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byFormica DewDrop Feeding Spheres in a Dropper Bottle


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19 replies to this topic

#1 Offline drtrmiller - Posted January 14 2016 - 3:41 AM

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Have you ever had ants drown when feeding them?

Have you ever put a drop or two of liquid in an outworld, only to have it be absorbed into the plaster or soil?

Wish you could add a droplet of sugar water to a test tube without making a sticky mess?

 

Introducing the DewDrop, a brand new, easy-to-use, and super fun byFormica exclusive feeding product!

The DewDrop is a dropper bottle filled with hundreds of irresistible ant nectar balls!

Because the DewDrops are liquid, and not a gel, ants can eat the whole thing. An ultra-thin "skin" helps keep the droplet's shape, allowing the droplets to be stuck onto nearly any surface, including dirt and other porous surfaces. The "skin" also keeps ants of all sizes from drowning in the liquid, and prevents the droplet from drying too quickly!



Coming soon to Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk!

Edited by drtrmiller, May 10 2017 - 4:31 AM.

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byFormica® is the manufacturer of the iconic nectar feeders and Sunburst Ant Nectar.
byFormica ant products always deliver consistent performance, convenience,
and reliability, making them among the most beloved ant foods and kit enjoyed by
ant keeping enthusiasts worldwide. For more information, visit www.byFormica.com.

#2 Offline Crystals - Posted January 14 2016 - 7:17 AM

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Very interesting.

Does it slowly disappear as the ants drink, or do ants have a tendency to chew it into bits to carry into the nest?


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#3 Offline Zeiss - Posted January 14 2016 - 2:25 PM

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I think I am going to get these when they are available.  Very intriguing.



#4 Offline drtrmiller - Posted January 14 2016 - 4:14 PM

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Does it slowly disappear as the ants drink, or do ants have a tendency to chew it into bits to carry into the nest?


The thin membrane that helps the drop keep its shape is drinkable.

In testing, droplets were able to be consumed entirely through a mesh barrier, with no residue remaining.


byFormica® is the manufacturer of the iconic nectar feeders and Sunburst Ant Nectar.
byFormica ant products always deliver consistent performance, convenience,
and reliability, making them among the most beloved ant foods and kit enjoyed by
ant keeping enthusiasts worldwide. For more information, visit www.byFormica.com.

#5 Offline Foogoo - Posted January 15 2016 - 8:28 AM

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Is a video in the works? I'm having a hard time imagining they work - beads that are permeable through mesh yet are non-wetting?


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#6 Offline dspdrew - Posted January 15 2016 - 9:42 AM

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I was wondering the same thing.



#7 Offline klawfran3 - Posted January 15 2016 - 9:57 AM

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Is it a liquid with a high enough surface tension that keeps the ants from breaking it and prevents it from being absorbed? Kind of like a safe mercury?

Except instead of deadly chemical it's delicious sugar.


Edited by klawfran3, January 15 2016 - 9:57 AM.

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#8 Offline drtrmiller - Posted March 31 2016 - 8:30 AM

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DewDrops are now in the final stages of testing.

 

 

(Shown above, fire ants swarm a DewDrop, and rather than drowning, are able to consume the entire droplet without any mess or harm)

 

 

Notice how I accidentally got one on the rocks in the background, but at 2:45, I easily removed it with forceps! Try doing that with honey or sugar water!  Action starts at 5:20, with lots of ants recruited by 20:00.  By the end, the ants had consumed the entire DewDrop.
 
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Edited by drtrmiller, March 31 2016 - 8:39 AM.

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byFormica® is the manufacturer of the iconic nectar feeders and Sunburst Ant Nectar.
byFormica ant products always deliver consistent performance, convenience,
and reliability, making them among the most beloved ant foods and kit enjoyed by
ant keeping enthusiasts worldwide. For more information, visit www.byFormica.com.

#9 Offline Subverted - Posted March 31 2016 - 5:19 PM

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Is it a liquid with a high enough surface tension that keeps the ants from breaking it and prevents it from being absorbed? Kind of like a safe mercury?

Except instead of deadly chemical it's delicious sugar.

