28 replies to this topic

[Topgun757]

This will be a journal focused primarily on my largest C. novaeboracensis colony along with a smaller one and a modoc colony.

[Topgun757]

My largest colony has about 8 workers and around 12 pupae along with many eggs and larvae. Today I plan to move them into a mini hearth by dumping them. I would have preferred to have been able to move them more gently but I don’t have any tubing that can connect to a mini hearth and I don’t have time to wait for shipping, as they have burrowed very deep into the cotton. I hope not to lose any workers or brood but the colony should be alright.

In the mini hearth I had previously had a Novaeboracensis colony which grew a bit but eventually stopped feeding their larvae and died out with 2 workers. I will plan a bit on how I’m gonna do the dump and will update if I do.

[Topgun757]

The colony with the large pile of pupae in the middle is the one that will be moving.

The mini hearth which I will be cleaning. I moved recently and need to get my heating cable set up still as the pad connected to the mini hearth was quite finicky.

The tunnel into the cotton. Another issue is the amount of mold.
You can’t see many of the workers as they are in the tunnel.

[Topgun757]

If anyone has any tips on cleaning the mini hearth please share them!

[Stubyvast]

Hmmmm can you unscrew/remove the tabs on there? I've never used this kind of formicarium before to be honest. Then you could brush a Q-tip or cotton ball that's been wetted and then scrub it clean that way, or just rinse it in water. Alternatively just fill any access holes with water and drain it, let it dry for a few days if it absorbs any water, then introduce your colony. For the outworld though, assuming you can open the top, a nice paper towel works to clean the plastic/glass. 

[Topgun757]

Hmmmm can you unscrew/remove the tabs on there? I've never used this kind of formicarium before to be honest. Then you could brush a Q-tip or cotton ball that's been wetted and then scrub it clean that way, or just rinse it in water. Alternatively just fill any access holes with water and drain it, let it dry for a few days if it absorbs any water, then introduce your colony. For the outworld though, assuming you can open the top, a nice paper towel works to clean the plastic/glass.

Alright thanks! I was also thinking of using some peroxide because the previous colony died under strange circumstances and even though it’s been around 2 years I want to make sure nothing remains that can harm the current colony. Guess it will be a few days till I do the move.

[Stubyvast]

True! Just make sure to wash out the peroxide pretty thoroughly with something else after or the residue left over may harm the colony. Also Windex is a great chemical for cleaning glass or plastic, to get that clear look. Just throwing ideas out there!

Edited by Stubyvast, May 28 2024 - 2:55 PM.

[Topgun757]

Alrighty thank you!

[Artisan_Ants]

I use one of these myself and yeah they seem pretty easy to clean. Just ldo what Stubyvast mentioned as yeah I would prefer doing the same things as well. You can check out the Tar Heel ants website or his channel because he explains how to clean one (haven’t seen it yet but I will fairly soon as my C. chromaiodes is starting to outgrow their Mini Hearth) and there are just generally a. Bunch of guides on cleaning one out from what I have seen on YouTube so yeah that's another suggestion. Beautiful colony btw. They look more than ready to move into a Mini Hearth. Hope this helps and good luck!

[Topgun757]

I added a good amount of peroxide using a toothbrush and some q tips. I rinsed it out under the sink and once it’s dry I will probably add a single worker before the rest just to make sure it’s safe.

[Topgun757]

Woah, I had been so focused on cleaning and prepping for them to move that I hadn't even realized that the queen is bursting with eggs! This should be an interesting summer!

[Mushu]

If anyone has any tips on cleaning the mini hearth please share them!

This discussion might help you out:

https://www.formicul...eel-formicaira/

[Topgun757]

I finished cleaning and added the first worker who has been in the mini hearth for a couple hours and is calm. There was no smell of peroxide and my well water likely has plenty of organic compounds that help to neutralize it so I am fairly confident it will be safe to move the colony today.
The worker. She has been actively exploring but doesn’t seem constantly panicked or uncomfortable as I’d expect if the peroxide levels were too high. I also hope that her early presence will help the colony find the nest quick and stay a little calmer after being dumped. I will be doing the move within the next hour or so!

[AsdinAnts]

Looks a bit big for the colony…

[Topgun757]

If anyone has any tips on cleaning the mini hearth please share them!

This discussion might help you out:
https://www.formicul...eel-formicaira/

And thanks, there was a good amount of useful info in that thread!

[Topgun757]

Looks a bit big for the colony…

Looks a bit big for the colony…

So far I’ve only moved one worker, and some hide in the test tube tunnel so they can’t be seen in photos very easily. If it ends up being too big I can always move them back to a test tube.

[Stubyvast]

 

Looks a bit big for the colony…

Looks a bit big for the colony…

So far I’ve only moved one worker, and some hide in the test tube tunnel so they can’t be seen in photos very easily. If it ends up being too big I can always move them back to a test tube.

 

I think it should be okay! If the workers like it, there's plenty of good resources for them, then it should be ok. I think so long as your colony takes up minimum 30 or 40% of the formicarium, it should be fine. I'd suggest just keeping the test tube connected to the outworld or even inside it for a while after they've moved just so they can potentially move back into it if there's problems, or get additional moisture from it. From my experience this seems to keep the ants nice and calm and fills the rest of the nest with the colony's pheromone smell. Good luck! 

[Topgun757]

Alright thanks! I ended up figuring out a way to allow them to move on their own using the advanced “legoland technique” and so far they have foraged and grabbed the cricket I left in the out world and started eating some of the liquid supplement. The toilet paper is to absorb a spill as I forget how to use nestmates and spilled two worth of distilled water on my mousemat oops.

[Topgun757]

They have moved into the mini hearth! They were digging further into the cotton and I won’t be home during the weekend so I wanted their setup closed as my parents wouldn’t exactly be happy to find escaped ants in the house. I had an idea to make them move faster, because when you open a nest of wild ants they move immediately further into the nest, which in this case would be the mini hearth. What I ended up doing was turning off the light, quickly blowing into then putting the tube flush again and turning the light on. After doing this twice the queen had enough and grabbed a larva and ran into the nest! I liked doing this as it was still less stressful than dumping and they still had access to the tube for a while but it got them to move quickly.

[Stubyvast]

Nice this is awesome! That's a good way to get them moved. Looks like they've settled in pretty well. Good thing too as there was so much mould in the old one! Looking forward to watching them grow! I think I'll maybe start my own post now...I got some myrmica queens and this has been pretty inspiring.