10 replies to this topic

[Works4TheGood]

I'm working on a formicarium and my intension is to use cotton as a barricade. Cotton obviously works as a barrier in test tube setups, but would it hold up against a large colony over time?

[Crystals]

Depends on the size of the colony and the species.  My Camponotus novaeboracensis colony of 300+ can demolish an entire cotton ball plugging their main entrance in under 3 days, despite the fact that they leave the other cotton ball undisturbed as it had some olive oil on it and they have never been given a chance to learn that it is actually a tunnel.

 

I just had a Formica colony of 200+ finally chew through a cotton ball after almost two months and this was in a secondary tunnel that they had never used.

[drtrmiller]

I advise against it, also, without added protection such as a polypropylene or nylon mesh barrier.

[Works4TheGood]

Bummer! Thanks for the advice!

[Works4TheGood]

Are only the larger ants capable of drilling through cotton?  What if I have a dishwasher inlet hose screen filter front of the cotton?

 

https://www.amazon.c...ter hose washer

[Batspiderfish]

If the ants are too big to get across the screen, you could probably use just that. I've personally never had my ants get through cotton, nor had a large Camponotus colony.

Edited by Batspiderfish, July 18 2016 - 6:20 AM.

[Works4TheGood]

What I really meant to ask is this: if the ants are small enough to fit through the mesh, will cotton stop them?

[Loops117]

My C.pennsylvanicus colonies constantly pick at cotton, same as my Crematogaster sp. colony. Now, my Crematogaster don't pull much, and i havent noticed any strands coming off. But my Camponotus made an absolute mess in their nest with the cotton they pulled from the barricade. I've since then switched to plastic and cork stoppers, which they don't seem to bother at all.

[dspdrew]

What I really meant to ask is this: if the ants are small enough to fit through the mesh, will cotton stop them?

 

No. I have Solenopsis molesta drilling holes right through the cotton in their tubes. Any ants can make it through cotton with enough work.

[Mdrogun]

Even the Camponotus queens I catch can get through cotton in a couple hours by themselves depending on how tight it is. If you want to use cotton really badly I would recommend putting like 3 or 4 balls thick of cotton and doing your best to make sure the ants are happy. Then, if they start pulling at the cotton you would need to move them or make them more comfortable.

[Crystals]

I would try using steel mesh.  It comes in all sizes.