The substrate can rub off fairly easily once it becomes wet enough but I don't really have a problem with it. It doesn't rub off that easily. You have to try picking really hard to get it off.

I didn't rub it off bud, it came that way.

Now that didn't sound like I meant it, but re-reading it I'm laffing my [censored] off!

There is an extra layer of substrate for ants to play with, so yeah, it will seemingly look like it's coming off. I often add more substrate for ants to play with. They especially like to modify nest entrance with extra substrate to make it smaller. It also gives me a chance to see whether t hey want to hibernate or not. It's time for hibernation if they completely block off their entrance.

There is an extra layer of substrate for ants to play with, so yeah, it will seemingly look like it's coming off. I often add more substrate for ants to play with. They especially like to modify nest entrance with extra substrate to make it smaller. It also gives me a chance to see whether t hey want to hibernate or not. It's time for hibernation if they completely block off their entrance.

There's no ants in it.  The photo I took of it is the way it was when I removed it from the package.  I literally took that photo 2 minutes or less after removing it from the shipping box.  Also, there was no loose substrate in it.  Oh well.

Also, the other day my Pogonomyrmex completely blocked off their entrance.  I figured it had something to do with the small spider I put in there for them to eat.  They never did eat it, so after  few days I let it go outside.

Half of the brood has been moved away from the cotton, near the cork, but a few larvae and maybe the eggs remain near the cotton.  The cotton and the water have a slight red hue, more so than ever before, but still pretty slight.  Since I started feeding them crickets they've had 3 or 4, and some seeds.

Today's count:

9 larvae

1 pupae

4 workers

Edited by BugFinder, February 14 2015 - 8:32 PM.

Looks like it won't be too long before you have a bunch of new workers.

Yeah, not looking too bad.

I've got a serious problem tonight.....

This is what the brood looks like:  They have been moved away from the cotton and are as close to the cork as possible.

Half of the test tube has a blanket of mold in it:  the mold is white and carpets the bottom of the tube.

They've carried this one outside and left her out there.  I'm guessing she died.

I'm going to try to move them to my talus tonight.

what do you guy think?

Yes, I say get them out of there. Mind the eggs though.

I would move them. Sometimes I've seen workers get confused or something and bring brood out to the out world and leave it there while the others keep bringing it back in. I would just dump them into the out world of your new nest, and put that pupa in there as well. They will pick everything up and reorganize it.

I would move them. Sometimes I've seen workers get confused or something and bring brood out to the out world and leave it there while the others keep bringing it back in. I would just dump them into the out world of your new nest, and put that pupa in there as well. They will pick everything up and reorganize it.

I second this. Sounds like a good time to get them into their new nest.

Could they climb out over that small lip by the top?

yes they can but I barracaded it the best I can.  

Could they climb out over that small lip by the top?

That lip is my only complaint with the Talus, though it's sort of unavoidable. What I do when I have the top open is balance the cover upsidedown to cover the lip area. At least with ants that can climb upsidedown it buys me some time to get them back in.

So, I left them like that all night.  Good news is the cotton didn't give way and flood them, as I was worried it might.  Bad news is, they didn't want to move.  So this morning I shook them out of it, along with the pupae and some of the larvae.  Several hours have passed and they still refuse to move into the nest.  I'm very worried about them.  They just keep carrying their larvae around panicking.

This move is not going smoothly.

Edited by BugFinder, February 21 2015 - 11:03 AM.

Just dump them out, I never wait for my ants to "move"

I did dump them out this morning, but they aren't moving into the nest on their own, they are staying in the foraging area.

Unless you want to wait months for the entire test tube to dry up, you are probably going to have to just force them to move by dumping them in the out world. In my experience, Pogonomyrmex almost never move until their nest or tube is bone dry.

Edit: Didn't post in time. That's fine. Let them stay where they want. I have lots of colonies that just decide to nest outside their test tube sometimes. They will usually eventually move into where the moisture is.

Edited by dspdrew, February 21 2015 - 12:45 PM.

It looks like they have settled in between the water tower and the wall of the talus.  I can't tell if I've gotten all the eggs out of te test tube or not.  I see small white stuff, but that could be mildew.  I'll use the microscope to check the test tube once more before calling it finished.

When I relocate small colonies, I simply dump them into outworld of formicarium I want them to move into and carefully pick & drop eggs and brood into entrance of their new soon-to-be home. Ants follow brood more than queen and, once they feel comfortable and secure enough, they will drag queen over.

This can't be done if you have really shaky hands though...