6 replies to this topic

[ExponentMars]

Formic acid is one of the main drawbacks of using insect aspirators to collect ants. 

 

 

I bought 

FERRODAY 5/16 Barbed Air Line Filter

 

from Amazon and attached it to the aspirator tube, but that only filtered out particles, and not organic compounds like formic acid. 

from looking at air purifiers, I saw that they all used activated carbon to filter out smells and odors --  so I got some activated charcoal powder an poured it into one side of the air filter (the side that  faces away from you when you're using the aspirator -- AKA the side labelled "IN") and shook  it around to spread the powder all throughout that side of the filter. It worked like a charm, and I can now suck up carpenter ants  without any formic acid getting into my lungs. 

[Mushu]

An alternate way is to use a pump attached to the end as a hand held aspirator. It can get a bit getting used to as you will first push some air out and it's not as strong as oral aspiration but it works with a 24 inch latex mouthpiece tubing.

 

https://www.amazon.c...in_title_1&th=1

Edited by Mushu, March 2 2025 - 12:19 PM.

[rptraut]

Hello ExponentMars & Mushu;

If other members like these ideas, I’ll add a link in the Ant Keeping Health Guide to this thread. I’m always looking for ways to protect ant keepers health.
Thank you
RPT

 

05MR25

Hello Everyone;

 

I've placed a link to this thread in the Ant Keeping Health Guide located here

Ant Keeping Health Guide - General Ant Keeping - Ants & Myrmecology Forum

RPT

Edited by rptraut, March 4 2025 - 11:14 PM.

[rptraut]

Hello Everyone;

 

These are all great ideas for the safe use of an aspirator.    I use a "wand vacuum cleaner" that I modified with an adaptor made from a plastic bag, an elastic band and tape - to a piece of tubing.   I put a couple of air vents in the main hose to reduce the strength of the vacuum and I can use the large tube to clean up debris and waste from an ant colony.   I can also connect the aspirator to the vacuum tube, that enables me to vacuum up ants that produce formic acid with no risk of harm to my lungs.   

 

 

This aspirator, connected to a small vacuum cleaner, enables me to clean ant colonies and collect toxic ants with no risk to my health. 

RPT  

 

 

 

[ExponentMars]

Hello Everyone;

 

These are all great ideas for the safe use of an aspirator.    I use a "wand vacuum cleaner" that I modified with an adaptor made from a plastic bag, an elastic band and tape - to a piece of tubing.   I put a couple of air vents in the main hose to reduce the strength of the vacuum and I can use the large tube to clean up debris and waste from an ant colony.   I can also connect the aspirator to the vacuum tube, that enables me to vacuum up ants that produce formic acid with no risk of harm to my lungs.   

 

IMG_8411.JPG

 

This aspirator, connected to a small vacuum cleaner, enables me to clean ant colonies and collect toxic ants with no risk to my health. 

RPT  

Looks  great! I actually recently got a mini handheld vacuum and a 3d  printer, so I'll try to actually an attachment for it   

[Mushu]

Hello Everyone;

 

These are all great ideas for the safe use of an aspirator.    I use a "wand vacuum cleaner" that I modified with an adaptor made from a plastic bag, an elastic band and tape - to a piece of tubing.   I put a couple of air vents in the main hose to reduce the strength of the vacuum and I can use the large tube to clean up debris and waste from an ant colony.   I can also connect the aspirator to the vacuum tube, that enables me to vacuum up ants that produce formic acid with no risk of harm to my lungs.   

 

IMG_8411.JPG

 

This aspirator, connected to a small vacuum cleaner, enables me to clean ant colonies and collect toxic ants with no risk to my health. 

RPT  

 

All good suggestions in this thread. I was going to rig up a connector with a hand held vacuum but wasn't sure if the suction would be too powerful and never got around to it as the hand held pump modification was meeting my needs. Your suggestion to use air vents seem like a great alternative. Are any small sand particles small enough to get out of the air vent?

 

I believe it may have been from Miles Maxcer for a recommendation to use a car fuel filter to also reduce the formic acid.  My buddy uses it  and he says he can still taste some formic acid, albeit less. I had intended to try using the inline fuel filter to reduce the air flow.

 

https://shop.advance...6003/10859966-P

Edited by Mushu, March 11 2025 - 3:46 PM.

[rptraut]

Hello Mushu;

 

Thanks for your comments in this thread.   You were correct when you observed that the vents let air in and reduce the vacuum at the tube end to a moderate level.   The vacuum is mild enough that any ant that holds on can resist the vacuum, yet the vacuum is strong enough to pick up loose sand and debris.    Also, because air is always coming in the vents, no sand is able to go into them, it goes straight into the vacuum cleaner.   

I've seen the recommendation by Miles Maxcer, and I tried using a lawn tractor fuel filter.   I found it difficult to draw air through the filter and it didn't reduce the formic acid enough to suit me.     Thereafter my system evolved into the vacuum cleaner, adaptor, and tubing that I described above.   Much safer.

RPT