ANTSTORE World of Ants

[Krabbie]

Hi everybody!

I'm dealing with a sort of a problem. I'm doing a project for school with ants and I already have my Myrmica rubra colony and as an experiment I want to isolate workers from the colony and look if isolating them will transform them into strangers for their own colony(because of the loss of the 'colony scent').
Now I want to isolate 4 of them and I have everything I need(like glass test tubes and cotton, etc....) but I am wondering how I could isolate a worker from her colony for maybe a month without getting her unhealthy...
I was thinking that the only thing workers need is water and sugar and a bit of proteïn. But for a month I think they can do without proteïns, can you confirm this?
So if I put a worker in a test tube with at one end(the closed one) water with cotton and at the other end another cotton and if I put some sugar in it will that be enough to keep her healthy and lively

I hope you guys can help me quickly!

Krabbie

[Carina]

I think you also need protein And it is not very clever to put sugar in the water of the test tube, it could mildew.

[JimmyVe]

Normally the workers don't need protein, that is for the brood. So if you provide them with water and sugar (or some kind) they should be fine. But i can not garenty they will stay alive for a month just sitting in a tube doing nothing.

[Krabbie]

Thanks for the fast replies!
I don't do the sugar in the water but seperatly. I hope it works.
Anybody other ideas?