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Sniengan Doo: To let you know how my ants are getting on... (13. Sep 2007 23:25)

The formicarium is set up, nicely damped.

The test tube containing the queen and her 10 workers and now a nice pile of white looking eggs lies propped up in the foraging basin - only because Im worried the water reserve in the test tube might drown its occupants should I lie it down completely.

Mrs. Queen seems very content to remain in her test tube. So Im giving her that option.

Its great to watch. The worker ants are slowly adding piles of sand, and tericotta pebbles to the inside of the test tube - I assume to 'plug' in the queen. (I have a layer of tinfoil surrounding the test tube to help with cover and darkness.

I have added a 'boiled' spider to the forage basin. They have also access to honey water and regular water (boiled rain water) with a wee cotton wool plug added to prevent accidents.

Should I add a drop or two of sugar honey water into the test tube?

I did before I set up the formicarium while I was waiting for the brood chamber to become damped. But now, while the workers are 'pluggin' in the Queen, is the honeywater and dead spider (lying in the foraging basin) sufficient? Will the workers feed their Queen? I assume they will??

Also, I have organised hibernation. Late October I intend to bring the entire formicarium home, box it in a box lined with packing chips and leave it in the garden shed.

I assume honeywater and rainwater will suffice during this period?

how often should I check on them with out disturbing their slumber?

Are they fed, as I do feed by bees during the winter months and I see a lot of similar behaviour pattens between bees and ants. Honeywater only? Or dead spiders and Honeywater?

AND

Is leaving this in the foraging basin sufficient?

Sorry for all the questions.

Mary

miszt: (13. Sep 2007 23:34)

they probly wont eat at all during hibernation, but cant hurt to leave sugar for them :) and water definitly

check them once a week and they shuld b fine :D

you should always have non-sugar water available to ur ants, so i wuldnt recomend adding sugar to the water in the test tube at all, sugar dehydrates ants and can kill them quickly if they have no access to water

mpir: (14. Sep 2007 06:57)

Indeed, lack of water or too much water (floding) is the biggest killer during hibernation.