11 replies to this topic

[azzaaazzzz00]

I got a new Camponotus colony that has 9 workers. Their old test tube was running out of water and the cotton blocking the water was starting to mold a bit. So, I put a new test tube in the outworld for them to move into. To my surprise they moved in pretty quickly, but I forgot to take the old test tube out. I didn't that that was a problem until I took a peek into the outworld a few hours later. They had moved back into the old test tube. I don't want to waste your time by making you read everything I did but with in a couple of days, they moved from test tube to test tube and every once in a while, they would somehow end up in the far end of the outworld. The new test tube is clean, doesn't have mold, and has enough water. I don't know what to do and they're driving me nuts.

 

Note: I looked again and now they are just chillin sideways on the wall of the outworld.

Edited by azzaaazzzz00, July 20 2023 - 9:29 AM.

[ANTdrew]

Increase airflow in the outworld and they won’t use it as a nest.

[azzaaazzzz00]

thanks, I will try that. But what should I do about them having half the colony in one test tube and the other half in the other test tube?

[Serafine]

Nothing. Camponotus having satellite nests is normal.

[ANTdrew]

Dump them out of the old tube.

[azzaaazzzz00]

Nothing. Camponotus having satellite nests is normal.

Oh, but I thought that was only when they got to a bigger size and needed more room

 

Dump them out of the old tube.

Ok, I will, I was thinking about it but didn't know if it was normal for camponotus or if there was a better way to get them to permanently move on their own

 

Thanks for the help

[azzaaazzzz00]

I was going to make another post about olive oil, but I decided to put it on here. Some question: Do you recommend it, is it safe for the ants, and does it work for most or all species. I am using it for the camponotus colony that I was talking about in the first place. a worker managed to get past the olive oil by going to one of the corners (luckily I have a cap to the outworld and no workers escaped). I tried it for camponotus because they are generally bigger and it would bee easy to see if the olive oil works. I want some opinions before I go and use it for smaller ants like nylanderia and pheidole.

[ANTdrew]

It is generally considered one of the least effective barriers.

[azzaaazzzz00]

Are there better barriers that are cheap? I don't really want to buy fluon unless I really have to because it's so it's so expensive

[Ernteameise]

For me, paraffin oil works best and it is cheap.

[Serafine]

Are there better barriers that are cheap? I don't really want to buy fluon unless I really have to because it's so it's so expensive

It may be expensive but my fluon barriers last for 5 YEARS on average.

Other barriers need to be replaced much more frequently.

 

Powder barriers are a decent alternative for Camponotus. Yes, it's a type of barrier that slowly disintegrates on contact but it'll be a very long time before your Camponotus will have the numbers to just brute-force through it by walking it off.

Edited by Serafine, July 21 2023 - 9:04 AM.

[azzaaazzzz00]

Ok, I will try paraffin oil and then fluon if the oil doesn't work. Also, where do you get your fluon usually?