Its probably something similar to this process: https://en.wikipedia.../Spherification


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#10 Offline drtrmiller - Posted March 31 2016 - 5:29 PM

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Well aren't you a smart cookie?

As with any molecular gastronomy recipe, it is a multi-step process.  Not as simple as knowing what ingredients to add.

 

Many hurdles to overcome to get a product that remains liquid enough to be readily consumed, and is shelf-stable without degrading in quality over time.


Edited by drtrmiller, March 31 2016 - 5:30 PM.

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byFormica® is the manufacturer of the iconic nectar feeders and Sunburst Ant Nectar.
byFormica ant products always deliver consistent performance, convenience,
and reliability, making them among the most beloved ant foods and kit enjoyed by
ant keeping enthusiasts worldwide. For more information, visit www.byFormica.com.

#11 Offline ctantkeeper - Posted March 31 2016 - 5:42 PM

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can i see a picture of the actual dispenser itself?



#12 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted April 6 2016 - 3:04 PM

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Could you make a version of this that provides protein? :D



#13 Offline drtrmiller - Posted June 27 2016 - 2:38 PM

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Quick update:

Still working heavily on this.

I thought I had it early on, but was unable to duplicate my results, and the formula and manufacturing process for these must be extremely precise.

The final product should be indispensable for feeding queens and small colonies in test tubes, as I've had a lot of trouble with liquid foods spreading out or otherwise creating hazards in test tube environments.

Edited by drtrmiller, June 27 2016 - 2:45 PM.



byFormica® is the manufacturer of the iconic nectar feeders and Sunburst Ant Nectar.
byFormica ant products always deliver consistent performance, convenience,
and reliability, making them among the most beloved ant foods and kit enjoyed by
ant keeping enthusiasts worldwide. For more information, visit www.byFormica.com.

#14 Offline Bcam43 - Posted June 27 2016 - 5:19 PM

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This is a brilliant idea. Outdone yourself with this one.



#15 Offline MrmrGatlin - Posted June 27 2016 - 6:56 PM

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Amazing idea! Will these be made using Sunburst nectar? Or perhaps a new formula?
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#16 Offline drtrmiller - Posted June 27 2016 - 7:08 PM

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Amazing idea! Will these be made using Sunburst nectar? Or perhaps a new formula?

 

They will be the same high-receptivity formula used to make Sunburst Ant Nectar.  The only change is the structure of the liquid.

 

The chemistry of hydrocolloids is fairly complex, and so I haven't determined whether I am going to sell a prepared version of ready-to-use droplets, or a two-part solution that yields a much larger quantity, but where the user makes the droplets on demand.


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byFormica® is the manufacturer of the iconic nectar feeders and Sunburst Ant Nectar.
byFormica ant products always deliver consistent performance, convenience,
and reliability, making them among the most beloved ant foods and kit enjoyed by
ant keeping enthusiasts worldwide. For more information, visit www.byFormica.com.

#17 Offline Goldsystem - Posted June 29 2016 - 10:39 AM

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Wow this is going to be a amazing product!
Do you have any idea on how much it will cost?

#18 Offline drtrmiller - Posted May 10 2017 - 4:03 AM

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I'm still conducing intermittent experiments with this.

My last experiment conducted a few weeks ago resulted in very tiny, completely gelled spheres, presumably due to imbalanced osmotic pressure between the inner fluid and the gel wall. Production of spheres that maintain a liquid center are protected by a number of international patents, and so finding an alternative means of production, or settling on a product that meets some, but not all my specifications, is the most likely outcome. However, either result will take additional time.
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byFormica® is the manufacturer of the iconic nectar feeders and Sunburst Ant Nectar.
byFormica ant products always deliver consistent performance, convenience,
and reliability, making them among the most beloved ant foods and kit enjoyed by
ant keeping enthusiasts worldwide. For more information, visit www.byFormica.com.

#19 Offline Shaye - Posted August 27 2017 - 11:54 PM

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I am most definitely going to be waiting for this.. I posted so I can stay updated.

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#20 Offline Chicken_eater100 - Posted October 6 2017 - 4:07 PM

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it's been a few months, hows it going.  






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