22 replies to this topic

[Shifty189]

For me, formic acid sprayers are the biggest hurdles with test tube setups. The small, enclosed space can cause a buildup of these chemicals and since the queens cannit escape them, they simply die. I try to introduce them by covering the test tube with tinfoil or red filter and put it into an empty container lined with baby powder or I introduce them in the test tube setup and put it in the refrigerator for a minute or two. I lost many formica sp. and camponotus sp. queens due to this.

Are you implying that they spit there acid in th tubes? If so you should check on hem less. They should have very little reason the spit acid at this point unless they are being disturbed.

[MegaMyrmex]

For me, formic acid sprayers are the biggest hurdles with test tube setups. The small, enclosed space can cause a buildup of these chemicals and since the queens cannit escape them, they simply die. I try to introduce them by covering the test tube with tinfoil or red filter and put it into an empty container lined with baby powder or I introduce them in the test tube setup and put it in the refrigerator for a minute or two. I lost many formica sp. and camponotus sp. queens due to this.

Are you implying that they spit there acid in th tubes? If so you should check on hem less. They should have very little reason the spit acid at this point unless they are being disturbed.

Thos generally happens whenever my queens are extremely stressed out, which also happened for a crematogaster, lasius, and polygynous group of nylanderia.

[AntBread]

^a test tube is a formicarium..

True... what I meant by "formicarium" was something like a ytong or acrylic nest...