Hi all!
Here I am again with a slight dilemma regarding my little-over-1-year-old (and first ever) Lasius Niger colony. It didn't grow by a lot, I think (probably because of a previous previous test tube problem I posted about here a while ago) but now (or rather after most of the now present pupae eclose) it would be the time for their second ever diapause, they even started "balling" up and becoming less active. I was also planning to put them, after the diapause, in a small nest I ordered to accomodate for their growth in spring.
There is yet another test tube related problem that arose though:
A worker has somehow managed to make her way and die inside of the water reservoir so now I'm afraid all the water will leak inside of the nesting area (which miracously didn't happen as of now).
So now I don't know what to do:
Is there a high risk of a leakage occuring?
Should I induce them to move inside of that nest I mentioned which, btw, should arrive tomorrow? (and therefore loose all the practicality of having the colony in the test tube)
Or will the cold make them inactive enough to not attempt to dig the cotton even more?
And, if so, is it advisable to separate the test tube from the arena during the diapause period?
Also, yeah, I know out of the 3 posts I made this is the third about a test tube problem, it probably has to do with the fact I'm using these huge glass tubes for a colony of small sized ants; besides my incompetence.
