10 replies to this topic

[rbarreto]

Hey guys I just have a few quick questions.

1. Can you heat these things? If so where should I put the heating cable?

2. My ants put their garbage over the water tank.... is this gona spread mold through the mesh into the water? How do I get them to stop?

3. How long would the water last in the fridge once I put my ants away for hibernation?

[Zeiss]

What do you mean by heating them?  You can get a heating cable and run it next to them, but I wouldn't heat the entire thing.  

 

The ants leaving their garbage over the water tank will allow mold to grow at a much faster rate and I would assume it can contaminate the water.  Do you allow them access to the outworld?  That should be where they put their trash, but sometimes they just leave it in the chambers like idiots.  I'm not sure how to get them to stop, but I would think by moving their trash somewhere, they will put new trash where the old trash is moved to hopefully.  

 

The water would probably last a bit longer than just being left out.  I'm not too sure how long though.  Probably best to change it like normal anyways.  I don't think a water tower inside is supposed to be where they drink from, although they can, but more so for raising the humidity in the bottom portion.

[CampoKing]

Do you mean they just put their trash there recently, or it's been an ongoing thing?

 

Also, what trash? Like *everything* including sand/etc or just their most recent food?

 

A colony will sometimes pile stuff somewhere temporarily, then move it when they realize they might have messed up.

But they also cover up things that are offensive to them (by smell usually), so I'm curious if your water tower was dirty or spoiled already, or if you're using less-than-awesome water to fill it.  I would use only bottled spring water, for example, rather than tap (filtered or otherwise). 

 

Gotta look at the big picture when a colony does something unusual, because their collective behaviors are often for a reason.

[Superant33]

Some ants are just messy. My Odontomachus Queen doesn’t empty the trash. She leaves it every where. Including on top of the water tower. I think that’s one reason why many Odontomachus are hard to keep.

[Ikerrilove]

I have a question for these as well. How do you clean them before using them? I have a couple heading my way.

[PaxxMantid]

I'm also interested in how to heat the mini h earth with a cable. I tried running it underneath, but it was a little too hot. So, I might try heating the side opposite the water tower. But, how to attach/place it? How are people doing it?

 

thanks!

[CoolColJ]

I run it underneath on the left side of the nest, and added a folded tissue paper on the right to balance the height

[PaxxMantid]

I tried something like that, and it worked fine but it got to about 98 degrees above the cable, and was in the low 80's on the right side. So, I worried it was too warm. I . have tetramorium in there, so not sure if they like that much heat.

[CoolColJ]

I tried something like that, and it worked fine but it got to about 98 degrees above the cable, and was in the low 80's on the right side. So, I worried it was too warm. I . have tetramorium in there, so not sure if they like that much heat.

That's why you only have it on one side so there is a thermal gradient then they can choose when to hang out

You'd be suprised how much heat the ants like. I have some ants here that sit directly on the heat cable, not just the heat contact point, but physically sit directly on the heat cable which is 32-33C degrees.
30-32C degrees is really not that hot. Humans and ants survive just fine in the tropics which have those temps all year round just about

Edited by CoolColJ, October 24 2018 - 1:01 PM.

[PaxxMantid]

Ahh ok maybe I'll try again. I found and printed little tiny base for the mini hearth, with a channel for a heating cable to go underneath it - very cool. But when I put it in, it seemed to heat the entire formicarium. I'll try again and see how they react.

[Ants Galore]

My Pheidole Obscurithorax colony put food they were eating on the water tower and it didn’t mold. They took it off once they were done with it.