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How to prevent ants from moving into outworld

ants terrarium outworld

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5 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Connectimyrmex - Posted January 8 2018 - 5:54 AM

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A month ago I put my Myrmica sp. queen into one of my smaller terrariums, with the terrarium serving as an outworld. Rather than staying in the tube, she left and dug a hole in the moss. A week later, the entire terrarium was covered with freshly-dug soil and dead springtail exoskeletons. I was forced to remove my queen from the terrarium when mold began to grow on the dead springtails. Now that my Myrmica queen has her first worker and is in a smaller tube, I kind of want to make another terrarium outworld for her, but I still am concerned that they would move into the terrarium again. Is there a way to keep them from moving into the terrarium?
NOTE: I can not dry out the terrarium (for the plants' and springtails' sake). I can always empty out the terrarium and let them forage in an empty area, but I'd like to give them something natural.


Hawaiiant (Ben)

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#2 Offline Batspiderfish - Posted January 8 2018 - 6:28 AM

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Humid soil is many times more preferable to a colony than a test tube. Sometimes dry soil is too.


If you've enjoyed using my expertise and identifications, please do not create undue ecological risk by releasing your ants. The environment which we keep our pet insects is alien and oftentimes unsanitary, so ensure that wild populations stay safe by giving your ants the best care you can manage for the rest of their lives, as we must do with any other pet.

 

Exotic ants are for those who think that vibrant diversity is something you need to pay money to see. It is illegal to transport live ants across state lines.

 

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Black lives still matter.


#3 Offline Connectimyrmex - Posted January 8 2018 - 10:43 AM

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Thanks! 

I'm going to try to keep the terrarium fairly dry (but not too dry). It used to have condensation all over.


Hawaiiant (Ben)

Keeper of
Miniature Labradoodle
Baby Wolf Spider
Mud Dauber wasp larvae
Ochetellus Glaber
Solenopsis Geminata
Brachymyrmex Obscurior
Cardiocondyla Emeryi
Tetramorium Bicarinatum
Plagiolepis Alluaudi
Anoplolepis Gracilipes
Technomyrmex Difficilis
Pheidole Megacephala
Aholehole fish
Cowrie snail
Sea Fan Worm
100+ sea squirts
Tree seedlings
Ghost Crab
Day Gecko
Small Fat Centipede
Endemic Lacewing larva
Vernal Pool shrimps

#4 Offline dermy - Posted January 8 2018 - 11:27 AM

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This is one of the many reasons why I like either completely bare foraging areas or at most just something with a water tube [if they nest in it oh well it's just a tube not the whole foraging area]. It also helps with Cleaning.



#5 Offline Hunter - Posted January 8 2018 - 11:30 AM

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idk if it would work like queen bees but can you block the hole so it is biganofe for the workers but not the queen



#6 Offline Ants_Texas - Posted January 8 2018 - 4:58 PM

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There's nothing you can really do. You can use a bare outworld, or you can use an outworld with substrate that can't be dug in. Terrariums should be for natural setups.







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