I need my ants to move testtube during hybernation

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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Murkla
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Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2022 7:18 am
Location: Sweden

I need my ants to move testtube during hybernation

Post: # 87315Post Murkla
Tue Jan 25, 2022 7:35 am

Hello!

I recently bought my first ant Queen with three little workers of a guy here in Sweden. She's a lasius niger and is currently living in a small testtube setup. And this is the thing. The testtube is very small and the guy I bought her of didn't put in nearly as much water needed for them to stay there the whole winter. So I'm starting thinking that I will need to make them move.


Is it dangerous to make them move during hibernation? (As i just got them I'm currently keeping them at 21 degrees Celsius, waiting for a mini fridge that's stuck in the post) It's the best way to move them during hibernation to shine a strong light on them and then introduce a much darker cozier and moistier test tube?

SolenopsisKeeper
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Location: United States, Florida

Re: I need my ants to move testtube during hybernation

Post: # 87327Post SolenopsisKeeper
Tue Jan 25, 2022 2:29 pm

Murkla wrote:
Tue Jan 25, 2022 7:35 am
Hello!

I recently bought my first ant Queen with three little workers of a guy here in Sweden. She's a lasius niger and is currently living in a small testtube setup. And this is the thing. The testtube is very small and the guy I bought her of didn't put in nearly as much water needed for them to stay there the whole winter. So I'm starting thinking that I will need to make them move.


Is it dangerous to make them move during hibernation? (As i just got them I'm currently keeping them at 21 degrees Celsius, waiting for a mini fridge that's stuck in the post) It's the best way to move them during hibernation to shine a strong light on them and then introduce a much darker cozier and moistier test tube?
Well. What you could do, but requires MUCH more matience, is water the Cotten plugging the tube. Otherwise, you could use tubing to hook them up to a new nest tube and let them move on their own. I do not keep many hibernating ants, so you’ll have to see what other antkeepers say.
When you accidentally reply to yourself…

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AntsAntsAnts
Posts: 365
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Location: Australia

Re: I need my ants to move testtube during hybernation

Post: # 87345Post AntsAntsAnts
Wed Jan 26, 2022 4:05 am

SolenopsisKeeper wrote:
Tue Jan 25, 2022 2:29 pm
Murkla wrote:
Tue Jan 25, 2022 7:35 am
Hello!

I recently bought my first ant Queen with three little workers of a guy here in Sweden. She's a lasius niger and is currently living in a small testtube setup. And this is the thing. The testtube is very small and the guy I bought her of didn't put in nearly as much water needed for them to stay there the whole winter. So I'm starting thinking that I will need to make them move.


Is it dangerous to make them move during hibernation? (As i just got them I'm currently keeping them at 21 degrees Celsius, waiting for a mini fridge that's stuck in the post) It's the best way to move them during hibernation to shine a strong light on them and then introduce a much darker cozier and moistier test tube?
Well. What you could do, but requires MUCH more matience, is water the Cotten plugging the tube. Otherwise, you could use tubing to hook them up to a new nest tube and let them move on their own. I do not keep many hibernating ants, so you’ll have to see what other antkeepers say.
I literally keep certain ants only because I don't want to hibernate them. It's also the reason my main colonies are polyrhachis
keeping:
all my queens died :(
got a sugar ant colony started :)

AntsLuxembourg
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Re: I need my ants to move testtube during hybernation

Post: # 87349Post AntsLuxembourg
Wed Jan 26, 2022 4:23 am

Could you provide us with a picture so we can see the situation? Is the testtube glass or plastic? If plastic, it could be that the water evaporated. I've noticed this from a previous setup. If you have use a syringe to water the cotton every so often otherwise I would recommend you to wait with any plans for moving the colony until the end of March.
Doing some proper research is the best way to start an antcolony.

Need help or want to help? https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=18153#p70566

Currently not keeping any ants anymore.

SolenopsisKeeper
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Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:41 am
Location: United States, Florida

Re: I need my ants to move testtube during hybernation

Post: # 87364Post SolenopsisKeeper
Wed Jan 26, 2022 8:27 am

AntsLuxembourg wrote:
Wed Jan 26, 2022 4:23 am
Could you provide us with a picture so we can see the situation? Is the testtube glass or plastic? If plastic, it could be that the water evaporated. I've noticed this from a previous setup. If you have use a syringe to water the cotton every so often otherwise I would recommend you to wait with any plans for moving the colony until the end of March.
Yep
When you accidentally reply to yourself…

Murkla
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2022 7:18 am
Location: Sweden

Re: I need my ants to move testtube during hybernation

Post: # 87369Post Murkla
Wed Jan 26, 2022 12:13 pm

https://imgur.com/gallery/H925iMJ

As you can see there's not much water....

Murkla
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2022 7:18 am
Location: Sweden

Re: I need my ants to move testtube during hybernation

Post: # 87370Post Murkla
Wed Jan 26, 2022 12:29 pm

As I said, this is my first ever ant colony and I'm terrified to do anything wrong here. I don't know what to do. I've read a lot and know that I shouldn't disturb or even feed them until March but I feel like they will run out of water. Like the cotton is too thick so the water won't moist the whole cotton ball and they will die...

As I'm so scared I set it up so if they would like to move they could. I've hooked up a fresh test tube. Maybe I'll just leave them in a dark place like that and go check on them in March again?

SolenopsisKeeper
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Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:41 am
Location: United States, Florida

Re: I need my ants to move testtube during hybernation

Post: # 87372Post SolenopsisKeeper
Wed Jan 26, 2022 2:14 pm

Murkla wrote:
Wed Jan 26, 2022 12:29 pm
As I said, this is my first ever ant colony and I'm terrified to do anything wrong here. I don't know what to do. I've read a lot and know that I shouldn't disturb or even feed them until March but I feel like they will run out of water. Like the cotton is too thick so the water won't moist the whole cotton ball and they will die...

As I'm so scared I set it up so if they would like to move they could. I've hooked up a fresh test tube. Maybe I'll just leave them in a dark place like that and go check on them in March again?
You should check on them every month. The fresh test tube might work… I bet it would. I doubt they would move, Becuase they are usually slow in hibernation, but would probably use it as water for the queen.
When you accidentally reply to yourself…

Murkla
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2022 7:18 am
Location: Sweden

Re: I need my ants to move testtube during hybernation

Post: # 87374Post Murkla
Wed Jan 26, 2022 3:23 pm

Thanks for your answer! Also I have no idea if they where properly fed before I got them. So you think it's a good idea to pop in some food as well?

SolenopsisKeeper
Posts: 2402
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:41 am
Location: United States, Florida

Re: I need my ants to move testtube during hybernation

Post: # 87384Post SolenopsisKeeper
Wed Jan 26, 2022 6:33 pm

Murkla wrote:
Wed Jan 26, 2022 3:23 pm
Thanks for your answer! Also I have no idea if they where properly fed before I got them. So you think it's a good idea to pop in some food as well?
We’re they in hibernation when you got them?
When you accidentally reply to yourself…

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