43 replies to this topic

[Etherwulf]

Again, I'm not sure which one you're referring to. The last one you showed me looked nothing alike.

 

Yeah, the Camponotus here appear to love more humid environments. I noticed that after they consistently moved to wetter areas that other ants had previously moved away from.

[Miles]

Yeah, the Camponotus here appear to love more humid environments. I noticed that after they consistently moved to wetter areas that other ants had previously moved away from.

Exactly. The Camponotus genus is wildly diverse and has a global reach. There are definitely species that prefer high moisture levels/humidity in their nests.

[drtrmiller]

The setup I had was different from, but looked nearly identical to #2 in the OP.

 

My main concern is, you're saying you purchased #2, and if it looks almost identical to mine, firstly, which features are in fact substantially different such as to make one superior over another, and secondly, how is one able to visually distinguish between "fine" and "rubbish?"

 

Everything in your written description of #2 also applies to the one I have.  And as they say, if it looks like a duck, and acts like a duck, and quacks like a duck...

[drtrmiller]

 

Yeah, the Camponotus here appear to love more humid environments. I noticed that after they consistently moved to wetter areas that other ants had previously moved away from.

Exactly. The Camponotus genus is wildly diverse and has a global reach. There are definitely species that prefer high moisture levels/humidity in their nests.

 

 

You have no way of knowing, simply because yours are hugging the water wall, whether they are wet- or dry-loving, because wet and dry are relative to the formicarium design.  

 

And you misinterpreted what I said about my ants moving into a test tube.  The water reservoir of the test tube was "foggy," meaning there was some humidity, but no standing water.  My ants preferred this over the formicarium, seemingly because the formicarium was so dry, despite the water wall being completely saturated.  So it's entirely possible that it provides sufficient water for a dry-loving Camponotus, and that you are conflating their love of that area with being water-loving, when in fact that area is just past being drier than a bone.

[Etherwulf]

Alright then.

 

I had previously stuck a humidity sensor in the horizontal nest and did some datalogging over 24 hours. The humidity hovered around 90 to 97%  at the wet area so unless you are using your own rendition of a humidity scale, I'm quite sure it is acceptable to conclude that this particular species prefers high levels of humidity since they did not move away to a drier part.

 

 

  So, these water-loving ants preferred a dry-ish test tube over the formicarium.

 

Likewise, I can apply your logic and flip the question over to you. Isn't it somewhat paradoxical that you claim that the formicarium was dry, forcing your wet-loving ants to move to a more "dry-ish"  test tube which is somehow more humid than a saturated wet sponge? Unless you are telling me that the formicarium magically caused water to cease evaporating in a small confined space, resulting in said space being dry.

 

Also, how would you know if your wet-loving ants are really wet-loving and moved because of humidity issues? You yourself said it was impossible to define what exactly is wet-loving since you insist that staying near areas with high levels of humidity does not equate to wet-loving.

Edited by Etherwulf, July 4 2015 - 9:43 PM.

[drtrmiller]

How often does condensation form on the walls of your formicarium?

[Etherwulf]

I live in a tropical climate so room temperature hovers around 28 to 30 celsius. 

 

When the air-conditioner is turned on, the temperature drops to around 25 to 26 celsius and condensation is observed. 

[drtrmiller]

In which cells adjacent to the water wall?

[Etherwulf]

Two columns.

[drtrmiller]

I'd like to see a picture to compare to the one I have.  The water wall in mine was even more open than it is in yours, and I never observed condensation.

[Etherwulf]

 

There, incontrovertible proof.

Edited by Etherwulf, July 4 2015 - 10:27 PM.

[Ants4fun]

Terry just got beat at his own game?

[drtrmiller]

Terry just got beat at his own game?

 

 

I'd like to see a picture to compare to the one I have.

 

I wasn't asking for "proof," as if I doubted what Etherwulf was saying.  I was asking for a photo to visually compare to the formicarium I have on hand.

 

There is no "game," and nobody "beat" anybody, which is simply be a childish way of looking at this discussion.

 

I'll post a picture as soon as I find time.  Until then, I did find it amusing that Etherwulf was going on about how his Camponotus sp. loved this formicarium, and yet the photo shows it both empty and cleaned out.  I guess they liked something else better.

Edited by drtrmiller, July 5 2015 - 2:01 PM.

[Ants4fun]

Would you view Solenopsis as moisture loving? I often find that they like drier areas of a nest. Are Camponotus dry loving? I often see them going more towards the wet part of the nest. To judge a formicarium as unable to provide a proper moisture gradient without testing moisture levels is odd. As well, your proof is that a colony escaped. I have had a colony escape my formicarium and move into a bone dry towel. It doesn't always imply that they prefer a nest site to another.

Terry just got beat at his own game?

I'd like to see a picture to compare to the one I have.

I'll post a picture as soon as I find time. Until then, I did find it amusing that Etherwulf was going on about how his Camponotus sp. loved this formicarium, and yet the photo shows it both empty and cleaned out. I guess they liked something else better.

Why jump to conclusions and have to retract a statement such as this? I find that 'childish'.

There is no "game," and nobody "beat" anybody, which is simply be a childish way of looking at this discussion.

I find it amusing how you insist that every other product besides yours is somehow incompetent.

Edited by Ants4fun, July 5 2015 - 2:38 PM.

[drtrmiller]

I find it amusing how you insist that every other product besides yours is somehow incompetent.

 

 

Yes, I invented a dried out test tube.  That, and dirt.  I own dirt.

[Ants4fun]

I have had a colony escape my formicarium and move into a bone dry towel. It doesn't always imply that they prefer a nest site to another.

Edited by Ants4fun, July 5 2015 - 2:43 PM.

[drtrmiller]

I have had a colony escape my formicarium and move into a bone dry towel. It doesn't always imply that they prefer a nest site to another.

 

Let's break this apart, shall we?

 

I have had a colony escape from "SITE A" and move into "SITE B." [This behavior] doesn't always imply that [the ants preferred] "SITE B" over "SITE A."

 

Uhm.  Yes, it always does mean exactly that.  You may not know the reason, but it always means that Site B was preferable over Site A.

[Ants4fun]

Well the reason was clearly darkness. Until you create a product that will solve that, it seems my ants will always prefer sometime dark. It doesn't mean that a towel will successfully sustain a colony.

[drtrmiller]

Did the ants tell you that was the reason?  Mine have never left me a note.  And unless your formicarium was a transparent towel you're comparing to your opaque one, with all other things being equal between them, it is foolish to assume what the reason was.  There are far too many things about ants that we do not know to just go about making casual assumptions as to why they do the things they do.

 

I was at someone's house once, and observed ants going nuts over this guy's boxers that were left on the floor.  I'm not going to just assume that they were moving in for the darkness, when it may have very well been the crotch juice to which they were attracted.

[Ants4fun]

Well back on topic, I believe that these formicariums look pretty nice. Almost like the omni nest. He showed evidence that moisture was present and that his ants liked it. That's good enough for me.