59 replies to this topic

[drtrmiller]

This past spring, I completed an experiment to make fully sterilized, ready-to-use test tubes, by filling the reservoir with 3% diluted H2O2 instead of water.  I placed the test tubes outside in the sun, and found the H2O2 was still very active after 4 weeks of sun exposure.  Not sure if the pyrex test tube was blocking the UV, or if it needed to outgas, or if photolysis just occurs very slowly in dilute concentrations, but I know I wasn't able to use that method.

 

I expect the user should have no issue with photolysis by leaving the formicarium submerged in H2O2 for 24 hours indoors, either covered or uncovered.

Edited by drtrmiller, October 11 2016 - 6:30 PM.

[AntsMAN]

I done a first soak last night, with undiluted H2O2. Left it for 6 hours. Today I'll do the same but leave it for 24h.

I removed the material where the mold had gotten underneath and made sure it soaked everything.

 

I am still waiting for them to move out of the really dirty nest, but I don't think that is going to happen. I added another fresh test tube setup w/ heat, and they just put dead in it. I have tried everything and they will not move. The workers are mostly dead now, but the queen and larvae look fine.

 

I am at a loss on this one, the mold is killing off the whole colony really quickly.

[Subverted]

The workers are probably dying because they try to clean up the mold and get infected...then die. At least that is what I assumed was happening as I have seen colonies go through similar things.

[AntsMAN]

I got the queen out and got her into a test tube blocked by a screen with a hole only big enough for the workers. Now she can't get back to the moldy nest and hopefully what's left of the workers will move to her.

 

 

Edited by AntsMAN, October 12 2016 - 5:38 PM.

[antmaniac]

I put in 5 springtails to deal with the mold issue in my Camponotus Sp. nest. It works quite well, except the springtails populated way too fast for mold to keep up.

[AntsMAN]

I'm ordering some Large Silver Springtails today from http://shop.genesise...ils-and-isopods

Edited by AntsMAN, October 13 2016 - 5:03 AM.

[Splat01]

Please let us know how it works out. Good luck!

[Antsinmycloset]

Are springtails generally too small/fast to warrant being hunted, or do they just reproduce too fast? I'm surprised no one seems to have trouble with their ants eating all the springtails before they can work their magic.

[AntsMAN]

The queen has died. I woke up this morning to find her on her back. After finally getting her and her colony to safety, they just couldn't take all the stress. I put what was left of the alive workers in the freezer to die. I'm putting my last few colonies in hibernation today and Lysoling everything. I have the dehumidifier running to keep the humidity below 40% from here on out. Looking at getting a air purifier to help too.

 

Springtails in Canada: I can't find anyone who sells them in Canada or who will ship them from the states. Anyone here know of anywhere to get them?

 

I have the nest soaking in undiluted H2O2 and its bubbling up like crazy. Soon as I put it in it foamed over.

 

Nest #2 is now clean after two good soaks and rinses.

[Alabama Anter]

Sorry for ur loss... My Aphaenogaster fulva queeen recently died as well with 30+ workers.,. She was my first queen

[Subverted]

Springtails in Canada: I can't find anyone who sells them in Canada or who will ship them from the states. Anyone here know of anywhere to get them?

You should be able to find springtails outside under rocks or logs as long as the temperature hasnt dropped too far.

[Batspiderfish]

Yeah, if you get a fist-full of leaf-litter, you are pretty much guaranteed to get some springtails.

[dspdrew]

Are springtails generally too small/fast to warrant being hunted, or do they just reproduce too fast? I'm surprised no one seems to have trouble with their ants eating all the springtails before they can work their magic.

 

I've never seen a single one of my ants even react in any way to the springtails I put in with them.

[AntsMAN]

Yeah, if you get a fist-full of leaf-litter, you are pretty much guaranteed to get some springtails.

I think it's to cold now, I'll have a look today. If not I'll have to find them first thing next year.

Isn't there the concern of getting mites or unwanted pests?

[Canadian anter]

There is a person 45 min from me that sells FFA and springtail cultures for 10&15 dollars

[Vendayn]

With all the springtails I'm breeding, I wonder how much I could make off them lol. All my ant colonies (including my Acromyrmex versicolor, which I can see backfiring heavily since springtails eat mold. But, that is because my springtails got in my raspberry leafs package and I didn't know when I was giving my colony raspberry leafs ) have tens of thousands of Springtails. Both foraging areas for my Acromyrmex have quite a hefty number of springtails. Which are so easy to breed. A pinch of substrate I put in for springtails (they love dried raspberry leafs the best. My raspberry leaf package probably has millions at this point lol) and there are easily a dozen to a couple dozen in a single large pinch.

 

These are the dry/arid-land climate variety though. I see them a lot in dry areas around here, though only seen them in arid-land type environments and not the eastern desert areas. Usually they live in dry areas, that do occasionally get some water or water is nearby. However, they don't seem to like moisture at all to actually breed in, and thrive in dry areas. I never see them to go the moist parts of my formicariums at all. And I had a giant plastic storage box, and accidentally bred tens of thousands of them over a period of a few months (which is how I got my springtail colonies started actually). They didn't even have a single hint of water either that entire time. Didn't even know I had any or they'd do so good.

 

The hardest part was actually GETTING springtails. They are really hard to find, at least in Southern California. At least for me, it took ages to breed springtails. And a big risk is actually introducing mites, not springtails.

 

As for my Acromyrmex versicolor. The springtails have been in there for nearly half a year. I've cleaned out the foraging areas, and they re-appear after a while. There are so many springtails, can't do much with them except to remove all fungus/ants/brood/queens. Which I won't do, unless the springtails go after the actual fungus. I have been slightly worried about that. But, its been so long, and there hasn't been actually any harm to the fungus at all and the ants don't seem to care about them. In fact, my Acromyrmex have been starting new fungus gardens in every single container, except the foraging ones. Still, I don't think springtails and having a Leafcutter ant colony with fungus is a very good mix, but can't really do much about it.

Edited by Vendayn, October 17 2016 - 3:55 PM.

[AntsMAN]

I took the Talus apart, I removed the layer of material in the out world and pulled the nesting area free. Now I have access to clean the nesting area good, next cleaning time. It's more like the Talus modular now. I'm going to do the same for the other one I have. These were the older models of the Talus. They've been re-used a few times now, that's why I had the mold outbreak. I didn't know how to properly clean mold, when I cleaned them before.

[antmaniac]

Are springtails generally too small/fast to warrant being hunted, or do they just reproduce too fast? I'm surprised no one seems to have trouble with their ants eating all the springtails before they can work their magic.

Well, for the smaller size ant species, springtails can be killed and get eaten. For larger size ant species such as Camponotus, the ants can't catch them as they are fast and small.

[antmaniac]

 

Yeah, if you get a fist-full of leaf-litter, you are pretty much guaranteed to get some springtails.

I think it's to cold now, I'll have a look today. If not I'll have to find them first thing next year.

Isn't there the concern of getting mites or unwanted pests?

 

That is how I get mine, under the flower pot. Surely you will only pick out the springtails from the mites etc right?

[Shareallicu]

Throw it away...
Ask TarHeelAnts for a refund btw

I wouldn't throw it away!   Just clean is the best way possible and let it sit out to see if the mold returns.  Give it to ME before throwing it away please!     I can't even afford one