11 replies to this topic

[gs5248]

I received a THA type 3 nest in the mail today, and I notice their was a smell. It could have been paint, but I don't think so. I saw that their was also an older thread on this same subject, and the solution was t o soak it in water a let it air out. However, that was for the now unavailable type 2 material. Would doing the same for a type 3 nest also work?

[antsandmore]

I received a THA type 3 nest in the mail today, and I notice their was a smell. It could have been paint, but I don't think so. I saw that their was also an older thread on this same subject, and the solution was t o soak it in water a let it air out. However, that was for the now unavailable type 2 material. Would doing the same for a type 3 nest also work?

I would air it out just in case.

[gs5248]

Should I just skip soaking it in water?

[ANTdrew]

I don’t think it is necessary. Air it out for a week, but the issue with type 2 material has been resolved, so I wouldn’t worry about it too much.

[gs5248]

Thanks. I might just do it anyways to speed up the process.

[ArmyAntz]

I had to soak my outworld that came with a type 3 nest in water for three days before the toxic smell went away. It probably killed half my colony without me noticing before I realized it was an issue.

And unless their outworlds are made differently from their nests, they clearly didn't sort it out because this only happened in November.

[gs5248]

My outworld and nest both have this sort of toxic smell. I have never noticed it in any other of my THA nests when they came.

Edited by gs5248, February 26 2021 - 8:31 PM.

[M_Ants]

Just take the glass off and whatnot to let air in. The smell will go open if you leave it like this for a little while. I've noticed the smell before and it always goes away after letting it air out. 

[gs5248]

Just take the glass off and whatnot to let air in. The smell will go open if you leave it like this for a little while. I've noticed the smell before and it always goes away after letting it air out. 

Ok. Thanks.

[Cephalotus]

From Mack (TarHeel ants owner) on Facebook:

 

I got directed to a discussion on another forum early this morning about this topic:

"Do I need to air out Tar Heel Ants formicaria if they smell or after I receive them?"

I do not participate in online forums other than here for several reasons, but wanted to discuss it here with anyone who has seen this question before or maybe someone it may help in the future.

In general, there is zero need to "air out" anything from us. Washing it is overkill, we already have washed a formicarium or foraging area 3 times at minimum, larger things washed much more to get off loose materials before painting. Now in the event you had us rush your formicarium to you, I would recommend overnight airing it out because there is a decent chance some moisture is still present. This will not hurt you formicarium or your ants, but is just to make sure the surfaces start off dry. We do not use ANYTHING toxic, no glues, no adhesives, nothing at all like that. This should be widely known and understood at this point, nearly 10 years into this business venture.

The main thing that drives me nuts on a post like this is that it is posted on a public forum where anyone is invited to respond. The internet is a rough place for a hobby like this where there is hardly any helpful scientific research to back up our need for more information on the pets we raise. Most of what we do is through shared experiences, feeding, etc. Comments like "My ants died a few months ago in a THA formicarium" are so misleading to the newcomer (each year, in my estimate, accounting for 90% of the hobby at any given time) as there is no evidence of what happened, what foods were given, etc.

Just a smell in a formicarium by itself is going to mean almost nothing , especially from a trusted vendor (hopefully we have earned that status a bit). Acrylic, casting materials, even Ytong fresh off the truck, all have a smell. The plants we use, the rocks we use, all have a smell. Wet surfaces, over time, usually highlight this smell. Nothing wrong with airing out a shipped formicarium again, nothing at all. Does not matter where it comes from, let it air out overnight. I personally do not. I move live ant colonies into brand new habitats in less than 24 hours sometimes, depending on the circumstances. But that is how familiar and comfortable I am with what I am doing. We also do not have a formicarium shipped to us in the mail, where it is in an enclosed space with no ventilation at all.

In the even something does have an off smell, contact us to get instructions if you feel like it is a concern. Test a worker ant out for a few minutes to an hour would be another remedy. WE LEAVE A WORKER ANT IN EVERY FORMICARIUM FOR A SHORT TIME PRIOR TO SHIPPING TO TEST THEM FOR SAFETY. Why? Abundance of caution. Ant products, whether you use them or I use them or regardless of where they come from, are not made for ants. Long ago we had a big issue with one supplier of one item, and since then promised as part of the business practice to "test everything" before shipping.

I know this topic will come up time and again in the coming years. This is the internet, and we are a small business. It is welcomed and expected to receive all kinds of feedback (positive and negative). Please direct people to discuss with us directly when it comes up in DM or posts if possible. I can tell you if I were a new ant keeper it would scare me personally to have the ability of a product NOT to kill my ants questioned, especially if I already owned one. We have wholesalers in 4 countries and counting, and ship a lot of formicaria directly to customers each month. If we had issues that were commonplace, it would (my opinion of course) be very widespread knowledge.

Feel free to comment below. This is a welcomed conversation, and not a rant at all. Thank you!

[YsTheAnt]

If I'm putting in months or even years of effort into raising up a colony, I really wouldn't want to risk using a formicarium that has a chemical smell without airing it out first, especially since bad batches have happened in the past. Just my two cents .

[gs5248]

After closer inspection, I am pretty sure the smell is from the paint. And in that case, it would be okay to just move the ants in now, since the paint in non toxic.