Soft Tweezers — Padded Tips for Brood Handling

• Tip: soft padded (silicone)
• Material: stainless steel body with silicone tip pads
• Anti-static: yes — safe for brood
• Sterilisable: yes — wipe with isopropyl alcohol

Use them whenever you need to move brood between containers — transferring pupae from a test tube to a formicarium, relocating larvae during nest maintenance, or moving individual workers during setup. Also useful for handling newly eclosed workers before their cuticle has hardened. For tasks like placing food or removing debris, standard tweezers are sufficient. Soft Tweezers are specifically for direct contact with living material.

Grip near the joint for fine pressure control. Approach the brood slowly, slide the soft tips under or around the larva or worker, and close just enough to lift. The aim is to support, not pinch. Move at the same height — do not lift higher than necessary, and never drop the brood from above onto a hard surface.

Soft is the right choice for most brood handling — pupae, older larvae, workers, queens. If you handle eggs or L1 / L2 larvae regularly, or keep small fragile species like Pheidole and Tetramorium, also pick up the Ultra-Soft variant — softer tip, lower pressure, designed for the most fragile material.

• Works inside all acrylic, gypsum, and ytong formicaria
• Pair with our magnifying loupe for precise brood inspection during transfers
• For static-sensitive work in dry conditions, consider also the ESD Anti-Static version

Wipe with isopropyl alcohol between species and after each session involving brood. Avoid harsh detergents and prolonged heat — silicone pads soften and degrade. Store dry. Replace the tweezers when the pads no longer return to shape under light pressure.

• 1 × Soft Tweezers with silicone padded tip

Can I crush a larva with soft tweezers?
With normal grip pressure, no. The soft tips distribute pressure across a wide contact area. You would have to deliberately squeeze hard to cause damage. Standard precision tweezers, by contrast, can cut a larva with light pressure.

Are they magnetic?
The body is stainless steel — slightly magnetic but not strongly. Not an issue for ant keeping.

How do I clean them between colonies?
Wipe down with isopropyl alcohol. This kills most pathogens without damaging the silicone. Boiling and dishwashers degrade the tip pads — avoid both.