10 replies to this topic

[VoidElecent]

Hello all,

 

If you are a student like myself or hold a full-time occupation that is not "professional ant-keeper", you may very likely have found yourself in the unfortunate situation where you have located a queen ant and lack the storage capacity to properly catch and contain her. You may also have simply found it inconvenient to lug around snap-cap vials with you when you take your dog for a walk, inviting odd looks from curious neighbors, in the hopes of potentially stumbling upon a queen.

 

A little while back, I engineered a very simple device to conceal collection vials in what I would consider a very practical manner. With an old Altoids tin that I had laying around and a sheet of felt I bought from Michaels, I developed a cushioned container to accommodate five small collection tubes. 

 

The construction was merely a matter of slicing up pieces of felt to the correct dimensions and gluing them to the inside of the tin. I used some spectrophotometer cuvettes that my chemistry teacher gave to me, they fit well and the caps are convenient and easy to use, but you have to buy them separately, and both in bulk. You can always go for 1-dram glass vials, although the thin, threaded neck makes it slightly difficult to fit in larger queens like Camponotus spp. 

 

Just thought this was worth sharing; it has proven to be very useful in a number of situations. Here are some pictures of one that I made for my brother. Mine is Peppermint, but he prefers Wintergreen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by VoidElecent, April 29 2018 - 3:31 PM.

[Shifty189]

Very nice. I’ll bet it works bette than my method. I just keep 4 or 5 test tubes in my car, and always have a snap cap vial with me.

[Canadian anter]

Haha. Too expensive for me

 

I just normally have about 30 small glass tubes in my pockets and a few cotton balls on me at all times. Maybe a hundred if it's a big flight

[VoidElecent]

Haha. Too expensive for me

 

I just normally have about 30 small glass tubes in my pockets and a few cotton balls on me at all times. Maybe a hundred if it's a big flight

 

Oh, when I'm actually out anting, it's a different story. This is mainly for carrying in your backpack around campus or to keep in your jacket pocket when walking to/from the parking lot at work.

[Nesth]

I really like this idea! I can't tell you how many queens I have had to watch scurry away because I had nothing to contain them. I always seem to find queens on the rare days I don't have a collection tube nearby. 

[IcarusSkybound]

Fantastic idea! I just coincidentally happen to have an empty Altoids can in my car lol

[CallMeCraven]

This looks pretty slick. When I am in the field i usually stumble upon queens or flights when i least expect them and often sacrifice one of my nalgenes, emptying the water and putting some dirt in to absorb any excess moisture. Makes for some thirsty times when you only have 1 liter of water because your other bottle is full of ants  .

[nurbs]

Just use cosmetic containers from Amazon Void. Super cheap. Comes in a package of 50, I think. Got these years ago.

 

Also, when you're out in the field, the metal in the tin box will heat up fast. I've killed more than a few from the having them sit in the car for a mere 15 min because they were in the sunlight. Now I use AC or a cooler or place them in a shaded spot.

 

[IcarusSkybound]

So...many...ants! AH!!!!! Those cosmetic containers are pretty slick. I have a similar item that i found at Michaels for beads.

 

Edit: wrong store name

Edited by IcarusSkybound, May 4 2018 - 8:05 AM.

[VoidElecent]

Just use cosmetic containers from Amazon Void. Super cheap. Comes in a package of 50, I think. Got these years ago.

 

Also, when you're out in the field, the metal in the tin box will heat up fast. I've killed more than a few from the having them sit in the car for a mere 15 min because they were in the sunlight. Now I use AC or a cooler or place them in a shaded spot.

 

You're right; fortunately, it doesn't get too hot in Philadelphia so it isn't a huge factor. The cosmetic containers probably work really well, but the Altoids box contraption prioritized discretion, I suppose.

Edited by VoidElecent, May 4 2018 - 8:53 AM.

[IcarusSkybound]

 

Just use cosmetic containers from Amazon Void. Super cheap. Comes in a package of 50, I think. Got these years ago.

 

Also, when you're out in the field, the metal in the tin box will heat up fast. I've killed more than a few from the having them sit in the car for a mere 15 min because they were in the sunlight. Now I use AC or a cooler or place them in a shaded spot.

 

You're right; fortunately, it doesn't get too hot in Philadelphia so it isn't a huge factor. The cosmetic containers probably work really well, but the Altoids box contraption prioritized discretion, I suppose.

 

This might be a silly question, but are those vials large enough to comfortably fit large camponotus species like Pennsylvanicus or Chromaiodes?