8 replies to this topic

[megaxoplasma]

So I was giving my ants some honey and accidentally tilted test tube, which cause the honey to run and cover the brood, I only have 3 workers and the queen is kind of freaked out at the moment, pretty much nothing I can do about it. Is my colony screwed??

 

Let me know if you have any advice, thank you

[Batspiderfish]

Don't feed ants inside the test tube.

[Pleming]

When feeding ants in a test-tube always put the food on something like paper or foil. 

 

As for your ants brood, its hard to say. Depending on how much honey was spilled, the ants might clean the brood off. 

 

Don't worry, I had a colony lose almost all its workers when I broke the test-tube. She lost 6/9 of her workers and all her brood. I put her in a new test-tube with the remaining workers and she started laying eggs within days.

[StopSpazzing]

Agreed with what everyone else said. Also, I'll add don't give honey to ants. It's too thick and ants can get stuck. Several ant keeping veterans say use 4:1 ratio sugar water on cotton ball or qtip.

[Shaye]

If you have very steady hands + if you believe it isn't too late, you could always attempt to pick up brood with tweezers and rinse them off in fresh water a little. I have had queens pick up brood and place it in sugar water droplets in a rush to drink it. They always reclaimed it and none ever died.

Edited by Shaye, September 13 2017 - 2:20 AM.

[Batspiderfish]

Whenever it's time to feed your ants, it's also time to give them foraging space so they can collect food safely and clean up after themselves.

[megaxoplasma]

Thank You for all your responds eveyrone

 

I tried to move the colony but they refuse to move even in the mess test tube, so I guess I will have to wait it out before trying to move them again, cause there's honey all over since it spilled. 

 

I tried to move them with heat and light, the light didn't seem to bother them but heat worked in making them move like a centimeter over, but that was it.

 

How long does it usually take a colony to decide to move?? also I only have 3 workers, I am not sure if that's enough to move a bunch of brood.

 

Thank You

[StopSpazzing]

How long does it usually take a colony to decide to move?? also I only have 3 workers, I am not sure if that's enough to move a bunch of brood.

Depends on species. Connect a clean, darkened, new test tube to old one and uncover the old test tube and give the ants time to move. Could take days.

Edited by StopSpazzing, September 12 2017 - 10:04 PM.

[Serafine]

Just give them an outworld container, a small plastic box with some air holes is fully sufficient. You can apply a barrier (Fluon or baby powder & rubbing alcohol) or but for very small colonies that isn't even necessary as they will not wander far from their nest anyway. Place food on a small plastic piece right in front of the tube.

You can also put a fresh test tube into the outworld but it is unlikely that they will move with that few workers (but then, who knows).

Edited by Serafine, September 12 2017 - 11:25 PM.