TITLE: Tetiaroa Yellow Crazy Ant Sampling: Sugar and PB Protocol - 1/24/2023
AUTHORS: Juliet Capriola, Kalani Alcala

[DESCRIPTION]
Walked along a series of transects with ant sugar water and peanut butter vials. The experiment aimed to discover the extent of the invasive yellow crazy Ant ,Anoplolepis gracilipes, on Tetiaroa Atoll. In addition, the experiment aimed to test if ants preferred the sugar water bait or the peanut butter bait. 

[BEFORE_START]
Put on bug spray you're gonna need it. 

[GUIDELINES]
- If it rains, do not set out ant traps as no ants will be present in the area. Wait one hour if it rains to continue or begin experiment.
- Do not trespass
- Analyze site safety before conducting a sample
- Avoid trampling flora 
- If a point is inside a building, just go to the next point or as close to the point as possible

[STEPS]
SECTION: Preparation
2. Prepare 25 sugar plastic vials by soaking a napkin in sugar water and placing at the bottom of the vial                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
SECTION: Preparation
1. Divide the atoll into a series of transects labeled A-Z. Then on each transect create points 1-X. The points should create a grid on the island. 
SECTION: Preparation
4. Prepare 12 PB plastic vials by placing 1 TBS of peanut butter at the bottom of each vial, making sure not to get any PB on the sides of the vial.
3. 
SECTION: Deployment
5. Navigate to the site using Gaia GPS
SECTION: Deployment
6. At each site, place one sugar vial. Place a peanut butter vial down directly next to the sugar water vial only if ants are spotted in the nearby surrounding area. 
 

SECTION: Deployment
7. Fill out Epicollect form detailing: deployed/retrieved, site number, and time collected (automatic)

SECTION: Retrieval
9. After 90 minutes, return to placed vials. Retrieve any flags in the area marking transect.


SECTION: Deployment
8. Repeat steps 3-5 at each site. Go in reverse order in the following section for retrieval. 
SECTION: Retrieval
10. Pick up and quickly cap vials, not letting any ants escape in the process. 
SECTION: Retrieval
11. Fill out form on EpiCollect. Count crazy ants on each vial. 

SECTION: Retrieval
11.1. If there are too many ants, head back to lab. Freeze vials and count ants afterward. 
SECTION: Clean up
12. Clean out test tubes and throw away samples.