Tapinoma Melanocephalum/Ghost Ants Island setup transfer

[LorLor]

Hi everyone! Hope you and your ants are doing great! Writing to ask a couple questions but let Me start with a fast recap.

My apartment is filled with ghost ants (an invasive species where I live) and I recently came across various queens, along with their escort, on their way to further colonize my apt.

Since it's so difficult to keep them under control, and I'm not really focusing on being able to see them, rather on creating an habitat for them. I stored lots in a jar with needle-wide holes for air, and as of now they seem to be having a good time (I just don't know the status of the queens since they're hiding, I just know there should be 7 of them, with at least 3 being able to reproduce, since they lost their wings, the remaining winged ones were in any case walking along to various workers and remained hidden ever since I got them).

Trying to find a good setup for them I remembered the Skull Island episode from AntsCanada and thought about reproducing an island setup for the obvious advantages it provides at keeping this species under control.

Now to the actual question I have: my current jar setup is composed of mostly thick sand (1-2mm grain size) and organic plant material/dirt, would it be excessively disruptive/possibly fatal if I poured the content of the jar once my setup is ready or should I find some other way to transfer them? Namely, let them migrate to the island on their own will (which they could decide not to do). Integrating the jar into the setup, or gradually removing material from their jar? Or other ways based on your suggestions?

Thanks in advance for your answers!

[Antloverhuman]

If i was in your place i would let them migrate on their own because as far as I know, they are nomadic meaning they love to shift into new nests. Just dont water their nest, place all their food and water in the new setup, and put a big light on their current nest to encourage them to move

[LorLor]

Thank you for your answer!

I recently set the new setup in an aquarium and placed a bridge between the previous jar-setup and the new island.

To my surprise they immediately started exploring it and moving there in numbers. After a few hours I saw four queens (two of them still had a wing attached) moving onto the island and that's when I knew it was done!

Sadly I didn't see them move any egg, larvae or pupae, I'm just hoping they did it while I was asleep, or else it would mean they still haven't reproduced. Maybe in the new setup with more space to hide and peace and quiet they'll finally be able to lay. There is also the possibility that more queens moved in the new setup.

The next day I carefully dismounted the jar setup, encouraging the few ants that still lingered there to move.

They seem quite excited and have plenty of space relatively to their and the pop dimension, I still have to completely finish the tank with the filter and some water plants but for the rest it's done!
Just hope they'll lay eggs...

Thanks again!