Is water supply needed?

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Dazza188
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Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2021 4:15 pm
Location: London

Is water supply needed?

Post: # 78803Post Dazza188
Wed Jun 23, 2021 3:04 am

I have a small batch of Lasius ant and attaches them to an AC Hybrid Formica nest.

I wanted to know if the water from under the nest to provide the humidity is enough for the ants or do I need to attach another tube with water? The water supply from the bottom causes condensation on the glass with small water droplets.

I had a test tube with water attached but since I moved them from the their original tube too soon (I think I’m past the point of no return) they move their brood to the tube with water.

Help 😥

Alexandros
Posts: 37
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2021 3:25 am
Location: Cyprus

Re: Is water supply needed?

Post: # 78806Post Alexandros
Wed Jun 23, 2021 6:45 am

Dazza188 wrote:
Wed Jun 23, 2021 3:04 am
I have a small batch of Lasius ant and attaches them to an AC Hybrid Formica nest.

I wanted to know if the water from under the nest to provide the humidity is enough for the ants or do I need to attach another tube with water? The water supply from the bottom causes condensation on the glass with small water droplets.

I had a test tube with water attached but since I moved them from the their original tube too soon (I think I’m past the point of no return) they move their brood to the tube with water.

Help 😥
If the hydration is the problem, then they may be able to drink from the droplets, but a water test tube is ALWAYS advised. If the humidity is the problem, then you would have to put something moist from under the nest. But if there is already something then you are fine with humidity. Let me know if I helped.
New to ant keeping, keeping a Messor structor colony. Also I have 2 camponotus queens and what seems, 2 tetramorium queens :D

Λατρεύω τα μυρμήγκια!

Dazza188
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2021 4:15 pm
Location: London

Re: Is water supply needed?

Post: # 78817Post Dazza188
Wed Jun 23, 2021 1:20 pm

Thank you. Basically my setup is like this:

ALL CONNECTED TO HYBRID NEST

Test tube with queen and brood (cotton is very dry but they prefer to stay there). I cover her tube with foil to keep it dark for now so I can expose her when there are enough workers.

Test tube with sugar water (and I use that same tube to feed them spiders)

Test tube with water, which I removed because they tended to bring their brood there and I don’t want the queen to move there.

Hydration with cotton is good.


Shall I keep the test tube with water even if the queen might make that her new home? Or should I fill it with enough water so there’s not enough space for her to nest there? There are some brood in the hybrid Nest but only a few And they tend not to stay long.

Let me know if I am doing anything wrong.

Thanks

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AM1C39
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Location: Canada, ON
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Re: Is water supply needed?

Post: # 78829Post AM1C39
Wed Jun 23, 2021 8:37 pm

Everything sounds good, and you should make it so if she wants to nest in the test tube she can.
My current colonies:
-Miniature Military(formica neogagates)
-Black Hearts(crematogaster cerasi)
In search of new camponotus colony
[Have a look at antmaps.org]

Dazza188
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2021 4:15 pm
Location: London

Re: Is water supply needed?

Post: # 78833Post Dazza188
Thu Jun 24, 2021 4:41 am

AM1C39 wrote:
Wed Jun 23, 2021 8:37 pm
Everything sounds good, and you should make it so if she wants to nest in the test tube she can.
Thank you, I’ll do this

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