What should I move my new ant colony into?

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antsofthelowcountry
Posts: 51
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2018 12:52 pm

What should I move my new ant colony into?

Post: # 47324Post antsofthelowcountry
Mon Aug 13, 2018 10:21 am

Should I move these ants out of their test tube into an outworld or a hybrid nest?
As always, wishing you well on your exciting ant adventure, Ants the Lowcountry.

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

Re: What should I move my new ant colony into?

Post: # 47325Post idahoantgirl
Mon Aug 13, 2018 11:10 am

Did you mean to attach pics? How big is the colony?
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

antsofthelowcountry
Posts: 51
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2018 12:52 pm

Re: What should I move my new ant colony into?

Post: # 47328Post antsofthelowcountry
Mon Aug 13, 2018 11:35 am

They are still in a test tube (5 workers) and are believed to be tetramorium. What I meant is, after the colony has 20 to 30 workers do I move them into an outworld first or a hybrid nest first?
As always, wishing you well on your exciting ant adventure, Ants the Lowcountry.

JustCliff
Posts: 85
Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2018 10:03 am
Location: Ohio

Re: What should I move my new ant colony into?

Post: # 47333Post JustCliff
Mon Aug 13, 2018 12:31 pm

If they have workers, they should have an outworld.

If their nest is small (test tube or something similar in size) you can put it into a larger container, maybe tupperware, and use a barrier to stop them from climbing out. I use the AntsCanada test tube portal for most founding colonies.

It's best not to move them until they have 15 or more workers but they will need an outworld before then. What ever long-term nest you choose, it doesn't matter how you introduce them into the nest. You could connect the tube directly to the nest or put in in the outworld, the important part is that they move out themselves.

You could probably put the tube into the outworld so that their pheromone trails lead to/from the outworld first.
Keeper of:
Temnothorax curvispinosus x2
Camponotus nearcticus
Brachymyrmex depilis
Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Founding:
Camponotus pennsylvanicus
Camponotus herculeanus

antsofthelowcountry
Posts: 51
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2018 12:52 pm

Re: What should I move my new ant colony into?

Post: # 47335Post antsofthelowcountry
Mon Aug 13, 2018 12:48 pm

So when do I use the hybrid nest?
As always, wishing you well on your exciting ant adventure, Ants the Lowcountry.

JustCliff
Posts: 85
Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2018 10:03 am
Location: Ohio

Re: What should I move my new ant colony into?

Post: # 47337Post JustCliff
Mon Aug 13, 2018 1:07 pm

Put the test tube into the outworld once you have 15-20 workers. Eventually they will find the hybrid nest and will either choose to move in immediately or they will wait until they feel the test tube is too small.

Or put in into the outworld now and plug the entrances with cotton, remove the cotton when they get larger to let them explore.
Last edited by JustCliff on Mon Aug 13, 2018 1:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Keeper of:
Temnothorax curvispinosus x2
Camponotus nearcticus
Brachymyrmex depilis
Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Founding:
Camponotus pennsylvanicus
Camponotus herculeanus

JustCliff
Posts: 85
Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2018 10:03 am
Location: Ohio

Re: What should I move my new ant colony into?

Post: # 47338Post JustCliff
Mon Aug 13, 2018 1:11 pm

Tetramorium often enjoy a substrate. If you sterilized some dirt by baking or boiling and then added a little into the first few chambers, they would probably move in sooner.
Keeper of:
Temnothorax curvispinosus x2
Camponotus nearcticus
Brachymyrmex depilis
Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Founding:
Camponotus pennsylvanicus
Camponotus herculeanus

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

Re: What should I move my new ant colony into?

Post: # 47375Post idahoantgirl
Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:33 pm

Substrate is fine as long as you remember that dirt makes your setup... well... dirty :lol: I personally don't like that look, I like being able to see the ants against a white background, not a dirty one. They would be fine with or without it . Personal preference :)
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

ClashOwenBash
Posts: 189
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2018 1:58 am
Location: Oxfordshire, England

Re: What should I move my new ant colony into?

Post: # 47434Post ClashOwenBash
Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:00 am

You can use white sand. But you'll have to buy that.
Ant-keeper going into his 4th year of loving ants!

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