11 replies to this topic

[DrygonKing]

My Myrmica sp. has started to lay eggs under the feed dish instead of the test tube. How do I fix?!? I am making a smal formicarium on Monday should I try to move her into it? She has laid eggs to so I don’t want to disturb her but I need to to clean the dish. Is it ok for her to be there?

Pics:
http://imgur.com/okH3x6u
http://imgur.com/Y6z9Lmn

Edited by DrygonKing, May 27 2018 - 5:22 PM.

[LC3]

That's not surprising, they seem to be very lax when it comes to nesting. Probably moved under there because there's substrate.

 

Never put substrate in the out world and not the tube, or anything for them to hide under because they will nest there, at least that's what I've noticed.

 

You can try moving here back, just pick the substrate with the eggs and put her somewhere but your priority right now should be humidity so leave a damp/moist cotton ball around her little hidey hole. That should suffice her for a few days.

[DrygonKing]

K. I was worried that it would be bad for her eggs or something. Should I also mist it? The substrate is very dry. Like it’s never seen or heard of water in it’s life.

[DrygonKing]

Bonus question: is polyester balls bad? I didn’t realize that was what I was using for my other queen and I changed it. But would it have affected her?

[LC3]

Polyester balls as in Pom poms? I have no clue.

If you’re misting her just be careful not to mist too much and drown her, preferably the substrate should be damp but not muddy.

[Dnail]

K. I was worried that it would be bad for her eggs or something. Should I also mist it? The substrate is very dry. Like it’s never seen or heard of water in it’s life.

i won't do that. tried misting with sprayer for humidity several time and all of them killed my ant
 

[DrygonKing]

Ok no misting. And I mean polyester as in a polyester stuffing that you find in new toys. Like a polyester fluff.

[Rattus]

A bit weird, if the substrate is very dry, but it looks humid in the photo. Just keep it as dry as possible and once they move back into the tube place less substrate, maybe a layer of dry sand that's not thick (about 2mm or so).

You could also provide some moisture and a larger piece of bark, if you decide to let them live in that area.

 

Also, can you attach your new formicarium later on to the area?

Edited by Rattus, May 28 2018 - 5:22 AM.

[DrygonKing]

Yes I can attach it. I think I’m going to let her get her first workers then encourage them to move into the formicarium by removing the dish and shining a light on it.

Edited by DrygonKing, May 28 2018 - 5:49 AM.

[Rattus]

Yes I can attach it. I think I’m going to let her get her first workers then encourage them to move into the formicarium by removing the dish and shining a light on it.

I think that you won't even need to shine a light on them, if the humidity in the new formicarium is high enough.

Good luck!

Edited by Rattus, May 28 2018 - 6:57 AM.

[DrygonKing]

Thanks for all the help!

[AntsBC]

I've had the same thing happen with myrmica queens. I find that waiting it out may work as for me eventually the queen moved back to the test tube for the water and moisture. If it really bothers you, you could place a light source over top of the foraging container and put a cover on the test tube to make it dark. The queen will seek the darker place and most likely will move back to the test tube, unless she can hide from the light under the dish. In that case i would place lights on the sides of the foraging container as well so she will inevitably run into the light.