Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2012 11:10:23 GMT 1
Apr 14, 2012 11:04:39 GMT 1 @abeloyd1234 said:
Im thinking about making an ant nest but I dont know what materials to use? What kind of nest are you thinking of? Here are examples of the main 3:
Slim Ant Nest -
A slim Ant nest it basically just 2 pieces of glass or acrylic that are about 1-2cm apart. This forms a gap where the substrate is pored (may that be sand/soil or loam). The ants can tunnel in this space and because their tunnels touch the glass you can see right into the chambers. This kind of setup is also usually connected to a foraging tank so the ants can gather food and take it back to the nest.
Basin Style -
A basin or tank setup is the closest we can get the an ants natural environment. Many people simply use an old fish tank half filled with substrate. The ants can tunnel in all directions under ground and forage above, however, they are most likely not to tunnel close to the sides as the light disturbs them and so you may not always be able to see the queen/brood. To encourage them to tunnel against the sides of the tank you can place dark card against it to prevent the light reaching the chambers.
Plaster/Y-tong Nest -
Plaster or Y-tong nests can be made out of lots of different materials. They are either carved out of a block of the material or poured into a template nest to set. In this setup the ants cannot tunnel but you can always see them. Some have attached foraging areas and others simply fit into a tank.
(Images taken from Antstore)
A slim Ant nest it basically just 2 pieces of glass or acrylic that are about 1-2cm apart. This forms a gap where the substrate is pored (may that be sand/soil or loam). The ants can tunnel in this space and because their tunnels touch the glass you can see right into the chambers. This kind of setup is also usually connected to a foraging tank so the ants can gather food and take it back to the nest.
Basin Style -
A basin or tank setup is the closest we can get the an ants natural environment. Many people simply use an old fish tank half filled with substrate. The ants can tunnel in all directions under ground and forage above, however, they are most likely not to tunnel close to the sides as the light disturbs them and so you may not always be able to see the queen/brood. To encourage them to tunnel against the sides of the tank you can place dark card against it to prevent the light reaching the chambers.
Plaster/Y-tong Nest -
Plaster or Y-tong nests can be made out of lots of different materials. They are either carved out of a block of the material or poured into a template nest to set. In this setup the ants cannot tunnel but you can always see them. Some have attached foraging areas and others simply fit into a tank.
(Images taken from Antstore)