5 replies to this topic

[BleepingBleepers]

You know, other then the "shoo, you besta git outta hea you dang dagnabbit varmint 'fore I gits mah pea shooter out ya hea !?"  

 

Basically, disturbing them and hope they vacate, which can be fast or slow as some ants come rushing back out.

Now, I'm using this for ants that CAN climb smooth surfaces. I find fluon to help a lot, but is not a sure way to stop the ants from freaking out and rushing the exit, especially when it seems to be less effective after a month or so.

Even in the mini hearth XL and the tiny outworld and only 8-10 ants exploring, I gotta quickly put the lid back on after removing something and disturbing them so I actually try to force them back into their nest and take my time cleaning up.

 

My new outworld is a 8" cube with front sliding glass, split in the middle, sliding upwards kinda design, got it from Home Depot, it's a ballot box. I customized it a tad by cutting the front opening glass myself.

 

 

 

Ants will be my only ants: Camponotus CA02.

 

 

 

 

[ANTdrew]

Not really. I sure wish there was, so all my outworlds wouldn’t look like trash heaps.

[PurdueEntomology]

I use a heat lamp and piece of dark marble.  I position my formicaria in such a manner that the current "nest" is closest to center of heat lamp and then have attached an alternative new location away in a  cooler position.  The older and new nest chambers are of course connected either with a tube or adapter and tube. I monitor the heating process and adjust as necessary by the activity of the ants and in a short time the colony will have relocated itself.  This method has worked for me every time. 

[Full_Frontal_Yeti]

I find that disturbing the outworld brings ants out to it rather than clears it out.

My setup gives me an easy option. I have more than one outworld, so i can block one off for cleaning and transfer ants from it to another.

My method for outworld cleaning is:

 

1: open the outworld to clan, and plug the entrance so no more ants can enter it.

2: manaully move ants form this outworld to another.

 

I use a pooter to collect the ants now that there are so many.

 

I have alwasy had more than one outworld even when the coolony was really small in a mini hearth with just 28 of them.
I'd open it up, plug the hole, and move ants from the mini outworld to the bigger one so i could clean it out.

And of course my ants are terrible climbers which makes it so much easier on me.

[rptraut]

Hello BleepingBleepers;

Try blowing gently on your ants.  Mine usually evacuate the area and head for cover.  My colonies aren't huge, but I can clear out an area pretty quickly with a piece of 3/8 inch tubing and a few gentle streams of air.  This also works if you're having trouble with small colonies in a test tube that rush the opening at feeding time.  A few gentle puffs of air, and mine retreat back into the safety of the tube.  I also do this when ants rush the feeding port in a formicarium.  A few shots of air and they'll usually freeze or retreat.  This technique works well in other situations such as when ants nest in the outworld.  Often, if a fan is blowing air into the outworld, the ants will move back into the nest.   Good ventilation helps prevent outworld nesting.

 

 Ventilation helps provide a healthy environment for your ants.  Molds and fungi are often reduced by circulating air and good air exchange into and out of the formicarium is also important.  In my setup this requires circulating air, so I use a small fan, set on a four-hour timer to circulate air in my ant keeping area during the heat of the day. 

RPT 

[BleepingBleepers]

Appreciate the info guys.

 

Did some shopping yesterday and got myself some colored sand that I think would (hopefully) contrast well with my ants. Will be making my outworld today and give your tips/advice some thought especially when there's more of them.

 

Thanks for chipping on the responses.

 

Edit: Welcoming any other ideas and if I find anything, I'll update this as well

Edited by BleepingBleepers, October 21 2023 - 6:44 AM.