23 replies to this topic

[CoolColJ]

I'll be trying out my idea of wetting some small pieces of cotton wool to form a small wall and passage hole, and then pushing one further into the test tube to form a small chamber for the queen and brood.

And another for the test tube entrance. Wetting them to make it easy to mold the shape, and once they dry the shape will stick

 

I think the ants will like this.

And help prevent the panic I get with regular test tube setups when you drop in dead insects in or just outside the test tube.

Since the queen and brood is separated etc

 

And reduce air flow, make ants feel more secure and so on

[drtrmiller]

Cotton walls, wetted and pressed against the sides of a test tube?

Congratulations, you have invented paper.

[CoolColJ]

Cotton walls, wetted and pressed against the sides of a test tube?

Congratulations, you have invented paper.

 

Not in the way I'm thinking, that your thinking

 

Just using the cotton wool to divide the test tube into two or more separate areas, with a small hole for access in each

 

I'll post a photo later

Edited by CoolColJ, April 25 2018 - 2:31 PM.

[drtrmiller]

Consider using chipboard or cardboard and cut the proper size with scissors. Cotton is too flimsy to use for structural applications, and ants get tangled in it.

Edited by drtrmiller, April 25 2018 - 2:33 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Consider using chipboard or cardboard and cut the proper size with scissors. Cotton is too flimsy to use for structural applications, and ants get tangled in it.

 

Cotton is quite firm once wet and compressed and then let to dry

I did this before with my Atomc C nest entrance, by accident when I was wetting it for the queen during her claustral founding phase

 

Just easier for me to mold and move into place

Edited by CoolColJ, April 25 2018 - 2:39 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Someone took this idea and ran with it, 3D printing style

 

 

[CallMeCraven]

When i thought to much humidity was escaping my semi claustral set up, I cut a pen tube into a small section and inserted it through a cotton ball to act as a little tunnel and closing most of the test tube opening. It worked moderately well and I don't see why you couldn't replicate that a few times in a tube to get seperate chambers. Could be a pain to get back out of the tube though  .

Edited by CallMeCraven, April 25 2018 - 3:36 PM.

[noebl1]

Those would be super easy to 3D print looking at that test tube above.  I've been 3D printing end caps with small holes just large enough for the queens when I place them into mini-outworld setups:

 

EDIT: Sorry for the bad photo quality, was in a rush.

Edited by noebl1, April 25 2018 - 4:01 PM.

[sirjordanncurtis]

I wonder how they take it out...

[CoolColJ]

I wonder how they take it out...

 

it slides in and out quite easily

 

 

---

 

Here is my quick and dirty test, since I just found a new queen an hour ago under a concrete slab! :0

Appears to be a Pheidole queen

 

[noebl1]

 

I wonder how they take it out...

 

it slides in and out quite easily

 

 

Exactly, with a 3D printer it's pretty easy to get it calibrated where you can have it nice and snug within a test tube, but still slides right out.  The only issue I ran into is I have a huge amount borosilicate test tubes I got at an amazing deal on due to an apparent price misprint, and the opening lip area of the test tubes aren't perfect/exact with subtle imperceivable differences.  When you side a 3D printed plastic tube into the glass test tube that's too close in size, it takes amazingly very little to break the opening end of the tube. 

 

I may attempt one of those slide in ones for test tubes, it's a pretty clever idea, thank you for posting it

 

EDIT:  Something like this makes me wonder if it would reduce deaths due to tube flooding.  Depending on the design, they could move along the Z access to climb up onto the plastic, vs basically stuck in a round cavity full of water.

Edited by noebl1, April 26 2018 - 7:18 AM.

[CoolColJ]

 

EDIT:  Something like this makes me wonder if it would reduce deaths due to tube flooding.  Depending on the design, they could move along the Z access to climb up onto the plastic, vs basically stuck in a round cavity full of water.

 

 

 

Exactly my thoughts, and the cotton wool I use will help with that

 

However if you do not push your cotton all the way down, flush to water level, but instead only have the top of the cotton be 5mm above water level when you first push it down.

The cotton will eventually soak all the way through, but flooding should not be an issue.

