11 replies to this topic

[NZAntKeeper]

So my Monomorium Antarticticum colony with 4 workers isn't moving to their new test tube. It's taped together and the new test tube is covered by paper. The old one is being covered by nothing and it is completely out of water. It's been about a day how could I make them move?

Edited by DylanTheAntKeeper, November 16 2016 - 10:31 AM.

[Serafine]

Just wait. They gonna move when they need to.

[T.C.]

Patience, don't rush it. I have had bad experiences trying to rush my colony. They will move when they are ready.

[OTHER]

My Lasius umbratus colony sat in a dried up test tube for two moths before moving to a fresh tube three centimeters next to it.
Like they say, don't rush they will move when they are ready!

[NZAntKeeper]

Ok thanks but since the tubes are taped together I can't feed them without disturbing them and taking the tape off and putting it back together is that ok?

[T.C.]

I'm sure, they will be ok for a  few days.

[NZAntKeeper]

Ok thanks

[OTHER]

I normally do it like this.

 

 

[Canadian anter]

^{I normally manually move them}

[T.C.]

^{I normally manually move them}

It's a bad idea, it puts stress on the colony and not to mention when you are moving them manually you have the chance of ants getting out or eggs getting lost. Just a bad idea.

[NZAntKeeper]

I normally do it like this.
 
 

Yea I would but there's only 4 workers in the colony and they would hardly venture out.

[Mdrogun]

For small colonies (under 30 workers) moving the colony is suicide in the wild. I would do your best to get the colony to a decent size as fast as possible (heating them, feeding them as much as possible, etc.) and then try to move them. If you can't do that then you're going to have to move them manually which is really risky.