Stress from shipping (not moving out, no eggs)

[Quizzie]

I would be grateful for advice on my new Formica cinerea colony (queen of 2018).

I bought a queen and about 20 workers online. Shipping time was only 1 day and the weather was quite cool (around 15°C).
When the test tube arrived there were still some white workers, so they must have been active lately, but there was no brood. I assume the queen ate it from the stress of the travel. She has not laid a single egg since she arrived 2 weeks ago.

The test tube is still very full of water, but disgusting - the cotton is completely black from mold and there is mold floating in the water. I placed the test tube in the outworld of a formicarium, but that was 2 weeks ago and they haven't moved. Two days ago I added a new test tube to the outworld to give them options.

Should I:
a) force the move into the formicarium (with light, heat or brute force)
b) give them time, encourage moving into the test tube for now by covering it
?

Thank you!

[AntsDakota]

I would be grateful for advice on my new Formica cinerea colony (queen of 2018).

I bought a queen and about 20 workers online. Shipping time was only 1 day and the weather was quite cool (around 15°C).
When the test tube arrived there were still some white workers, so they must have been active lately, but there was no brood. I assume the queen ate it from the stress of the travel. She has not laid a single egg since she arrived 2 weeks ago.

The test tube is still very full of water, but disgusting - the cotton is completely black from mold and there is mold floating in the water. I placed the test tube in the outworld of a formicarium, but that was 2 weeks ago and they haven't moved. Two days ago I added a new test tube to the outworld to give them options.

Should I:
a) force the move into the formicarium (with light, heat or brute force)
b) give them time, encourage moving into the test tube for now by covering it
?

Thank you!

Ants will generally not move unless you shine light on them at least. Just make sure the light isn't too hot, for they could roast.