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Tetra Won't Leave Test Tube

Posted: Sun Aug 06, 2017 11:24 pm
by SamuelMamuel
I have a small starting tetra colony with around a dozen workers. I slipped a drinking straw chunk into the cotton as an exit hole and connected the test tube to a homemade test tube portal. I put a drop of honey outside the test tube, but they won't leave. I am worried that they will run out of the queen's resources and that she will die, but I can't get them to forage. What should I do?

Re: Tetra Won't Leave Test Tube

Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2017 10:30 am
by idahoantgirl
SamuelMamuel wrote:
Sun Aug 06, 2017 11:24 pm
I have a small starting tetra colony with around a dozen workers. I slipped a drinking straw chunk into the cotton as an exit hole and connected the test tube to a homemade test tube portal. I put a drop of honey outside the test tube, but they won't leave. I am worried that they will run out of the queen's resources and that she will die, but I can't get them to forage. What should I do?
Ants are programmed to survive. When they are hungry, they will forage. They may have been foraging already, but not while your looking. maybe stick a fruit fly in the outworld near hte straw as well. then it is easy to tell if they are foraging because it wont be there in the morning. whereas honey, you cant really tell when they have taken a sip.

Re: Tetra Won't Leave Test Tube

Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2017 10:42 am
by averagebilly
I have a similar dilemma as my new camponotus colony (around 8 workers) has just recently been connested to an outworld but I've only seen 1 worker venture through the tube, only to have fall back around halfway.

Re: Tetra Won't Leave Test Tube

Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2017 12:54 pm
by AntsArizona
I had this happen recently with a new small colony of mine. They only stayed in the tub. About 15 workers. I connect it to a test tube portal but never saw them come out. I left a cricket in there and eventually they came out. Like someone said earlier, they'll come out when they need to. Just gotta be patient. A week has passed now and my ants are coming out into the portal more and more to sip on honey or to eat a cricket. As they grow, i believe they will come out more and more.

Re: Tetra Won't Leave Test Tube

Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2017 2:50 pm
by SamuelMamuel
idahoantgirl wrote:
Mon Aug 07, 2017 10:30 am
SamuelMamuel wrote:
Sun Aug 06, 2017 11:24 pm
I have a small starting tetra colony with around a dozen workers. I slipped a drinking straw chunk into the cotton as an exit hole and connected the test tube to a homemade test tube portal. I put a drop of honey outside the test tube, but they won't leave. I am worried that they will run out of the queen's resources and that she will die, but I can't get them to forage. What should I do?
Ants are programmed to survive. When they are hungry, they will forage. They may have been foraging already, but not while your looking. maybe stick a fruit fly in the outworld near hte straw as well. then it is easy to tell if they are foraging because it wont be there in the morning. whereas honey, you cant really tell when they have taken a sip.
What if they haven't discovered the exit?

Re: Tetra Won't Leave Test Tube

Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2017 9:27 pm
by idahoantgirl
SamuelMamuel wrote:
Mon Aug 07, 2017 2:50 pm
idahoantgirl wrote:
Mon Aug 07, 2017 10:30 am
SamuelMamuel wrote:
Sun Aug 06, 2017 11:24 pm
I have a small starting tetra colony with around a dozen workers. I slipped a drinking straw chunk into the cotton as an exit hole and connected the test tube to a homemade test tube portal. I put a drop of honey outside the test tube, but they won't leave. I am worried that they will run out of the queen's resources and that she will die, but I can't get them to forage. What should I do?
Ants are programmed to survive. When they are hungry, they will forage. They may have been foraging already, but not while your looking. maybe stick a fruit fly in the outworld near hte straw as well. then it is easy to tell if they are foraging because it wont be there in the morning. whereas honey, you cant really tell when they have taken a sip.
What if they haven't discovered the exit?
They will. :)

Re: Tetra Won't Leave Test Tube

Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2017 10:16 pm
by SamuelMamuel
idahoantgirl wrote:
Mon Aug 07, 2017 9:27 pm
SamuelMamuel wrote:
Mon Aug 07, 2017 2:50 pm
idahoantgirl wrote:
Mon Aug 07, 2017 10:30 am


Ants are programmed to survive. When they are hungry, they will forage. They may have been foraging already, but not while your looking. maybe stick a fruit fly in the outworld near hte straw as well. then it is easy to tell if they are foraging because it wont be there in the morning. whereas honey, you cant really tell when they have taken a sip.
What if they haven't discovered the exit?
They will. :)
Ok, I'm just worried because the queen is super lethargic right now. She can't support 12 workers for long

Re: Tetra Won't Leave Test Tube

Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 9:14 am
by idahoantgirl
SamuelMamuel wrote:
Mon Aug 07, 2017 10:16 pm
idahoantgirl wrote:
Mon Aug 07, 2017 9:27 pm
SamuelMamuel wrote:
Mon Aug 07, 2017 2:50 pm

What if they haven't discovered the exit?
They will. :)
Ok, I'm just worried because the queen is super lethargic right now. She can't support 12 workers for long
all right, well if your that worried then go ahead and place a tiny drop of honey in the tube. I've done it before, it's just not ideal.

Re: Tetra Won't Leave Test Tube

Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 1:38 pm
by SamuelMamuel
idahoantgirl wrote:
Tue Aug 08, 2017 9:14 am
SamuelMamuel wrote:
Mon Aug 07, 2017 10:16 pm
idahoantgirl wrote:
Mon Aug 07, 2017 9:27 pm


They will. :)
Ok, I'm just worried because the queen is super lethargic right now. She can't support 12 workers for long
all right, well if your that worried then go ahead and place a tiny drop of honey in the tube. I've done it before, it's just not ideal.
How long after the nanatics appear do you think they would go foraging? It had been around 1.5-2 weeks now

Re: Tetra Won't Leave Test Tube

Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2017 9:40 am
by idahoantgirl
SamuelMamuel wrote:
Tue Aug 08, 2017 1:38 pm
idahoantgirl wrote:
Tue Aug 08, 2017 9:14 am
SamuelMamuel wrote:
Mon Aug 07, 2017 10:16 pm

Ok, I'm just worried because the queen is super lethargic right now. She can't support 12 workers for long
all right, well if your that worried then go ahead and place a tiny drop of honey in the tube. I've done it before, it's just not ideal.
How long after the nanatics appear do you think they would go foraging? It had been around 1.5-2 weeks now
There is no set rule. They will forage when they need to.