Invaders or lost ants

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TEXASantlover
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2019 7:30 pm
Location: Texas

Invaders or lost ants

Post: # 62836Post TEXASantlover
Wed Aug 21, 2019 4:48 pm

Lately I have kept a test tube with my ants in it outside due to our air conditioning and lack of ability to keep them warm. I plan to move them back inside soon but so far I have run into a few confusions because they’re outside.
I recently picked up the tube to check on them but when I picked it up three ants of the same species ran onto my hand. I’m not sure if they are from the test tube and have escaped or if they are stranger ants that smelled the honey and small colony and decided to investigate.
What do I do now?
I would feel bad to let escapees get hurt outside but if they are stranger ants I don’t want to risk them hurting my ants.

GameHeroM
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2018 2:35 am
Location: Spain, Balearic Islands

Re: Invaders or lost ants

Post: # 62846Post GameHeroM
Thu Aug 22, 2019 6:53 am

You might, first of all, make sure that the ants outside the test tube and inside the test tube are of the same species if not, it's evident that they aren't from the tube, if they seem to be from the same species you have two options: the first one, pick an ant from the test tube, one from outside and put them together in a container, if they start to attack each other, they are not from the same colony, the second thing that you could do is to not take risks and leave alone the ants that are outside the test tube.

Hope it helps!

Hawkeye
Posts: 1557
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2019 4:38 pm
Location: Almelo

Re: Invaders or lost ants

Post: # 62860Post Hawkeye
Thu Aug 22, 2019 10:46 am

TEXASantlover wrote:
Wed Aug 21, 2019 4:48 pm
Lately I have kept a test tube with my ants in it outside due to our air conditioning and lack of ability to keep them warm. I plan to move them back inside soon but so far I have run into a few confusions because they’re outside.
I recently picked up the tube to check on them but when I picked it up three ants of the same species ran onto my hand. I’m not sure if they are from the test tube and have escaped or if they are stranger ants that smelled the honey and small colony and decided to investigate.
What do I do now?
I would feel bad to let escapees get hurt outside but if they are stranger ants I don’t want to risk them hurting my ants.
Can I assume that the test tube is tightly sealed off with a cotton bud? In that case they are just wild ants coming to investigate, and you can just leave them outside. They will find their way back

TEXASantlover
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2019 7:30 pm
Location: Texas

Re: Invaders or lost ants

Post: # 63202Post TEXASantlover
Mon Aug 26, 2019 7:11 pm

Hawkeye wrote:
Thu Aug 22, 2019 10:46 am
TEXASantlover wrote:
Wed Aug 21, 2019 4:48 pm
Lately I have kept a test tube with my ants in it outside due to our air conditioning and lack of ability to keep them warm. I plan to move them back inside soon but so far I have run into a few confusions because they’re outside.
I recently picked up the tube to check on them but when I picked it up three ants of the same species ran onto my hand. I’m not sure if they are from the test tube and have escaped or if they are stranger ants that smelled the honey and small colony and decided to investigate.
What do I do now?
I would feel bad to let escapees get hurt outside but if they are stranger ants I don’t want to risk them hurting my ants.
Can I assume that the test tube is tightly sealed off with a cotton bud? In that case they are just wild ants coming to investigate, and you can just leave them outside. They will find their way back
Yes it has a cotton ball in the end but they are very small ants that I haven’t kept before so its new to me. I have now brought them back inside and Getting them ready for their new set up. :)

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