Jump to content

  • Gallery
  • Members
  • Member Map
  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

Advice On Test-tube Setups, Water Depletion

Started By kgollehon , Jan 30 2020 6:52 PM
testtube polygynous help water ant keeping troubleshooting humidity care

  • Please log in to reply
5 replies to this topic

#1 Offline kgollehon - Posted January 30 2020 - 6:52 PM

kgollehon

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 45 posts
  • LocationWestwood

Hey all, wanted to reach out really quick and talk a bit about an issue I'm having with one of my test-tube setups. I've been rearing a colony of polygynous queens for some time now, I won't attempt to definitively label them but I believe them to be Solonopsis sp.. Anyway, I have had them in a setup connected to a small formicarium for some time (they never chose to move in but that's another story). My issue has been that the test tube water has evaporated a long while ago and I wish to move the queens and their brood to a new test-tube, standard tape-two-tubes-together approach. I have been getting by by hydrating the formicarium and hoping the colony will use it as an outworld to their tube but I'd rather them have the proper humidity. Since the colony never truly got established there are no more developed workers to initiate the moving process. Will the queens transport the brood themselves to a new home, or is that wishful thinking? I currently have a light over their current setup to try and coax them but so far nothing. Any advice would be appreciated! 

 

Here's the setup and a closeup of my queens! 

 

Switching setups
Queens in test-tube

 

 


Colonies: Tetramorium sp., Solenopsis xyloni

Put an end to hate, go green, vote left! Peace

#2 Offline NickAnter - Posted January 31 2020 - 8:14 AM

NickAnter

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,307 posts
  • LocationOrange County, California
Dump them out into a new tube. They don't appear to have too much brood to damage. And I don't think that these are Solenopsis.
  • CheetoLord02 and kgollehon like this

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#3 Offline kgollehon - Posted January 31 2020 - 8:54 AM

kgollehon

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 45 posts
  • LocationWestwood

Dump them out into a new tube. They don't appear to have too much brood to damage. And I don't think that these are Solenopsis.

 

Thanks for the input, was a little eventful but managed to get them switched over. It will be good to see them re-establish a sizable colony in the future. I don't know why but I have had this issue in the past where my young colonies loose their initial workers before new workers come around. Not sure if that's common. I'll have to post an ID request on the other forum, would make sense that it's not Solonopsis, this colony refused all food offerings when it did have workers. 


Colonies: Tetramorium sp., Solenopsis xyloni

Put an end to hate, go green, vote left! Peace

#4 Offline Serafine - Posted January 31 2020 - 10:50 AM

Serafine

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,812 posts
  • LocationGermany
Test tubes with front cotton plug and straw. Last for 6-10 months.

ppw5pZS.jpg

Edited by Serafine, January 31 2020 - 10:50 AM.

  • kgollehon likes this

We should respect all forms of consciousness. The body is just a vessel, a mere hull.

Welcome to Lazy Tube - My Camponotus Journal

#5 Offline kgollehon - Posted January 31 2020 - 1:31 PM

kgollehon

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 45 posts
  • LocationWestwood

Test tubes with front cotton plug and straw. Last for 6-10 months.ppw5pZS.jpg


Great tip! I may just use that in the future!
Colonies: Tetramorium sp., Solenopsis xyloni

Put an end to hate, go green, vote left! Peace

#6 Offline kgollehon - Posted January 31 2020 - 7:55 PM

kgollehon

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 45 posts
  • LocationWestwood

So a new issue has come up haha. Now that the queens and brood are in the new test-tube, the queens are staying at the entrance cotton-ball and not with the brood. Hoping they eventually reclaim the brood. Anyone want to weigh in on this?


Colonies: Tetramorium sp., Solenopsis xyloni

Put an end to hate, go green, vote left! Peace
Back to General Ant Keeping · Next Unread Topic →



Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: testtube, polygynous, help, water, ant keeping, troubleshooting, humidity, care

1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users