8 replies to this topic

[CNewton]

After removing the test tubes from the fridge, water from behind the bung leaked into the chambers and drown ~1/3 of my queens. Is there a trick I don't know to prevent this or does this happen occasionally? I wonder if the change in temp caused condensation? Maybe the warmer water expanded and under pressure squeezed through the bung?

I probably needed to pay better attention, I took them out and left them for about a week assuming they would slowly wake and would be fine 'til then. There were only a couple with workers (most were Lasius and Crematogaster caught in September). 

[ZllGGY]

i take it you used cotton to plug the water reservoir? and in that case it can occasionally happen i havent had a test tube flood on me yet (fingers crossed) but its extremely difficult to drown ants so your queens could still be good.

[PwnerPie]

After removing the test tubes from the fridge, water from behind the bung leaked into the chambers and drown ~1/3 of my queens. Is there a trick I don't know to prevent this or does this happen occasionally? I wonder if the change in temp caused condensation? Maybe the warmer water expanded and under pressure squeezed through the bung?

I probably needed to pay better attention, I took them out and left them for about a week assuming they would slowly wake and would be fine 'til then. There were only a couple with workers (most were Lasius and Crematogaster caught in September). 

They might not be dead!!! I thought one of mine drowned, and she came back to life 2 days later..after putting her into a new test tube.

My thought is that it happens because of the temperature change, definitely has atleast a bit to do with condensation. Thought is that I will have the test tubes at an angle for the first few days after taking them out of hibernation, so it cannot fully flood the tube. I have had 1 fully flood, and 2 others with a puddle on the ant side.

 

Definitely don't throw the ants out! They may survive!

[noebl1]

I just went thru this with this year's hibernation (strangely not last 2 years), even though I went 45->50s->60s over the course of a few days. 

 

Tilt the test tubes so the open end is lifted up a little bit.   You can also add a bit of cotton ball to soak up some water/give them something else to climb on to.  In one container I had some coconut fiber substrate, and one colony actually brought a bunch in themselves to soak up the water/climb on.  When it dried out, they removed it from the test tube.

 

What's weird is I took mine out of hibernation, acclimated them over a few days as I mentioned above, then was fine for a couple of weeks, and then all of a sudden several of them started flooding at once.  Interesting observation at the time when they started flooding we had a major Nor Easter going thru, so very very low pressure from the storm, so wondered if that exaggerated it.  A week later I grabbed a bunch from the fridge, put them into the cabinet with no acclimation, and no issues.

 

All my ants/brood survived, even the ones that looked dead sprang to life after a few mins. 

[ZllGGY]

I just went thru this with this year's hibernation (strangely not last 2 years), even though I went 45->50s->60s over the course of a few days. 

 

Tilt the test tubes so the open end is lifted up a little bit.   You can also add a bit of cotton ball to soak up some water/give them something else to climb on to.  In one container I had some coconut fiber substrate, and one colony actually brought a bunch in themselves to soak up the water/climb on.  When it dried out, they removed it from the test tube.

 

What's weird is I took mine out of hibernation, acclimated them over a few days as I mentioned above, then was fine for a couple of weeks, and then all of a sudden several of them started flooding at once.  Interesting observation at the time when they started flooding we had a major Nor Easter going thru, so very very low pressure from the storm, so wondered if that exaggerated it.  A week later I grabbed a bunch from the fridge, put them into the cabinet with no acclimation, and no issues.

 

All my ants/brood survived, even the ones that looked dead sprang to life after a few mins. 

maybe your process was too fast? I've seen people say when they take them out of fridges they decrease the temp by .5 degrees every day. but the nor easter definitely did affect the set ups 

[CNewton]

Oh god.... I went through and dumped the "dead" ones.   Well, lesson learned! Hopefully they stayed in the garbage, I'd rather not deal with loose queens.

[noebl1]

 

 

maybe your process was too fast? I've seen people say when they take them out of fridges they decrease the temp by .5 degrees every day. but the nor easter definitely did affect the set ups 

 

I thought too fast initially, but some were 3-4 days from 40s to 50s, others were a full week in the 50s until I brought them up to low 60s.  If I had brought it from fridge to 60s, I'd totally agree   The 2 weeks later really threw me for a loop as did *not* expect that...

[ZllGGY]

 

 

 

maybe your process was too fast? I've seen people say when they take them out of fridges they decrease the temp by .5 degrees every day. but the nor easter definitely did affect the set ups 

 

I thought too fast initially, but some were 3-4 days from 40s to 50s, others were a full week in the 50s until I brought them up to low 60s.  If I had brought it from fridge to 60s, I'd totally agree   The 2 weeks later really threw me for a loop as did *not* expect that...

 

yah I'm still waiting for my spring   the weather here does not know what it wants to do ants its keeping me from hunting 

[ZllGGY]

Oh god.... I went through and dumped the "dead" ones.   Well, lesson learned! Hopefully they stayed in the garbage, I'd rather not deal with loose queens.

thank god queens arent capable of revenge lol