Moving colonies help!

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Barfdog
Posts: 145
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2016 6:32 pm
Location: Phoenix Arizona

Moving colonies help!

Post: # 21352Post Barfdog
Thu May 18, 2017 7:51 pm

Hello, currently I have a Veromessor Pergandei queen (or desert harvester ant) that refuses to move into a founding formicarium I have attached to their test tube. One worker has recently eclosed and it doesn't seem to be doing much of anything and it's now around day three of it's life. They refuse to move into the new space I've provided let alone even explore it. Currently I'm just waiting and following an AntsCanada Tutorial. I have now decided to place a heating cable to make them start moving. I also just needed to move them due to a mold outbreak. Any tips or advice? Even stories about how your stubborn queen took longer to move.

A side-note about my new Brachymrmex colony that has around 10 workers:

It seems the workers don't do much either, I placed a very small piece of wax paper with a drop of honey on it and the queen ended up finding it first and was feeding herself(it makes sense after a long fast but I would have assumed the workers would get it for her) just strange I guess. Glad things are kicking off though. Any advice is much appreciated!
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One M1ABRAMS TANK AKA Camponotus Laevigatus Queen

JackPayne
Posts: 287
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2017 2:28 am
Location: Australia,NSW

Re: Moving colonies help!

Post: # 21354Post JackPayne
Thu May 18, 2017 8:02 pm

As far as I know, they'll move when they're ready, they know when the mould is too dangerous etc.

I would NOT recommend heating them as that will certainty stress them. Be patient.
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Theantguy13

Re: Moving colonies help!

Post: # 21358Post Theantguy13
Thu May 18, 2017 11:32 pm

I would say if they don't move and the mold starts to grow and overcome them, try using a heat lamp and if that doesn't work go to a heat cable. Heat lamps are generally less heat intensive and should make the ants slightly uncomfortable and not kill them from too much heat.

The only reason I suggest this is because I had a similar problem in the sense that I had a solenopsis colony with approximately 22 workers and they did not move into my omni-nest and the queen ended up dieing even though people told me to just wait. The CoD (cause of death) was most likely a mold out break as when I cleaned the test tube and formicarium, there was a lot of mold on the cotton and the dead queen/workers.
Morale of the story: keep a close eye on your colony's behavior and take notice of unusual behavior.

xTNxANTMANx
Posts: 416
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2016 9:03 am
Location: Western Tennessee

Re: Moving colonies help!

Post: # 21362Post xTNxANTMANx
Fri May 19, 2017 2:56 am

You need more workers than 10 b4 moving them out of the test tube for one. That's way to much space for that few. Depending on species, 20-50 is normally a good number. They are used to small spaces in the wild. They will dump their garbage in the nest otherwise and can cause mold and other stuff that normally does its own thing in the wild. Also, you have to be patient when it comes to ant keeping. The quicker people understand this, the easier and more enjoyable the experience becomes. :-)
Keeping:
Camponotus subbarbatus
Formica pallidefulva x2
Formica subsericea x4
Lasius sp
Tetramorium immigrans x2
Dorymyrmex bureni

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Formica pallidefulva
Unknown sp x2

Martialis
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Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2016 5:30 pm
Location: Indiana

Re: Moving colonies help!

Post: # 21366Post Martialis
Fri May 19, 2017 7:24 am

Just give them access to an outworld so they can forage. Seeds are not preferable at this stage.
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Barfdog
Posts: 145
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2016 6:32 pm
Location: Phoenix Arizona

Re: Moving colonies help!

Post: # 21378Post Barfdog
Fri May 19, 2017 4:37 pm

Good news, they moved without a hitch. However, when I found her one worker she was still in the test tube and covered in mold and couldn't move until I gave a tiny nudge with a cotton swab helped her out and she moved right into the founding formicarium. I know it's too early to be moving them but I moved them to a very small FOUNDING formicarium. I had no more spare test tubes they would fit in so I had to put them in the founding chamber from TarHeelAnts. Any good suggestions for founding foods? Mostly I don't know what to feed my tiny brachyrmrmex colony.. assuming sweet sugary foods/fruits and small fruit flies and cricket legs to start. Any other suggestions?
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One M1ABRAMS TANK AKA Camponotus Laevigatus Queen

Theantguy13

Re: Moving colonies help!

Post: # 21654Post Theantguy13
Wed May 24, 2017 1:08 pm

I don't know much about feeding them, but what I have heard is 1: feed small defenseless food at first, and 2: try a variety to figure out what they like best. After all, an ant with a variety in its food is more healthy than one without.

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Batspiderfish
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Re: Moving colonies help!

Post: # 21658Post Batspiderfish
Wed May 24, 2017 1:29 pm

It's not so much what you are moving a colony into, but the stress/energy cost of the move itself should not be instigated until the colony has reached a certain size.
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.

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