12 replies to this topic

[Alacom]

So I’ve had this Liometopum occidentale colony for a while, and they’ve been growing well thanks to a steady supply of crickets I’ve been giving them. I put their test tube inside of the new formicarium I made with an AAC nest during their hibernation cycle, and I was hoping that they’d eventually move into it. When they got more active they started checking out the nest, and I hydrated it some for them and they were like “cool dude I’ll bring the fam over”. I hydrated it a bit more and next thing you know they refuse to go in the AAC nest and use it as a graveyard (I think because every now and then there’s a new dead ant in there). Their test tube is quite full of brood and workers. Any advice?

[ANTdrew]

Some ants gets stubbornly attached to their tube, especially if the colony was founded in it. I’m not sure how sensitive this species is, but you may just need to dump them out of the tube and into the formicarium. Or if they’re doing well in the tube, just leave them in it. Trust their judgement.

[Zeiss]

I like the dumping method.

[RushmoreAnts]

I like the dumping method.

Me too.

[Thunder_Birds]

Really? But isn’t that very disruptive to the ants? It is the easiest way though.

[Serafine]

Patience. They will move when the time is right for them.

[Alacom]

Patience. They will move when the time is right for them.

That probably sounds the best since the dumping seems so aggressive. I’m just worried they’ve deemed non-nest worthy and there’s no going back.

[OhNoNotAgain]

Well, I dunno how sensitive Lios are, but I did once have to do an emergency move of one of my Tetramorium colonies. I think they refused to move into a mini-hearth (I wrote this up somewhere on this forum but don't remember where). They were living in a partitioned test tube with its exit on the side. I connected a connector tube to it, plugged the far end of the long tube, and had to basically do a whack-a-thon to kick the queen and workers and brood out of the deeper compartment, into the outer compartment, and into the side exit, and into the long plastic connector tube. Seriously it was a lot of thwacking. Once I had a good percentage in the tube, I disconnected it, sealed it off, and attached it to a mini-hearth. They moved in very quickly.

 

I then had to repeat the process a few times to get the rest of the workers and brood out. But they are thriving in the mini-hearth that they didn't want to move into. (So much so I gotta move them again soon.)

Edited by OhNoNotAgain, May 11 2020 - 9:13 PM.

[RushmoreAnts]

Sometimes ants need to be forced, for their own good. They can get so attached to their setup that they would rather die in it than move out. 

[Alacom]

Sometimes ants need to be forced, for their own good. They can get so attached to their setup that they would rather die in it than move out.

Yeah I ended up trying to dump them last night and after they freaked out they got back into their test tube even though I removed the foil, had a light shining on it (for hours), and positioned it at a steep incline propped up against the AAC nest. How far do I need to go?

Edited by Alacom, May 12 2020 - 3:50 PM.

[B_rad0806]

Dump them

[RushmoreAnts]

 

Sometimes ants need to be forced, for their own good. They can get so attached to their setup that they would rather die in it than move out.

Yeah I ended up trying to dump them last night and after they freaked out they got back into their test tube even though I removed the foil, had a light shining on it (for hours), and positioned it at a steep incline propped up against the AAC nest. How far do I need to go?

I would suggest dumping them into the outworld. They'd feel to exposed there, and head for the nest automatically. If the queen and a good portion of the brood is out, they should all move out. Still keep shining the light on their old tube, though, as they may just want to move back in if it's still in the vicinity. Otherwise, you could just keep taping until they're all in there, and you don't have to worry about it. Either way works.

[Alacom]

Sometimes ants need to be forced, for their own good. They can get so attached to their setup that they would rather die in it than move out.

Yeah I ended up trying to dump them last night and after they freaked out they got back into their test tube even though I removed the foil, had a light shining on it (for hours), and positioned it at a steep incline propped up against the AAC nest. How far do I need to go?

I would suggest dumping them into the outworld. They'd feel to exposed there, and head for the nest automatically. If the queen and a good portion of the brood is out, they should all move out. Still keep shining the light on their old tube, though, as they may just want to move back in if it's still in the vicinity. Otherwise, you could just keep taping until they're all in there, and you don't have to worry about it. Either way works.

They were previously dumped in the outworld. I was finally able to get them to move into the nest by dumping them again but making sure they all got out this time and removing the test tube from the set up. Mission accomplished.