6 replies to this topic

[evanmancini2011]

I have a colony of Crematogaster and multiple Pavement ant colonies that I think are ready for a tubs and tubes setup so I will want to put a good escape barrier around the top. Does anyone know of some good ideas for an escape barrier that's cheap?

 

 

Thank you for your time!

[cooIboyJ]

You can mix talc powder with rubbing alcohol and rub on an inch thick band around the top of your outworld with a cotton ball.

[rptraut]

Hello evanmancini2011;

I wouldn’t count on anything like talc, fluon, oil, or Vaseline etc to contain Tetramorium (Pavement ants) especially when they get to fairly large numbers.

I only trust solid barriers like screen to contain them. I use 100 mesh stainless steel screen, I bought a large piece on Amazon for $17 and I cut it with heavy scissors and secure it with hot glue over ventilation holes. Crematogaster are also renowned escape artists and I would only trust screen to contain them as well. This is more important the larger a colony becomes. Where I keep my ants, escape is not allowed, using screen is the only means of containment that I trust to do that.
RPT

[T.C.]

Olive oil on an upside down surface works good. However I would not use it on a vertical barrier. I tend to avoid vertical barriers altogether since a lot of species are capable of crossing overtime regardless of what you use.

 

 

This is a few of my Tetramorium founding colonies in these setups that have the have olive oil around the top hole. This method has worked always.

 

Edited by T.C., August 18 2024 - 5:00 PM.

[Stubyvast]

Another method that could potentially work, if all else fails, is to create a moat of water surrounding the outworld, which they will be unable to cross. However, this is not recommended long term, as the ants may drown in it. A great option though if you want to do some deep cleaning but don't want to remove all the ants first. 

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

I use fluon for my tetras and they have not escaped.

[OhNoNotAgain]

When I tried olive oil, my Tetras all mobbed it and just ate it right up. They didn't do it with mineral oil. But you'd have to be pretty regular (read: every week or more often) in reapplying mineral oil for a larger Tetra colony. I would also put on a tight lid. Tetras need double or triple barriers to escaping....

Edited by OhNoNotAgain, August 18 2024 - 6:29 PM.