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How to properly clean a concrete nest before re-using it

nests nest cleaning

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#1 Offline alwayslearning - Posted May 2 2021 - 1:29 PM

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Hi! I hope you are well.

One of my Honeypot Queens and a couple of ants died. I think it was due to moving related stress. I tried my best, however... It seems they could not make it.

Anyway, I put the rest the colony on a temporal nest: without a Queen, that's a nest that I would like to clean and re-use with other colonies.

 

Can anyone give me some advice about cleaning a concrete nests, please? The former colony lived there for 1 year (aprox) and I cannot discard that they died because of some fungus or illness (I think it was stress, but I cannot be sure). So I really want to clean it properly. 

 

Should I use alcohol? If so, should I dilute it? How much time should pass before I place a new colony there.

 

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks! 



#2 Offline ZTYguy - Posted May 2 2021 - 1:32 PM

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Use vinegar. Works pretty well. I wouldn’t use soap or alcohol.


Ant Keeping Since June 2018
Currently Keeping:
A. versicolor, C. us-ca02, C. yogi, C. Vicinus, C. laevigatus, C. clarithorax, C. maritimus, C. ocreatus, M. mexicanus, M. placodops 01, V. andrei, V. pergandei, N. cockerelli, P. barbata, P. montanus

Hoping to Catch This season:

M. romanei, M. placodops 02, P. imberbiculus, Polyergus sp., F. moki, A. megomatta, Cyphomyrmex sp.,Temnothorax sp.


#3 Offline alwayslearning - Posted May 2 2021 - 1:34 PM

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Use vinegar. Works pretty well. I wouldn’t use soap or alcohol.

 

Thanks a lot for your response! Any vinegar in particular? 



#4 Offline ANTdrew - Posted May 2 2021 - 1:36 PM

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White vinegar, but dilute it a lot, maybe a 4:1 ratio.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#5 Offline alwayslearning - Posted May 2 2021 - 4:21 PM

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White vinegar, but dilute it a lot, maybe a 4:1 ratio.

 

Thanks for your help! I will try it! have a great start of week. 







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