3 replies to this topic

[SilverHornet]

So I have a particularly stubborn queen here. She's trying to dig into the (now dry and mouldy) cotton at the back of the tube, rather than moving the few inches down the piping into her shiny new nest. I don't think she's even been far enough away from the cotton to realise the tube is open now,but it has been for about a week.

 

She has one worker - she had another but it somehow died, I found it curled up in the tube. The brood seems fine and well, in a spectrum of stages. Looks like she'll have more workers very soon.

 

My concern is that it's getting much too dry in there now, and I don't want to try to shake her out, not least as a lot of the brood would end up stuck to the cotton still. I've covered almost all of the tube and the new nest, the only part still in light is where she currently is. Unsure how to proceed really, and would appreciate some experienced insight.

 

Cheers.

Edited by SilverHornet, September 12 2016 - 3:59 PM.

[Antfollower]

Below looks like a great solution to me from dspdrew,  if you can make something like that.

Here is a little test tube transfer/out world container I just made.
 

 
The caps are made from acrylic and silicone tubing.
 

 

 
The test tubes fit inside the silicone tubing, and then they screw into the case.
 

 

 

 
It's nice because the test tubes don't have to be exactly 16mm, but just close enough. There also isn't a lot of obstacles the ants have to walk over between the tubes and the case, where sometimes they choose to hang out for days. It's simply glass tube all the way up to a flat acrylic wall with a smaller hole in the middle that goes through into the case.
 

[SilverHornet]

Thanks for the idea, I have something like that already though.  The tubes are directly linked and the colony has been under LED light for nearly a week overall now. She doesn't seem bothered unless the light moves around, when she panics a bit.  She's not only failed to move the brood to the new tube, but has laid more eggs in the middle of the old mouldy one.

 

Her worker spends its days mostly hanging upsidedown on the ceiling.  I'm out of ideas now really, other than just more waiting...

[benjiwuf]

Try tilting the tube slightly. My lasius are mostly immune to light, but elevation and slight disturbances once a day (outside the tube) seem to prompt mine to move although I typically wouldn't suggest it for any ant. Otherwise good luck. Lasius are typically very stubborn.

Edited by benjiwuf, September 20 2016 - 8:49 PM.