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Easy trash vacuuming technique


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3 replies to this topic

#1 Offline OhNoNotAgain - Posted March 22 2023 - 3:58 PM

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So I’ve tried cleaning up huge trash piles with my electric aspirator, with a vacuum cleaner, with a spoon, etc. Today I had the easiest and fastest results with a vacuum cleaner and a straw.

Just get the vacuum hose, hold a straw firmly over the opening (it’s okay to have air gaps through your fingers as that even lets you adjust the airflow) and use the straw.

It helped that it’s the end of winter so there are far fewer workers in the outworld.

 

EDITED TO ADD: Please do NOT attempt this with your first ant colony, small struggling colonies, young colonies, colonies where the queen is hanging out in the outworld, etc. Also, if you accidentally let go the straw and it gets sucked into your vacuum cleaner, I can only refer you to your owner's manual for how to fix the situation....

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Edited by OhNoNotAgain, March 22 2023 - 6:12 PM.

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Formiculture Journals::

Veromessor pergandei, andrei; Novomessor cockerelli

Camponotus fragilis; also separate journal: Camponotus sansabeanus, vicinus, quercicola

Liometopum occidentale;  Prenolepis imparis; Myrmecocystus mexicanus

Pogonomyrmex subnitidus and previously californicus

Tetramorium sp.

Termites: Zootermopsis angusticollis

 

Isopods: A. gestroi, granulatum, kluugi, maculatum, vulgare; C. murina; P. hoffmannseggi, P. haasi, P. ornatus; V. parvus

Spoods: Phidippus sp.


#2 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted March 25 2023 - 8:03 AM

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I just use an aspirator. I might add a section of straw as a vacuum tip  (y)


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#3 Offline OhNoNotAgain - Posted March 26 2023 - 12:25 PM

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I just use an aspirator. I might add a section of straw as a vacuum tip  (y)

What kind of aspirator? Lung-powered or electric?

I will say the straw I used occasionally got clogged, which made a mess. I was thinking of resorting to an extra-wide bubble-tea straw for really bad trash piles.


Formiculture Journals::

Veromessor pergandei, andrei; Novomessor cockerelli

Camponotus fragilis; also separate journal: Camponotus sansabeanus, vicinus, quercicola

Liometopum occidentale;  Prenolepis imparis; Myrmecocystus mexicanus

Pogonomyrmex subnitidus and previously californicus

Tetramorium sp.

Termites: Zootermopsis angusticollis

 

Isopods: A. gestroi, granulatum, kluugi, maculatum, vulgare; C. murina; P. hoffmannseggi, P. haasi, P. ornatus; V. parvus

Spoods: Phidippus sp.


#4 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted March 28 2023 - 8:31 PM

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I just use an aspirator. I might add a section of straw as a vacuum tip  (y)

What kind of aspirator? Lung-powered or electric?

I will say the straw I used occasionally got clogged, which made a mess. I was thinking of resorting to an extra-wide bubble-tea straw for really bad trash piles.

 

Lung powered ;) I think it’d be easier to direct than the rubber tubing. 

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