Now here’s a well kept secret:
Do you know about fluon, the slippery white material that is essential to keep ants where you want them (at least as much as possible)?
It is available at that old standby of insect supplies, BioQuip as
Insect-A-Slip Insect Barrier – Fluon
It isn’t cheap, but you don’t need very much.
Yeah BioQuip!!!
I haven’t been impressed with Fluon, which I tried using in my tiger beetle terraria in an attempt to keep prey insects from crawling up the sides – somehow they seem to be able to breach the 1″ wide barrier with regularity. I’ve had to resort to placing fine-mesh screens on top of the terraria under the vented lid. It’s hard to imagine I’m “doing it wrong” – any ideas?
Having just read Walter Tschinkel’s ode to Fluon in his Fire Ants book, I know I’m not the only one who has had success with it. 🙂
Two things come to mind:
1. Moisture, such as condensation, is known to make Fluon lose its slipperiness.
2. Perhaps there is something about the tarsi of the prey that can override the Fluon -in a way that ants aren’t capable of. What are their feet like? (I remember Tom Eisner’s photos of the incredible Palmetto beetle tarsi in For Love of Insects.)
In both cases, perhaps a light dusting of talc might solve the problem? A wider band?
Anyone else have any ideas?
Are you using ants for prey?
Oh yes, the Fluon bottle recommends the band be 2-4 inches wide.
Hi there,
I’m a PhD student, doing my project on Drosophila (fruit fly). I’m doing a genetic screen for aggressive behaviors. I got two bottles of fluon about two months ago. I coated my fighting chambers (height about 300 mm) with fluon. At first it seemed to work well. But now flies mount on the walls (the walls are made of plexiglass). I coated another chamber 2 days ago, but still the same problem. I even agitated the bottle gently, but seems it doesn’t work.
I really need a help, and I appreciate to get any help from you.
Ramin,
The one thing I know for sure that can cause fluon to fail is moisture, usually in the form of condensation. Has the humidity changed recently?
I’ll ask on the facebook page to see if anyone else has any ideas.
No one had anything to add, but I did have one other thought. Myrmecologists also sometimes use talcum powder to keep ants from climbing out. Don’t know if it would work in your situation.