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Help moving ants?

Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 6:11 am
by ablickjah
https://imgur.com/a/mH2earq
^ Here's a crappy diagram of the setup.
It's self made and wasn't the best idea I had.
The brown coloured bit is an open topped formicarium where I was hoping they would dig.
The yellow/ orange is the outworld area.
The black dot is the entrance.
It is a very small, one queen myrmica rubra colony (probably 15 workers but I don't know since they all hide underground. It was about 10 when they moved in 2 weeks ago)
They dug where I was hoping they would but I have made their formicarium thing too wide (2.5 cm) and I can't see their tunnels. I have purchased an antkit medium size 4 nest series 3 (https://antkit.uk/collections/nests/products/antkit-acrylic-nest-series-3-size-4-medium) for them to move into and placed it in their outworld bit, hoping they would move in but they have a moist formicarium nest thing (This i cannot change as it will stay moist and it's difficult to explain) and have no reason for them to move out but I really want to be able to check on them to see how they are doing. How do you think i can get them to move out? Please no comments telling me to leave them, it's not what I'm looking for :)

Re: Help moving ants?

Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 2:03 pm
by AntsDakota
ablickjah wrote:
Sun Jun 10, 2018 6:11 am
https://imgur.com/a/mH2earq
^ Here's a crappy diagram of the setup.
It's self made and wasn't the best idea I had.
The brown coloured bit is an open topped formicarium where I was hoping they would dig.
The yellow/ orange is the outworld area.
The black dot is the entrance.
It is a very small, one queen myrmica rubra colony (probably 15 workers but I don't know since they all hide underground. It was about 10 when they moved in 2 weeks ago)
They dug where I was hoping they would but I have made their formicarium thing too wide (2.5 cm) and I can't see their tunnels. I have purchased an antkit medium size 4 nest series 3 (https://antkit.uk/collections/nests/products/antkit-acrylic-nest-series-3-size-4-medium) for them to move into and placed it in their outworld bit, hoping they would move in but they have a moist formicarium nest thing (This i cannot change as it will stay moist and it's difficult to explain) and have no reason for them to move out but I really want to be able to check on them to see how they are doing. How do you think i can get them to move out? Please no comments telling me to leave them, it's not what I'm looking for :)
The best method usually is to put light and heat directly on the nest, but considering you can't see the tunnels, you could mix lemon juice and water and squirt it into the nest. I believe, according to other forum members, that the lemon's acidity makes the nest unsuitable for the ants to live in, so the ants move out. So your new nest is probably the most suitable nesting spot available, so they'll most likely move into the new nest.

Re: Help moving ants?

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2018 11:05 pm
by Henry1122
I think, as indicated by other discussion individuals, that the lemon's causticity makes the home inadmissible for the ants to live in, so the ants move out, so your new home is likely the most appropriate settling spot accessible...














It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not

Re: Help moving ants?

Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2018 11:40 am
by slink1212
Yes, connect it with the help of tube and use light to force ants to move. Just watch a youtube video, it is not difficult as my may thing :)

Re: Help moving ants?

Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2019 2:41 am
by boreynorthwind
Make sure to keep your new nest in the dark while exposing the current one to light and heat. You can also make the new nest moist and the old one more dry. Just give the ants some time and they will relocate to the new nest eventually. Sometimes this takes days, but most of the time they will relocate the colony in a few hours. Hope this helps!