The AntsCanada Ant Forum's

I own a tetramorium impurum queen with about six nanitics and some brood. They have quite a mouldy test tube so I was afraid it would kill them so I placed them into the out world I had ready for them and I left the end of the tube unsealed with a fresh one beside it. They didn't move from the end of the test tube so I was afraid they were too stressed and would starve so I placed a cockroach leg and a drop of honey in their tube. Both of these tubes are covered with tinfoil. They are yet too move and the honey spread out a little and I think its blocking their path out if they try and move. I don't know what too do and I feel like my worrying might be unnecessary and I'm just making them more stressed by checking on them and doing all the things listed above. Could someone please help and tell me what the best thing I can do is!

You should only cover the test tube you want them to move into, leave the old test tube uncovered so the light helps them move. They will look around for a better place to move to and finding the covered test tube they will choose it over their old one. It may take some time, ants choose when to move.

It took my queens over 2 weeks to move into a new test tube using this method, some still haven't moved and this is week 5. The secret is to just have a lot of patience.

MadVampy wrote: ↑

Tue May 08, 2018 5:48 pm

You should only cover the test tube you want them to move into, leave the old test tube uncovered so the light helps them move. They will look around for a better place to move to and finding the covered test tube they will choose it over their old one. It may take some time, ants choose when to move.

Thanks for the help but this may sound stupid but the drop of honey has spread out along the bottom of the test tube and I feel paranoid that they might not be able to cross it without getting stuck

Lorcan wrote: ↑

Sat May 12, 2018 6:46 am

MadVampy wrote: ↑

Tue May 08, 2018 5:48 pm

You should only cover the test tube you want them to move into, leave the old test tube uncovered so the light helps them move. They will look around for a better place to move to and finding the covered test tube they will choose it over their old one. It may take some time, ants choose when to move.

Thanks for the help but this may sound stupid but the drop of honey has spread out along the bottom of the test tube and I feel paranoid that they might not be able to cross it without getting stuck

I just went to check on them and I discovered the cockroach leg was all mouldy and two workers had drowned in the honey. I will use a paintbrush to remove the leg and clean up the honey hoping that the workers might be okay. Should I use the tip of the brush to remove the queen and workers to safety in the other tube or leave them to their own devices.

If it was me I'd let them do their own thing. I've never used food to coax them out of their tube but as like with many things, everyone does different things. Also I always use a piece of wax paper or tin foil when I'm placing food in a test tube, place the small bit of food on it and slip it into the tube. That way when it comes time you can simply slid it back out and the food isn't stuck to the insides of the test tube.