6 replies to this topic

[irishwheels1]

I've had my queen, her 1 worker, and 20 other eggs set up to another testtube so they can move for about 2 days now...

No Progress in moving.

I am about 100% sure the old test tube cotton is dry, however there is still water inside the tube area with the cotton. It like the cotton is not transfering the water to the other side 


What should I do?

Do you think they are fine? Just leave it?

or Should I force the queen and the worker out, then carfully push the cotton back more without touching the eggs?


Or do you think if I tilt the water down gravity will help make coton wet again? 

I need some pointers here,

My first queen so.

[Ants4fun]

Wet the cotton plug, so she at least has moisture. Better to keep her happy than stressed. Just moisten the cotton plug every few days, and you should be good.

[ANTdrew]

What species are you dealing with?
Definitely don’t force any move with such a small colony. Can you put their tube in a bigger container with a new tube available next to the old one? That will make feeding easier. Ants can live a long time in a relatively dry tube. I have a Crematogaster colony that has been living in a completely dry tube for five months.

[Ryno]

try an eye dropper, and how big is the terrarium, if its big, wait till after hibernation.

And just like Antdrew  said, what species is it exactly.

P.S try a mini hearth from Tarheel ants their awesome

[irishwheels1]

I'm about 60% sure its camponotus hyatti because of the area they are in reative to my area that I live.

40% maybe camponotus novaeboracensis because IT looks just like them, honestly they look more like novaeboracensis then hyatti.... But that would mean they would have migrated from new york area and that's over 2800 miles from me 

 

 

I like the eye dropper Idea

 

I have no idea what "wet the cotton plug" means exactly....like what is the saffest way that should be done? 

 

 

and there is no Formicarium yet. I did say testtube like 3 times. 

Edited by irishwheels1, August 17 2019 - 11:04 PM.

[Irishwheels]

Anyone, available to help?

 

anyone with ideas to better keep cotton wet?

[ANTdrew]

Hi-
You don’t need a formicarium, just a simple plastic box with an escape proof barrier around the rim. Place the dry tube in there next to a new tube and let the ants decide how much moisture they need.