26 replies to this topic

[Flu1d]

Www.kartersci.com for test tubes if you live in the USA.

[Formiga]

As an emergency measure when you don't have test tubes and while you can't get them, you could use a syringe.

I can buy them in any pharmacy for just a few cents.

I get the 10ml ones, with the needle.

 

Then I carefully break the needle at its base (it's sterile but don't stab yourself with it!) and then block the little whole with a bit of wax from a candle, just light it up for a few seconds and dip the tip of the needle in the molten wax. Let it dry for a minute and then firmly attach the base of the needle to the syringe.

This way you have an end cap so the water won't spill out (outside or worse, inside risking drowning your queen and their brood!) or evaporate.

 

I like to clean the lines of the syringe so I can have a clearer view (although it's plastic is not perfectly clear). For that I use ethyl alcohol (Ethanol), here in Portugal it's harder to get rubbing alcohol.
With some brands of syringes the lines come out easy, on others you have to rub much more. But since I've never used rubbing alcohol, I don't know if it can be better at it but I believe it might be.

 

Bare in mind that the greatest limitation of syringes is that they carry a small amount of water, lets say in practice you get around 5ml which is very little compared to a test tube. This means it will run dry much sooner (with most my Messors, they went dry before the 1st nanitics were even born, or have one or a couple of them and this is not yet the best time to give them a new home) with all the problems that involve, including changing tubes prematurely and the extra stress it represents to the ants.

 

I've managed to refill some water from the back of the syringe, by removing the "cap" of the needle and injecting water inside with another syringe with a needle, but I strongly recommend against this because you don't have control and have a very high risk of flooding your ants. I've been there and I'll tell you now that you don't want this!

 

So again, it works as an emergency measure when you don't have test tubes. Just drive to the nearest pharmacy and buy them cheap.

But in no way they are a substitute for proper test tubes.

[Aramantir]

I will look for them. Right now I did a setup with that watered cotton, other part is covered with cotton too, is it good that she tries to escape?? I saw her examining corner with water, but still she went back to that exit one. She also likes to bite these towels a lot

[Formiga]

That setup doesn't seem bad for an emergency.

And the way you have it you can easily remove the water part and refill it with not much stress to her. Much better than inside a syringe.

Just keep in mind that when you change the water, immediately cover that hole with some cotton so she won't escape and you can work relaxed.

 

Also, check here for tips on how to handle test tubes easily, watch the towel technique video, it's very helpful:

https://www.formicul...ut/#entry225816

 

 

"is it good that she tries to escape??"

I'm sorry I didn't get your question.

It's never good for ants to escape, especially your queen!

If you're asking if your setup seems escape proof, it seems good enough to me. But I'm not a queen ant with tens of millions of years of Evolution in escape artistry...

 

 

 

"I saw her examining corner with water, but still she went back to that exit one."

She might not feel at home yet. Give her some days. This erratic scared movement around the tube is not uncommon. Just wait. Raising a colony is a test to your ability of patience. (for an idea, I've been waiting since September for my 1st ants to come out!!)

Also keep her in the dark and in a place with no vibrations, it will calm her down. Remember that's not her natural habitat, in Nature she's buried down inside a quiet dark tunnel.

When she has laid her eggs she will generally refuse getting out of the tube unless she's very stressed out, she will be staying next to them taking care of them.

 

 

"She also likes to bite these towels a lot"

Do you mean wet paper towels? I don't see them in her setup in the pictures. Can't tell if she's being aggressive at them, thinks that is a way out, drinking water from them, ..., ..., ...

 

 

RESIST your curiosity of always being checking on her. I know, it's hard. Very hard! So very hard!!!

Every time you check on her you might be stressing her. With the stress she can even eat her own eggs! Yes it happened to me on a good number of Messor queens here, that's why I'm still waiting since September because I had them on syringes that ran dry and I had to change them to test tubes.

 

For these next days check every couple of days or a bit more just to be sure your setup is safe and if she has already started laying eggs.

 

Then check her only about every couple of weeks or so.

 

May your patience be rewarded with thousands of ants!!!

 

 

Any question, just ask here. Learn from our mistakes instead of making yours!

I allowed my previous 2 Formica fusca colonies to be raided by vicious alien colonies that showed up from holes in the walls and was without ants for more than a year...

 

Cheers.

 

 

 

PS - O would say (almost) forget about them, when I had a cringe moment thinking I could have forgotten some queen ants inside a drawer for quite some good months now... For my relief, it was empty...

[Aramantir]

Ok she laid like 5 eggs I guess, I keep her tube covered with towel so light won't stress her

[Aramantir]

Ok she laid like 5 eggs I guess, I keep her tube covered with towel so light won't stress her
It respond 2 times, I didn't mean it

[Formiga]

If she has laid eggs, all is going well then. Well done!