Ants won't leave moldy test tube

Questions from those who are just starting or considering getting into the ant keeping hobby. If you’re intimidated or confused by the in-depth posts of the other sections of this forum, feel free to post here, and we'll start from square one!

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AdaLollA
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2018 4:08 pm
Location: Austria

Ants won't leave moldy test tube

Post: # 51768Post AdaLollA
Tue Oct 02, 2018 4:44 pm

Hi guys,
i actually don't know if i have a problem or not, but to find out exactly that i thought i would ask the pros here.

I have a very small lasius niger colony and they have been in the same test tube setup for half a year now. I offered them a similar test tube setups with fresh water and cotton multiple times but they never decided to move.

By now the setup in which they live is really moldy and hasn't had water for months. This is what their setup looks like right now:

Image

I tried offering them an AntsCanada Hybrid V2 nest but as i thought they won't take that, especially when they are still in such few numbers. However i am really confused about the fresh test tube rejections. The fresh test tubes were always offered by a direct connection to the AntsCanada Adapter (i think its called) which i used as a miniature outworld to which the old test tube was also connected directly.

First: Should i be worried about the moldy test tube they live in?
Second: If so, how should i proced in offering new test tubes?

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Ants won't leave moldy test tube

Post: # 51775Post AntsDakota
Tue Oct 02, 2018 5:13 pm

Shine a bright fluorescent or LED light on the colony, and cover up the new test tube. Place the old test tube at a higher elevation than the new test tube. This will encourage the ants to move into the new test tube.
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Ants won't leave moldy test tube

Post: # 51776Post AntsDakota
Tue Oct 02, 2018 5:15 pm

I say fluorescent or LED because incandescent bulbs give off a lot of heat, which could kill the colony.
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

AdaLollA
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2018 4:08 pm
Location: Austria

Re: Ants won't leave moldy test tube

Post: # 51795Post AdaLollA
Tue Oct 02, 2018 6:20 pm

AntsDakota wrote:
Tue Oct 02, 2018 5:13 pm
Shine a bright fluorescent or LED light on the colony, and cover up the new test tube. Place the old test tube at a higher elevation than the new test tube. This will encourage the ants to move into the new test tube.
Thanks, I'll try that (:

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Ants won't leave moldy test tube

Post: # 51848Post AntsDakota
Wed Oct 03, 2018 4:12 pm

Glad to be of assistance.
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

yaktriangle
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2018 3:45 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Ants won't leave moldy test tube

Post: # 54078Post yaktriangle
Wed Nov 28, 2018 4:03 pm

Hi there.

Did you have any luck in getting your ants to take up residence in a shiny new test tube?

The reason I ask is because my young son has recently acquired a small colony (also Lasius Niger) and we have been trying to get them to move into a clean tube too. We have tried using light to encourage them out of the old tube but so far they haven't budged. One thing we haven't tried is elevating the old tube so may give that a go.

Very curious to know how others have managed this and any other tips for getting the colony to move. Ultimately, when the colony is big enough, I presume the same trick will be used to get them to move into the hybrid v2 nest?

Many thanks in advance.

BuddyTehDodo
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2018 9:54 pm
Location: new zealand

Re: Ants won't leave moldy test tube

Post: # 54082Post BuddyTehDodo
Wed Nov 28, 2018 10:09 pm

Does anyone know how to insert images?

BuddyTehDodo
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2018 9:54 pm
Location: new zealand

Re: Ants won't leave moldy test tube

Post: # 54084Post BuddyTehDodo
Wed Nov 28, 2018 10:13 pm

If so, Please tell me

BuddyTehDodo
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2018 9:54 pm
Location: new zealand

Re: Ants won't leave moldy test tube

Post: # 54085Post BuddyTehDodo
Wed Nov 28, 2018 10:16 pm

lemme try...Image

BuddyTehDodo
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2018 9:54 pm
Location: new zealand

Re: Ants won't leave moldy test tube

Post: # 54086Post BuddyTehDodo
Wed Nov 28, 2018 10:16 pm

CRAP

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