 

That's how I setup my cotton these days

[sirjordanncurtis]

 

 

EDIT:  Something like this makes me wonder if it would reduce deaths due to tube flooding.  Depending on the design, they could move along the Z access to climb up onto the plastic, vs basically stuck in a round cavity full of water.

 

 

 

Exactly my thoughts, and the cotton wool I use will help with that

 

However if you do not push your cotton all the way down, flush to water level, but instead only have the top of the cotton be 5mm above water level when you first push it down.

The cotton will eventually soak all the way through, but flooding should not be an issue.

 

That's how I setup my cotton these days

 

 

That somewhat similar to how I set my tubes up, except after pushing it in, I like to use a q-tip to massage and press it down a bit, so that I can be more careful with the water flow etc.

[CoolColJ]

Well this new cotton wool thing worked for my new large Melophorus queen

I originally put her in an Atom C nest in an outworld, opened it up. This has red dirt with a water feeder.

She remained inside the nest for a day, not doing much, but she then came out and  tried to dig a chamber under the water feeder

Wandered around for a bit.

 

She finally crawled into my custom cotton wool setup in a small plastic test tube. She likes it > than the Atom C

So far so good, hope she feels comfy and wants to lay some eggs!

There is some raw honey on a wax paper outside if she needs it.

 

Like this one I made for the new red Pheidole queen earlier

I put a foil tent over it to keep it dark.

The opening in the second cotton wool section is facing up in this case, and she crawled over it and into the "chamber"

Edited by CoolColJ, April 28 2018 - 2:06 AM.

[CoolColJ]

These square test/nest tubes are another take on this idea

 

[noebl1]

These square test/nest tubes are another take on this idea

 

 

 

I was trying to figure out why his water reservoirs were so low, then saw he can refill them; very clever.

[CoolColJ]

 

These square test/nest tubes are another take on this idea

 

 

 

I was trying to figure out why his water reservoirs were so low, then saw he can refill them; very clever.

 

 

You can just drill a hole into a plastic test tube.

 

I had a look around, and you can in fact buy these square test tubes in glass or plastic. Cheaper in bulk off course.

 

 

Well for one these do not roll like classic test tubes

Then 3D print your chambers and slip them in

 

http://www.clampacks.com/t1012-20mm%20x%2020mm%20x%20250mm%20clear%20pvc%20square%20tubes%2002.jpg

Edited by CoolColJ, April 28 2018 - 3:31 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Well this new cotton wool thing worked for my new large Melophorus queen

I originally put her in an Atom C nest in an outworld, opened it up. This has red dirt with a water feeder.

She remained inside the nest for a day, not doing much, but she then came out and  tried to dig a chamber under the water feeder

Wandered around for a bit.

 

She finally crawled into my custom cotton wool setup in a small plastic test tube. She likes it > than the Atom C

So far so good, hope she feels comfy and wants to lay some eggs!

There is some raw honey on a wax paper outside if she needs it.

 

Like this one I made for the new red Pheidole queen earlier

I put a foil tent over it to keep it dark.

The opening in the second cotton wool section is facing up in this case, and she crawled over it and into the "chamber"

 

 

Two more happy clients

 

I found another Pheidole queen (same species as the one above) this morning under a brick right next to another that I recently released and place inside a chamber I made under that brick (while she did dig another tunnel down, I saw her remains, without a gaster, probably the baby centipedes got to her).

As soon as I placed her into these test tube she climbed up into the second cotton wall opening and down into the chamber and stayed there.

With normal test tubes they tend to run up and down to the entrance looking for a way out

 

click to enlarge

 

And my large Melophorus queen I mentioned above. The entrance is open and she hasn't left yet

 

Edited by CoolColJ, April 28 2018 - 10:01 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Looks like the guy above is selling those square test tubes with the 3D printed chamber insert.

Details in the links in his Youtube video description

Edited by CoolColJ, April 30 2018 - 4:53 AM.

[CoolColJ]

Since none of my ants that used this setup have laid eggs yet, 2 red Pheidole queens, probably waiting till spring, and the big Melophorus queen died...
I haven't had a chance to test this out, but this guy used styrofoam. And apparently cork works as well

It looks like the ants will store the rubbish on the outer side of this chamber instead of on the cotton.
And feeding inside the test tube won't cause the same kind of panic that an open one does

Edited by CoolColJ, June 18 2018 - 11:47 PM.