6 replies to this topic

[antsarefriends]

Hi!

 

I'm looking for comments / suggestions for preventing escape.

 

I'm building up /designing a formicarium and the idea is for the outworld (mounted on the blue area / acrylic panel) to be replaceable if desired.

 

Here's a quick overview / this is a sectional view, and it will all be built with acrylic 

 

A) The red panel will be removable, with fluon painted onto the "A", the intent is for ants to fall off due gravity etc.

 

Represents a moat, potentially filled with oil? I'm not sure what's the best method for this - any ideas? Or am I better off doing a similar overhang strategy as "A" for this?

 

C) Is where the removable outworld panel sits, with Vaseline at "C" to prevent ants from sneaking through the gaps in case the panel warps over time etc

 

 

Any ideas or suggestions are welcome! Esp. for "B".

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

Attached Images

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Edited by antsarefriends, February 19 2023 - 1:00 AM.

[ANTdrew]

I don’t fully understand the concept, but overhanging lips that are coated on the underside with fluon are the best escape prevention method. The downside of vaseline is that ants can stick trash to it and make a bridge over time.
Find the thread on Pictures of Formicariums and Outworlds for ideas. Start simple if this is your first go at DIY formicaria. You can always experiment later as you improve your design.

[T.C.]

If I'm reading this right, don't have oil trenches as your barrier. When in panic, ants will run into and get stuck in everything.

Edited by T.C., February 19 2023 - 3:20 AM.

[Full_Frontal_Yeti]

If you have barrier A, that's likely all you really need, not also the B moat after that. Simplify the design to just use the A portion of an upside down fluon barrier.

 

And then for the outworld connection to the nest to be detachable, so that you could flip it out for a differetn one. Consider having that connection be a horizontal tube side entrance instead of one that comes up from the bottom.

If the outworld and nest are sitting next to each other with a couple inches or more of tube connecting them, then you can simply pop the tube off one end and cap it while you swap in a different outworld.

 

The situation of the outworld being on top of the nest is making you need a more complicated setup there. If the nest and outworld were tube connected horizontally next to each other, that'd  be a lot easier/simpler to do.

 

here is an image of my setup like this. I happen to be using an 18" length of tube, it goes form the left side of the nest around to the back side of the outworld.

But it could have been setup right next to the outworld with just maybe 2 inches of tube or little less. I can easily pop the tube off the outworld and cap it while I clean it up real thoroughly. Or simply swap it out putting the tube in a different outworld.

 

that shot is before the ants moved in while i was testing temps and such. They seem to be doing quite well in it

Edited by Full_Frontal_Yeti, February 19 2023 - 8:11 AM.

[rptraut]

To make a water moat most effective add a small amount of dish soap. This weakens the water tension so ants can't walk or float on it, but they will drown.

I have been promoting the use of mineral oil as a barrier for awhile now but I have yet to hear from anyone else whose tried it and how it worked for them. It used to be sold in pharmacies as a laxative (the bottle I have is 50+ years old) but when I dab it around the rim of a formicarium, my ants avoid it like the plague. They include Tapinoma, Lasius, Myrmica, and Tetramorium. They don't eat it either. Camponotus don't seem to avoid it, but they slip on it so it works just the same. Temnothorax seem to be able to stumble their way through anything! Good luck

[T.C.]

To make a water moat most effective add a small amount of dish soap. This weakens the water tension so ants can't walk or float on it, but they will drown.
I have been promoting the use of mineral oil as a barrier for awhile now but I have yet to hear from anyone else whose tried it and how it worked for them. It used to be sold in pharmacies as a laxative (the bottle I have is 50+ years old) but when I dab it around the rim of a formicarium, my ants avoid it like the plague. They include Tapinoma, Lasius, Myrmica, and Tetramorium. They don't eat it either. Camponotus don't seem to avoid it, but they slip on it so it works just the same. Temnothorax seem to be able to stumble their way through anything! Good luck

I'll give it a shot. Does the mineral oil hold up a good while?

[rptraut]

I apply it with a cotton ball wrapped in cloth. I soak it in the oil and dab it on in a half inch band. Wiping it on doesn't work, it has to be dabbed on. I only clean it and reply it once a year. Some ants stick things to it, like dead ants, so I do clean it and reapply when necessary. I clean it off with a paper towel. I have also just wiped a thin film over the entire "glass" surface as it cuts down on condensation and inhibits the ants from ever walking on that surface. Visibility can be affected. A layer of oil also holds talc very well and makes a good base for that system. Good luck!