Emergency!

Discussions about the care and keeping of ants

Moderator: ooper01

Post Reply
TippyDisc911
Posts: 65
Joined: Sat Jul 15, 2017 10:23 am
Location: Oak Forest, Illinois, Usa

Emergency!

Post: # 33143Post TippyDisc911
Tue Dec 05, 2017 3:57 pm

Every two weeks I check my ants in hibernation, I come to one of them and the mild is crazy and they have no water! I need to transfer them fast but they won’t move... any help I need to do this as fast as possible!
Keeping:
Formica subsericea: 10 workers
Tetramourium Immigrans: 12 workers
solenopsis molesta: 25-30 workers

"The ant's a centaur in his dragon world"-Ezra Pound

Dream species: Atta Texana

AntsAreAwesome

Re: Emergency!

Post: # 33144Post AntsAreAwesome
Tue Dec 05, 2017 6:01 pm

I live in the tropics, so I don’t hibernate ants. One thing I do when there is no water left is I just wet the cotton ball on the end just a tad. Not to much because then air can’t fill in I think. Of course this is temporary so I suppose if you were to do this you would have to do often.

AntViking

Re: Emergency!

Post: # 33145Post AntViking
Tue Dec 05, 2017 8:02 pm

I am having the same problem soon. I have just taped 2 tubes together (new one full of water) to help raise humidity. But other then that I'm not sure what to do

User avatar
idahoantgirl
Posts: 1521
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:52 am
Location: Idaho, USA

Re: Emergency!

Post: # 33148Post idahoantgirl
Wed Dec 06, 2017 10:00 am

If you really think that it is life threatening, you can tap them into the new tube. it is not reccomended, and should always be last resort, but if you just flip the old tube upside down and flick your finger on the side of the old tube , they will fall into the new tube.
Proverbs 6:6-8

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

Keeping Tetramorium immigrans, Tapinoma Sessile

AntViking

Re: Emergency!

Post: # 33149Post AntViking
Wed Dec 06, 2017 10:05 am

idahoantgirl wrote:
Wed Dec 06, 2017 10:00 am
If you really think that it is life threatening, you can tap them into the new tube. it is not reccomended, and should always be last resort, but if you just flip the old tube upside down and flick your finger on the side of the old tube , they will fall into the new tube.
This sounds like an OK solution. I mean depending on how cold it is and how long it's been, the queen is probably so out of it she won't know what's up and probably won't figure it out

User avatar
Batspiderfish
Posts: 3315
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:47 pm
Location: Maine

Re: Emergency!

Post: # 33150Post Batspiderfish
Wed Dec 06, 2017 3:58 pm

All the ants need is humidity, so attaching two tubes and leaving the means to breathe will work fine.
If you enjoy my expertise and identifications, please do not put wild populations at risk of disease by releasing pet colonies. We are responsible to give our pets the best care we can manage for the rest of their lives.

Idahoantguy
Posts: 136
Joined: Mon Jun 05, 2017 11:48 am
Location: Idaho

Re: Emergency!

Post: # 33170Post Idahoantguy
Sun Dec 10, 2017 4:48 pm

Batspiderfish wrote:
Wed Dec 06, 2017 3:58 pm
All the ants need is humidity, so attaching two tubes and leaving the means to breathe will work fine.
Yea I have done that (and I actually made a post on it) and so far it’s working. Won’t the cold slow down the mold development, as well as the ants not drinking as much?
Keeping:
Tetramorium immigrans x2

Anything but tetramorium please :cry:

User avatar
Batspiderfish
Posts: 3315
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:47 pm
Location: Maine

Re: Emergency!

Post: # 33181Post Batspiderfish
Mon Dec 11, 2017 9:37 am

Ants get most, if not all of their water needs from humidity. They do not need to drink. I don't know what kind of mold you are dealing with, but if it is just something that is discoloring the cotton, then there's probably nothing to worry about.
If you enjoy my expertise and identifications, please do not put wild populations at risk of disease by releasing pet colonies. We are responsible to give our pets the best care we can manage for the rest of their lives.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 22 guests