Are you looking to start your own ant kingdom? Our Queen Ant Test Tube is the perfect solution for starting and monitoring the growth of your ant colony. Measuring 16x100mm or 17 x 150mm, this test tube provides ample space for the queen ant and brood. The clear design allows for easy observation of the ants' activities, making it a great educational tool for children and adults. Made of durable materials, this test tube is designed to withstand the demands of ant rearing and will provide a safe and comfortable environment for your queen ant. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced antkeeper, our Queen Ant Test Tube is an essential tool for successfully establishing and maintaining a thriving ant colony. Suitable for larger queen ants like most Harvester and Camponotus species. Each test tube comes with 2 organic cotton balls.
An article you must read before stepping into antkeeping: My Living Ant World
How long can you keep a queen ant in a test tube?
To ensure the well-being of the queen ant, she should be placed in a test tube setup, where she can stay for weeks or months until her first group of worker ants, called nanitics, arrive. Antkeepers typically use test tubes to house queen ants because this setup creates an environment similar to an underground chamber, which is ideal for a newly mated queen. You must cover the test tube with tinfoil or similar to ensure the queen's chamber is completely dark.
How to feed the queen ant in a test tube?
Wow, you're about to embark on an amazing journey of ant-keeping! Feeding your queen ant in a test tube setup is a thrilling adventure. Start by ensuring your queen ant test tube setup is secure and comfy for Her Majesty. Now, here's the exciting part: feeding her! Some species do not need feeding until the first workers hatch and others need feeding once or twice a week. Usually, a queen ant doesn't eat much. A tiny drop of organic honey poured over a tiny cotton ball weekly is enough. Carefully place the food inside the test tube without disturbing her. Remember, patience is key! This process may take time, but the reward of seeing your queen thrive is exhilarating and laying eggs, and yet the miracle arrives - the first workers! They are called "nanitics" and have a shorter life but they are the very first ones who care about the queen. An important thing to remember: Even if you are keeping a fully claustral queen ant like Lasius Niger, Lasius Flavus or Messor Barbarus if you feed her twice a month with our Protein jelly, she will be way more healthy and you will speed up her egg-laying process.
Options:
16x100mm - suitable for small queen ants and colonies (Lasius, Murmica etc.)
17x150mm - suitable for large queen ants and colonies (Camponotus, Messor etc.)