Adding water to test tube setup

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Slhuston1
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2020 7:23 pm
Location: Missouri

Adding water to test tube setup

Post: # 67840Post Slhuston1
Tue Mar 03, 2020 7:28 pm

I have a common black garden ant queen in a test tube setup, and she has a bunch of eggs with NO workers at this time. The issue is by the time she started laying eggs, half the water was gone and no water is left now. How do I get water added to the setup without stressing her out?

AncestorX
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2020 6:12 pm
Location: W.Yorkshire, UK

Re: Adding water to test tube setup

Post: # 67851Post AncestorX
Wed Mar 04, 2020 7:04 pm

You could either try very carfully "injecting" more water in behind the cotton with a long pippette or idealy a syringe with a long needle.

Another option would be to wet the cotton used to seal the end of the test tube. This would need re-wetting and might be worth taking it out when applying more water to let some air in, i'm not sure if wet cotton blocks more air than dry but I would assume so.

Finally, and this would be my best option; tape a fresh test tube setup to the open end of the current tube, cover the new tube with a tinfoil/dark paper sleave but expose the old one to light. She hopefully will move to the new setup in which case you can remove the old one and re-cotton seal her new one. If she doesn't move, she will at least be getting her mosture from the air humidity provided by the new tube, and can always go for a drink if she get's desperate. (I have a tiny collony of Lasius.N myself, and they are probably the most stubborn ant out there when it comes to re-locating, so just have patience and try to avoid disturbing her as much as possible).

P.S: Just remember not to tape all the way around the tubes as it will block oxygen, just make sure they are not going to roll away or come apart. You have no tiny workers to worry about and she herself is quite a chunky girl, it should be easy enough to leave a tiny air gap without risking escape attempts. (Alternativly tape all the way around then prick some airholes in the tape with a pin or needle)

johnjohn1212
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 6:36 pm

Re: Adding water to test tube setup

Post: # 70050Post johnjohn1212
Sun May 17, 2020 7:01 pm

great question I was looking for the answer I didn't start my test tube, still waiting for a queen to capture. this will be my 1st attempt. just trying to cover all bases

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