Ways to prevent escapees

[arcfyre]

Formica (staff member) gave me a good idea too smear olive oil to the top of the formicarium to prevent the ants from escaping...

It actually works...the ants doesn't want to come near those areas...but the downside is, the oil keeps going down the glass and I end up having to clean the glass the whole time...so I clearly have no idea how you did it formica(staff)...

And then how does vaseline works...? I don't know what you call it in your country...uuuhm..."something gelotine"

And any other easy and fast ways to prevent escapees...plz feel free

[Deleted]

I also use olive oil but I only get the occasional drip. Maybe you could try spreading it out thinner.

[Deleted]

You can use PTFE liquid which, when dry, is very slippery so ants can't escape. The best way to prevent escapes is to have a closed tank, this way ants cannot climb out. You could build a small moat around the formicarium and this would stop ants from crawling up the sides of the glass.

My preferred method is to have a closed tank as this is the best solution. Another way is to put some talcum powder mixed with rubbing alcohol onto the glass. When this dries, if the ants walk on it, it will just fall off which keeps the ants inside the formicarium. I have not used this method though, so I don't know how effective it is.

Hope this helps

[Wood~Ant]

Oct 5, 2014 15:11:54 GMT @atta said:

My preferred method is to have a closed tank as this is the best solution. Another way is to put some talcum powder mixed with rubbing alcohol onto the glass. When this dries, if the ants walk on it, it will just fall off which keeps the ants inside the formicarium. I have not used this method though, so I don't know how effective it is.

The talc and alcohol works for a short time, but many ant species can walk across it with ease, especially Formica and Camponotus, which can run over it in less than a second.

[Deleted]

Oct 5, 2014 15:17:46 GMT Wood~Ant said:

Oct 5, 2014 15:11:54 GMT @atta said:

My preferred method is to have a closed tank as this is the best solution. Another way is to put some talcum powder mixed with rubbing alcohol onto the glass. When this dries, if the ants walk on it, it will just fall off which keeps the ants inside the formicarium. I have not used this method though, so I don't know how effective it is.

The talc and alcohol works for a short time, but many ant species can walk across it with ease, especially Formica and Camponotus, which can run over it in less than a second.

Thanks for clearing it up for me Wood 

[Deleted]

Of all the methods I've tried, cooking/olive oil is definitely the best. PTFE used to be my preferred method but it seemed to stop working when I had to reapply it. The oil does tend to drip which is a real pain but I haven't really found any alternative that works as well.

[arcfyre]

Thanks guys...I ended up using a thin layer of vaseline and olive oil together. I did apply too much olive oil in the beginning so it my bad. But its works like a charm. And also I could be wrong but it seems the ants only climb that much when they don't have a food source inside. Now that they do, its just the accasional ants going to the top.

[Deleted]

What about Sunflower oil? Does it have the same results I wonder? I have this for baking. I will have to try it out, but I should have the same results. Lasius niger love to escape!

[Deleted]

Oct 6, 2014 9:00:56 GMT @mako said:

What about Sunflower oil? Does it have the same results I wonder? I have this for baking. I will have to try it out, but I should have the same results. Lasius niger love to escape!

Lasius niger are a 'naughty' species. 
Myrm will agree with me.

[Jenny]

All ants love to escape not just nigers! Fine mesh, oil, tight lids, moats are all used to prevent escape as ant keepers endeavor to stop what comes naturally to ants, and that is to go out foraging

[Deleted]

I use Olive Oil to great effect and use a border of draft excluder on the inner edge of the glass, about an inch from the top, to prevent trickles going down the sides of the tank.

It has to be reapplied every week or so, but is cheap and effective method of escape control for my Lasius niger.

[shane]

I use Jonson's Baby oil. It 100% stops Messor ants from escaping when laying down a boarder close to top of rim so they don't cross.

But for Formica and Camponotus, they just scoot across it like its not even there 8-)as woody says, So only option is to fully

keep a lid on with pin air holes made on top or some mesh to stop them.

[Thebugman]

A separate layer of PTFE and cooking oil stopped any of my Lasius nigers escaping.