iv set them all up on my desk with a small layer (2mm ish) of loam in the foraging ground soaked and gone hard, and there farm tank is looking great and moist, tank is lit up and the farm is covered to make it dark so all is good right?
well, i had a little escape (bound to happen
) 3 workers from what i could tell had gone, one i got quickly back in safe and sound, while 2 were still out, one came back shortly holding his head up high carrying a small dead "nat" or fruit fly, he marched right back up the side so i opened the lid and let him back in. needless to say there was a fight to see who would take the spoils back to mom, but i think the little girl won in the end 
and the last one ( i think unless there was another escape) i found sitting on top of the feeding tank when i came back to my desk so i popped her back in. i then popped in a small house spider that was trying to make a web on my computer screen (pre killed) and needless to say that was taken back by about 4-5 workers, mom even came to the end of the test tube to snatch it up and quickly drag it back inside, the furthest she has come out.well with the story over time for a few questions.
1) they seem to like it where they are and seem to want to call the test tube home for now still, how long before i can expect some digging and moving would you say?
2) there is a lot of black stuff on the cotton in the tube, can't tell if its mold or waste, probably paranoid but do i need to worry about it? but for future reference, how do you get the ants and most importantly eggs etc out to change a test tube?
3)they seem to slowly be collecting loose bits of sand from either the feeding ground or even the farm and they are dropping them at the end of the tube, seems like there trying to build a wall, this kinda defeats the purpose of having a farm if they want to call that home, right?
4) once the ants are free to dig away and there underground how do you hibernate them, do you need to pop them all into a test tube like i seem to see everywhere if so how? (lol) or do you just hibernate the whole nest as is?
5) for honey water is normal honey dissolved in warm water left to cool ok? what are the best ratios? same for sugar water?
Thanks for all advice!
Makka
