Ants Making Wall of Trash in Connecting Tube

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SamuelMamuel
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Ants Making Wall of Trash in Connecting Tube

Post: # 40662Post SamuelMamuel
Tue Jul 10, 2018 9:57 pm

I have an omni test, and instead of moving in, the ants have begun loading the tube connecting the nest to the outworld with trash. They have put in sand and loose bug remains in the tube and have constructed a fairly decent little pile in there. Why are they doing this instead of moving in?
Colonies:
--Tetramorium Caespitum
--Camponotus pennsylvanicus
--Formica Sp.

JustCliff
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Re: Ants Making Wall of Trash in Connecting Tube

Post: # 40680Post JustCliff
Wed Jul 11, 2018 10:01 am

Just to make sure I understand this, you connected a test tube setup to an omninest+outworld and instead of moving into the nest the ants chose to partially barricade themselves in the test tube?

If this is the case then I have a few questions, what species are they and how many workers does your queen have?
Keeper of:
Temnothorax curvispinosus x2
Camponotus nearcticus
Brachymyrmex depilis
Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Founding:
Camponotus pennsylvanicus
Camponotus herculeanus

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SamuelMamuel
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Re: Ants Making Wall of Trash in Connecting Tube

Post: # 40696Post SamuelMamuel
Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:03 pm

JustCliff wrote:
Wed Jul 11, 2018 10:01 am
Just to make sure I understand this, you connected a test tube setup to an omninest+outworld and instead of moving into the nest the ants chose to partially barricade themselves in the test tube?

If this is the case then I have a few questions, what species are they and how many workers does your queen have?
No, the ants are in a test tube, in the middle of the outworld. The test tube is uncovered to encourage moving as the tube is old and dirty. The outworld is connected to the new nest. instead of moving in, they have simply put a pile of trash in the tube connecting the outworld to the new omni nest that they refuse to move into. They are tetramorium with around 50 workers and countless eggs. The test tube they are in is very packed.
Colonies:
--Tetramorium Caespitum
--Camponotus pennsylvanicus
--Formica Sp.

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antnest8
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Re: Ants Making Wall of Trash in Connecting Tube

Post: # 40698Post antnest8
Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:12 pm

they could be preparing to move in. all of my ants that i have that have had access to soil and substitute have pile a pile in their nest to try and make their entrance smaller for defense and for less air flow.
Some of My Informative Sheets
https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=19099
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    How To Identify Ants
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JustCliff
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Re: Ants Making Wall of Trash in Connecting Tube

Post: # 40733Post JustCliff
Wed Jul 11, 2018 3:47 pm

Okay, I was going to suggest the same thing as antnest, but normaly they'd do this to the test tube, it's more common with smaller species. I'd think they view the test tube as the "deepest" or "safest" place for the queen and the outworld as a part of their nest. Normaly you'd introduce heat or airflow if the light itself isn't enough.

Is it an open air outworld?

The longest it's taken me to move a colony is 4 days. It was a Temnothorax colony into a new test tube using the AC test tube portal. The workers are only slightly smaller than yours. Introducing a substrate into the omninest may also help. They'd likely use that instead of their mold collecting garbage. Over all I think they will move eventually, if the test tube is open they for sure won't let the mold kill them.
Keeper of:
Temnothorax curvispinosus x2
Camponotus nearcticus
Brachymyrmex depilis
Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Founding:
Camponotus pennsylvanicus
Camponotus herculeanus

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SamuelMamuel
Posts: 187
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Re: Ants Making Wall of Trash in Connecting Tube

Post: # 40739Post SamuelMamuel
Wed Jul 11, 2018 4:04 pm

JustCliff wrote:
Wed Jul 11, 2018 3:47 pm
Okay, I was going to suggest the same thing as antnest, but normaly they'd do this to the test tube, it's more common with smaller species. I'd think they view the test tube as the "deepest" or "safest" place for the queen and the outworld as a part of their nest. Normaly you'd introduce heat or airflow if the light itself isn't enough.

Is it an open air outworld?

The longest it's taken me to move a colony is 4 days. It was a Temnothorax colony into a new test tube using the AC test tube portal. The workers are only slightly smaller than yours. Introducing a substrate into the omninest may also help. They'd likely use that instead of their mold collecting garbage. Over all I think they will move eventually, if the test tube is open they for sure won't let the mold kill them.
The outworld is just a Cricket Keeper. I am thinking that they are using the trash to make the connecting tube smaller so that they feel safer when they do move in. But the test tube has been uncovered for weeks. At this point, they seem perfectly comfortable with it uncovered.
Colonies:
--Tetramorium Caespitum
--Camponotus pennsylvanicus
--Formica Sp.

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SamuelMamuel
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Re: Ants Making Wall of Trash in Connecting Tube

Post: # 41956Post SamuelMamuel
Sat Jul 21, 2018 8:21 pm

Well, I decided to fill the first 2 spots of my vertical omninest to try and encourage the ants to move in.
Colonies:
--Tetramorium Caespitum
--Camponotus pennsylvanicus
--Formica Sp.

JustCliff
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Location: Ohio

Re: Ants Making Wall of Trash in Connecting Tube

Post: # 45696Post JustCliff
Thu Jul 26, 2018 10:16 am

Checking in on this, curious if the situation has changed. They still in their test tube and garbage still in the connecting tube?

Do you mean you put some soil in the slots?
Keeper of:
Temnothorax curvispinosus x2
Camponotus nearcticus
Brachymyrmex depilis
Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Founding:
Camponotus pennsylvanicus
Camponotus herculeanus

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SamuelMamuel
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Re: Ants Making Wall of Trash in Connecting Tube

Post: # 46059Post SamuelMamuel
Sun Jul 29, 2018 7:30 pm

JustCliff wrote:
Thu Jul 26, 2018 10:16 am
Checking in on this, curious if the situation has changed. They still in their test tube and garbage still in the connecting tube?

Do you mean you put some soil in the slots?
Yeah, so I filled the first two squares with dirt and the ants emptied it all out besides the first square and moved in.
Colonies:
--Tetramorium Caespitum
--Camponotus pennsylvanicus
--Formica Sp.

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

Re: Ants Making Wall of Trash in Connecting Tube

Post: # 46124Post JustCliff
Mon Jul 30, 2018 1:32 pm

Nice!

Noted for future instances of this, heard it helped to have a digging medium with this species. Now if only I could find a queen. I've heard they have explosive growth, I'll have to try again next year. :cry:
Keeper of:
Temnothorax curvispinosus x2
Camponotus nearcticus
Brachymyrmex depilis
Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Founding:
Camponotus pennsylvanicus
Camponotus herculeanus

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