsis molesta
Solenopsis xyloni
Tapinoma sessile
Temnothorax rugatulus
Tetramorium spinosum
Veromessor andrei
Veromessor pergandei

 

Fluon (insect a slip)
Camponotus fragilis
Camponotus laevigatus
Camponotus semitestaceus
Camponotus vicinus
Crematogaster spp.
Dorymyrmex bicolor
Dorymyrmex insanus
Formica francoeuri
Formica moki
Formica ravida
Pheidole gilvescens
Solenopsis invicta
Solenopsis molesta
Solenopsis xyloni
Veromessor pergandei

[Gregory2455]

There is a great list!

[AntsAreUs]

Wow, how much ants do you have Drew?!?!

[dspdrew]

I have a lot, but some of those I don't currently keep, or have actually never kept at all. When I used to take pictures of live specimens, I would stage them in a small container lined with talcum powder.

[Gregory2455]

Updated with Drew's long list.

I am going to organize them in alphabetical order.

[DesertAntz]

I don't believe he has contributed enough to this topic. 

[Gregory2455]

I took a little time to organize them into alphabetical order. I rushed through it, so if you find mistakes just point them out.

[Foogoo]

Can we make this thread a sticky?

 

Silicone-based Lubricant

Linepithema humile

 

Seemed like a cleaner alternative to cooking oil. I'll try it on my other colonies once they get big enough to move to a larger container.

[Gregory2455]

Yeah this should be sticky...

[Crystals]

Yeah this should be sticky...

It is kind of stickied already - In General, in the pinned "List of Handy Links", it is the 5th one down.

Does this count, or do you want it actually pinned?