3 replies to this topic

[YawningGull]

I've been having this problem where the queen's side of the cotton ball that is supposed to be moist is drying up. I thought that side of the cotton ball is always supposed to be wet. Is this caused by me putting too much cotton in so it can't soak? Am I using wrong technique or something?

 

I need to solve this cuz one of my formica queens died and I think it's because she didn't have water.

 

I'm gonna start using the technique where you fill up the tube completely, push the cotton ball in and pour out the excess water. Hopefully this might fix my problem.

Edited by YawningGull, September 16 2016 - 3:26 PM.

[Mercutia]

It is possible that your cotton is packed too tightly. Try using less cotton. 

[Works4TheGood]

How are you determining that your cotton is drying out?

Perhaps you never had adequate moisture from the start. I made this mistake when I first started. More specifically, when making a test tube setup, you need to be sure to push the cotton deep enough that moisture is clearly present on both sides of the cotton. Once that happens, gravity does the rest to wick/siphon the water towards the ants. The trick, like I said, is to first prime the siphon by ensuring that it's saturated with moisture.

I also agree with Mercutia. Your cotton should be loose and small enough that it takes little force to push it into position. If you're forcing a ball down there, then you're probably using too much cotton, or it's too dense.

[Works4TheGood]

One more thing ... I just read the rest of your post about pouring out the excess water. If you do this, I recommend letting it sit long enough that the resulting droplets along the sides of the test tube have time to evaporate out. The thing is, the test tube setup provides a perfect humidity gradient, but when you start with excess moisture, it takes a while for thatmoisture to work its way out unless you let it dry first out in the open beforeputting on the cotton "cap".

What's better, just push the cotton down until you start to see moisture on the entrance-side of the cotton.