Leaf Cutting Ant Forum

Methods of preventing escape in Leaf Cutting Ant Setups
1. A water moat. If they try to cross they drown. It is a good idea to fit a water pump into the water to create movement. Sometimes the ants drop a leaf or a twig into the water which forms a bridge. Moving water will dislodge this. You can also add a little washing up liquid if you like to break the surface tension which means any ants entering the water will immediately sink. But dont put washing up liquid into moving water or your room will fill up with foam!!Its one or the other!
2. Fluon. This is a slippery powdery solution which you paint on to any surface you do not want insects to cross. Once it dries it is impossible for insects to walk across it as long as it does not get wet. Needs replenished periodically and is best used in conjunction with another method of escape prevention. It is available to buy, online and cheaply, at Blades Biological Supplies.
3 Vaseline. Not recommended. The ants will quickly start to stick bits of leaf or debris to it and eventually cross it quite easily.

Great post!

just wanted to add that the fluon was invaluable to me when the colony got large. Any time I had to remove a box for some reason, fit new pipe, new tip etc I always put bit full of ants in a big plastic box rimmed with a fluon coating. Means all the mad worker, soliders etc where kept in one place and I could take my time and not be frantic trying to catch them.

Another thing I used in my moat in the garage was olive oil instead of water, I liked it as the ants had not chance of escaping once they went in and also it never evaporated which was great.

Be sure to use olive oil and the oil I initially used solidified in the winter! lesson learned ha ha. Think it was vegetable oil.