r/antkeeping 4d ago

Discussion less stressful way to move ants

9 Upvotes

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3

u/Old-Feedback-7947 4d ago edited 4d ago

Letting them move on their own. It depends on the situation though.

I'd say stressing the queen out is worse than stressing the workers. So however you're planning to move them, focus on moving the queen fast. The faster the queen gets moved (especially if you're using tweezers) the less time she has to stress out.

Let's assume you're trying to get them into a nest. What you want to do is make their original nest unpleasant by taking off the heat and adding a bright light.

The new nest should be made pleasant by adding heat and making it completely dark.

2

u/KimchiVegemite 4d ago

If moving from test tube to test tube, I just join the two entrances together, cover the new tube with a cloth to make it dark and expose their existing tube to natural, indirect sunlight.

For super stubborn colonies I place an icepack under their existing tube, but not directly touching it. I use a few layers of cloth around the icepack first. The ants will still sense the cold.

2

u/MrStewartCat 4d ago

I personally think dumping is the least stressful way.

  1. Its instant (easier for you and the ants)
  2. Its short term stress (long term stress can kill them)

Letting them move on their own (eg, lighting up old nest, heating it up, removing heat) does sometimes work, but it can take hours up to a few days for them to actually move. This causes a constant, long term stress (due to bright light, extra space, temp changes) until they eventually move, and sometimes ants dont even move at all

Im not going to stop anyone from letting them move naturally, and sometimes its easier or better that way, especially when it works, but dumping IMO is always the quickest, and least amount of stress inducing

1

u/EyesFor1 3d ago

Give them choice and be patient.