32 replies to this topic

[KitsAntVa]

I would say 75F for this queen and when she gets more workers moving them into a natural set up is best instead of a man made nest. A natural set up meaning sandy dirt as well as sticks and rocks.

[NickAnter]

I think most ants prefer it in the 80s. Especially in the Southeast/South.

[ANTdrew]

80 and up is best. If she hasn’t been heated, I think that’s the main issue here.

[CasiahJade]

She hasn't been.  I've got a vivicarium heating pad coming in tomorrow that I'll put on top of the box I'm covering their testtube with.  That should manage to keep it from burning them up.  Does she have enough nutrition after so long?  I'm afraid my ignorance has caused undue suffering.

[MinigunL5]

She hasn't been.  I've got a vivicarium heating pad coming in tomorrow that I'll put on top of the box I'm covering their testtube with.  That should manage to keep it from burning them up.  Does she have enough nutrition after so long?  I'm afraid my ignorance has caused undue suffering.

She's probably fine in that regard. It wouldn't hurt to give her some carbs in the form of some sugar water or honey though.

[CasiahJade]

Alright, when I'm getting the pad set up, I'll put a little honey into her test tube.  Just a tiny little dot.

[B_rad0806]

Personally me I check my ants every day. When my mexicanus were founding I let them be for a whole month and they did good.

[Ants_Dakota]

Alright, when I'm getting the pad set up, I'll put a little honey into her test tube.  Just a tiny little dot.

make sure to not put the test tube directly on the heating pad. put a cloth under the tube first.

[KitsAntVa]

Many people say they have problems with leaking test tubes with a heating mat, personally if you lay the end stuffed with cotton about a inch on the mat that is sufficient and if the queen moves all the way over near the heat it means she want to ramp it up, then place the tube on the mat about 1.5 inches onto it, This also depends on what test tube you have. is your test tube 10 mm wide or 20mm wide if its ten place the test tube 0.5 inches onto it and if 20 do the instructions above, as ants dakota said a towel would help or rag.it also carries heat so that's even better.

[CasiahJade]

She's in an AntsCanada test tube.  Because I saw some mold on the cotton by her water, I'm planning on connecting the test tube to a portal, with a fresh test tube on the other side.  Put that one more on the heating pad (with a towel between them)  That will get her a good heat gradient to choose from and if she feels like she needs to move away from the mold she can.

 

Or would  having that much open space stress her?

 

And I might as well bring it up here, I've got this for when she has workers and they are ready to move out.  Since "natural" was brought up, should I instead get a tower?

[KitsAntVa]

She doesn’t need a portal just yet. A air conditioning (AC) test tube is good just place the test tube a inch on the mat and place a towel over here and leave her ;p that’s about it and once she gets around 5 workers or when it gets hard to feed them without escapees then just get a portal.

[KitsAntVa]

She's in an AntsCanada test tube.  Because I saw some mold on the cotton by her water, I'm planning on connecting the test tube to a portal, with a fresh test tube on the other side.  Put that one more on the heating pad (with a towel between them)  That will get her a good heat gradient to choose from and if she feels like she needs to move away from the mold she can.
 
Or would  having that much open space stress her?
 
And I might as well bring it up here, I've got this for when she has workers and they are ready to move out.  Since "natural" was brought up, should I instead get a tower?

Also ants Canada is not exactly the best ant nest supplier in my opinion not even close. Tarheelants, Aus ants, and some others are the best. A natural set up is best for this species though since I’ve never seen them rock a tarheelants nest unlike they do with sand and dirt set ups.

[Ants_Dakota]

 

She's in an AntsCanada test tube.  Because I saw some mold on the cotton by her water, I'm planning on connecting the test tube to a portal, with a fresh test tube on the other side.  Put that one more on the heating pad (with a towel between them)  That will get her a good heat gradient to choose from and if she feels like she needs to move away from the mold she can.
 
Or would  having that much open space stress her?
 
And I might as well bring it up here, I've got this for when she has workers and they are ready to move out.  Since "natural" was brought up, should I instead get a tower?

Also ants Canada is not exactly the best ant nest supplier in my opinion not even close. Tarheelants, Aus ants, and some others are the best. A natural set up is best for this species though since I’ve never seen them rock a tarheelants nest unlike they do with sand and dirt set ups.

 

for beginner ant keepers, ac test tubes are helpful because they are easy to connect to portals and are escape proof.