2110 replies to this topic

[Kaelwizard]

Is it best to apply it with a cotton ball or a q-tip?

In my experience the cotton on the end of Q-tips often falls off when wet and being rubbed on something.

Edited by Kaelwizard, March 16 2021 - 8:35 AM.

[ConcordAntman]

Thanks, I’ll go with the cotton ball!

[ConcordAntman]

Well, 3 year old Fluon still works. Oh my God, it’s amazing! With 20-30 workers climbing around the outworld since diapause, it’s been really hard to feed and clean the habitat. I’m most definitely a Fluon convert!

[ANTdrew]

I couldn’t imagine keeping ants without fluon.

[ConcordAntman]

I’d read about Fluon and actually bought some from THA when I got my first formicaria but I’d avoided using it. I was mistakenly concerned about possible toxicities. None of my other colonies are anywhere near as large. Their outworlds are usually empty so cleaning and feeding isn’t a problem with them. But, without Fluon, my largest colony was getting impossible to manage. 

[ANTdrew]

Imagine cleaning my Nucleus with 500 Crematogaster up in the outworld!

[ConcordAntman]

😱

[ConcordAntman]

I just got an invoice from THA. My Phalanx annex is in work! It can’t come soon enough. 

[ConcordAntman]

Imagine cleaning my Nucleus with 500 Crematogaster up in the outworld!

With 500 in the outworld, how many are in the nest and colony!?!

[ANTdrew]

Impossible to count now, but several thousand. They are massive!

[ConcordAntman]

Could you post a picture, please? How old is the colony? I know Crematogaster is smaller than Camponotus but 1000+!!! How do they fit in a Nucleus? I have 20-30 workers in the outworld of my Phalanx. I also can’t count the number in the nest. There are eggs, larvae, and pupae spread across chambers on both levels of the nest. I’m assuming by adding an annex, the eggs, larvae, and pupae can be spread out and perhaps some of the workers in the outworld will be able to return to the nest. I’d posted a shot of my Phalanx somewhere on the forum. The staggered fitting of the outworld over the nest in the Phalanx and the base on the nest (I don’t think they make them with bases anymore) makes fitting an annex flush to the nest a bit of a challenge, but a side opening Nucleus with an overhead outworld might make a simple and easily manageable addition. I’ll keep you posted on my annex when it arrives. 

[ANTdrew]

This was in October. I have a huge diy outworld attached to the Nucleus.

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[MinigunL5]

This was in October. I have a huge diy outworld attached to the Nucleus.

How did those workers get squished?

[ANTdrew]

Nobody got squished. They packed on like that to be near where I taped on the heat cable.

[ConcordAntman]

Wow, and I thought my Phalanx was crowded   I’ll be sure to post how my annex works out. 

[Kaelwizard]

 

This was in October. I have a huge diy outworld attached to the Nucleus.

How did those workers get squished?

 

They can fit in-between the glass and the formicarium.

[ANTdrew]

 

 

This was in October. I have a huge diy outworld attached to the Nucleus.

How did those workers get squished?

 

They can fit in-between the glass and the formicarium.

 

That's correct. There is a slight flaw in my Nucleus that leaves enough space for them the squeeze through. I needed to seal the gap with silicone that you can see in the photo. They also like to shove dead ants in that space, seemingly just to annoy me.

[MinigunL5]

This was in October. I have a huge diy outworld attached to the Nucleus.

How did those workers get squished?

They can fit in-between the glass and the formicarium.

That's correct. There is a slight flaw in my Nucleus that leaves enough space for them the squeeze through. I needed to seal the gap with silicone that you can see in the photo. They also like to shove dead ants in that space, seemingly just to annoy me.

Did you seal it with silicone while they were still inside it?

[ANTdrew]

Yes, I did. It didn't harm them, but I put hot glue first to block any fumes, then covered that with silicone. It looks really attractive as you can see.

[Temperateants]

Nothing yet. Saw some flying insects out my window, could be flies or gnats. Definitely not ants.