My camponotus ants escape no matter what I do!!! please help!

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Valkamalia
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jul 10, 2018 6:15 pm
Location: Pennsylvania

My camponotus ants escape no matter what I do!!! please help!

Post: # 40648Post Valkamalia
Tue Jul 10, 2018 6:39 pm

I keep a species of red carpenter ant native to south central Pennsylvania, the colony is about two years old and numbers in about 70 to 80 workers, with tons of brood and fresh clumps of eggs. They seem to be doing very well!
But I have just one problem! No matter what barrier I use, I always seem to find at least one skittering across my desk every night after work! I would hate if they found a better home and moved out of the nest and outworld I gave them while Im gone, or if they got into some chemicals and got sick!

I have tried vaseline, I tried having a solid plastic lid, weighted down with books, I taped the side of the lid down, and I recently tried a layer of baby powder mixed with alcohol painted onto the side and top of my outworld. Currently, I have combined all 5 of these measures to contain them...Yet the slip past. I have checked for openings in the formicarium and outworld and there are none. The ones that did exist at the top of the tank have been sealed with clay, and duct tape.

What should I do? I am at a complete and utter loss.

Image
Image
This is the baby powder/alcohol barrier, as you can see it is also applied upside down on the lip. Above it is a layer of vaseline.

Image
Here is the same thing, but Ive used duct tape to seal the hole that came with the aquarium for the filter. I had thought it impossible for the ants to slip under this...but who knows? There also tape all along the backside too just to reinforce it...

Image
here is a whole view of the outworld

PS: If someone could also identify the exact species, that would be nice too.
Image

FolloweroftheWay
Posts: 71
Joined: Sun Aug 20, 2017 4:07 pm
Location: Mississippi

Re: My camponotus ants escape no matter what I do!!! please help!

Post: # 40652Post FolloweroftheWay
Tue Jul 10, 2018 7:24 pm

Maybe you have wild carpenter ants in the home and you are finding those. :? Just a thought. I have some camponotus ants and Vaseline works for me.

Good luck.

M.
Solenopsis Richteri x 2
Lasius Neoniger x 2
Camponotus spp. x1
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Monomorium pharaonis

Valkamalia
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jul 10, 2018 6:15 pm
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: My camponotus ants escape no matter what I do!!! please help!

Post: # 40656Post Valkamalia
Tue Jul 10, 2018 7:50 pm

FolloweroftheWay wrote:
Tue Jul 10, 2018 7:24 pm
Maybe you have wild carpenter ants in the home and you are finding those. :? Just a thought. I have some camponotus ants and Vaseline works for me.

Good luck.

M.
Im positive they are my own ants, I moved them from one room to a different room I had never seen the ants in. And when placed in the outworld, they return to the nest and are accepted by the colony.

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Batspiderfish
Posts: 3315
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:47 pm
Location: Maine

Re: My camponotus ants escape no matter what I do!!! please help!

Post: # 40660Post Batspiderfish
Tue Jul 10, 2018 8:38 pm

Have you thoroughly cleaned the glass between each coat? It's possible that oil/petroleum could be interfering with the talcum powder.

Otherwise, I would suggest a *slightly* thicker and wider band of talcum, making sure that the corners are covered.
If you enjoy my expertise and identifications, please do not put wild populations at risk of disease by releasing pet colonies. We are responsible to give our pets the best care we can manage for the rest of their lives.

sach44
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 5:12 pm
Location: montreal

Re: My camponotus ants escape no matter what I do!!! please help!

Post: # 41991Post sach44
Sun Jul 22, 2018 9:29 am

I keep a species of red carpenter ant native to south central Pennsylvania, the colony is about two years old and numbers in about 70 to 80 workers, with tons of brood and fresh clumps of eggs. They seem to be doing very well!
But I have just one problem! No matter what barrier I use, I always seem to find at least one skittering across my desk every night after work! I would hate if they found a better home and moved out of the nest and outworld I gave them while Im gone, or if they got into some chemicals and got sick!

I have tried vaseline, I tried having a solid plastic lid, weighted down with books, I taped the side of the lid down, and I recently tried a layer of baby powder mixed with alcohol painted onto the side and top of my outworld. Currently, I have combined all 5 of these measures to contain them...Yet the slip past. I have checked for openings in the formicarium and outworld and there are none. The ones that did exist at the top of the tank have been sealed with clay, and duct tape.

What should I do? I am at a complete and utter loss.

Image
Image
This is the baby powder/alcohol barrier, as you can see it is also applied upside down on the lip. Above it is a layer of vaseline.

Image
Here is the same thing, but Ive used duct tape to seal the hole that came with the aquarium for the filter. I had thought it impossible for the ants to slip under this...but who knows? There also tape all along the backside too just to reinforce it...

Image
here is a whole view of the outworld

PS: If someone could also identify the exact species, that would be nice too.
Image
try to observate them to see how they escape. And also they might be camponotus novaeboracensis,camponotus herculeanus or camponotus ligniperda

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