4 replies to this topic

[Xtremeanting]

So i'm currently moving my ants and the queen all of the eggs and part of the workers have moved but the other workers are just sitting there (i'm pretty sure there alive, i saw them moving) on the cotton ball of the old test tube they show no interest in moving over. i placed the old one under light and covered the new one but the workers who are still behind won't move to the new one. what should i do

 

[KaptainKibs]

Be patient

[MichiganAnts]

it may take up to a week for the ants to deiced to move, remember that they have "ant democracy" so you must wait for a worker to want to move and hop that she can win over the majority to do so. and even then, the queen may not want to move.

[Solenoqueen]

Show me a picture and tell us the current state of the test tubes. You might want to wait until the new test tube looks like it is better than the old one(no mold, good hydration, clean, etc.)

[Works4TheGood]

Colonies will resist relocating because it's a very dangerous thing to do in the wild.  In my experience, I've only ever seen my colonies move when they're either completely out of water (not a droplet in sight), or when both the water and cotton have turned so utterly toxic that it's become life-threatening.  Some people will suggest using heat, light, etc. to coerce them to move, but keep in mind that these things add stress.  I suggest putting the colony in a sealed food storage container with sand on the bottom and adding a new test tube setup.  The colony will then move whenever they feel ready.