13 replies to this topic

[Pulliamj]

This would be just one sided glass to allow for the wood to swell.

Edited by Pulliamj, April 10 2015 - 9:02 AM.

[Crystals]

You mentioned that you were planning to let the ants dig their own tunnels.  In theory it is a good idea.

My main concern is that when the wood is hydrated, it will warp or swell and silicone holding the glass will let go.

 

My other concern is that if they can dig their own tunnels, they will dig away from the light and out of the plank.

 

Not all ants are good at digging through wood.  Camponotus aren't bad at it, but prefer to pick damp or rotting wood.  Although I have seen them in dryer hard wood, their tunnels are nowhere near as long.

 

What species are you thinking of using?

[Pulliamj]

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Is what I think it is. I could coat the outside with epoxy or something. But I was hoping to get 6 months out of it and then I can try something else.

I could also try using acrylic glass. I could drill holes and use screws to attach it to the wood.

Edited by Pulliamj, April 10 2015 - 9:59 AM.

[Crystals]

Camponotus don't grow very fast.  If you get more than 40 workers this year I will be surprised.  It will be weeks before she gets her first workers so we have time to think and plan.

 

All you will need is a 2-3 chamber nest for now.  You could try to carve it and secure it using bolts or silicone.

 

I forget if I linked this before or not, it has several different tutorials on how to build various nests.  I think even a small 4 chamber bead container with some wood chips or grout on the floors would work well until you get something more permanent.

http://www.formicult...of-handy-links/

 

Even those containers from the dollar store you put a weeks worth of pills in would work.  Just drill a hole between the chambers, cut off the lids, and stuff the last chamber with cotton.  Replace the lids with glass or acrylic for better viewing, you can silicone or epoxy it on.  Drill a small hole behind the cotton for easy watering.

http://www.formicult...icture +journey

 

 

Another option is to carve out the wood chambers, and lay it flat in an outworld, and just lay, or elastic band, a piece of glass over it.  Kind of like this but larger:

[Pulliamj]

So okay on to this colony of Formica that I caught. It's already a decent size and seems like it's going to grow rapidly. Is this a good setup? Colony on bottom and out world on top? Or the other way around?
The Formica colony has about 6 queens and 40-50 workers.

[Ants4fun]

I would say flip it around, and make the nest in the bigger portion, as that is where most of your ants will be spending there time. Also, with 6 queens, you can expect rapid growth!

Edited by Ants4fun, April 10 2015 - 11:51 AM.

[Pulliamj]

How big do Formica colonies get? Will that hold them for a year at least?

[Ants4fun]

Formica colonies can get into the several thousands, That should hold them for a year though, if you design it right.

[Jonathan21700]

I think you should flip them over and fill the nesting box with grout or something and carve out the chambers. Cool idea for the boxes!

[Pulliamj]

There are probably cheaper ones. But both of them together were right at $10 at Target.

Edited by Pulliamj, April 10 2015 - 6:34 PM.

[Pulliamj]

My first attempt at a grout formicarium inside of container epic fail. I couldn't remove the grout from the container. Broke when I broke the container to get it out. Attempt #2 seems to be a success so far. I'll post pics when finished. I used olive oil for removal but it did not help.

Edited by Pulliamj, April 11 2015 - 12:36 PM.

[Jonathan21700]

Be sure to take it out when its fully cured.

[Pulliamj]

Are all types of silicone and epoxy safe for ants once cured?

[Crystals]

Are all types of silicone and epoxy safe for ants once cured?

No, make sure to avoid any and all that say "anti-bacterial" or "anti-microbial", especially with silicones.

 

I have used aquarium silicone, window silicone (if it was 100% silicone), and certain silicones with no additives.

I have used various types of 2 part epoxies, and if left to cure a couple of days I have never had any issues.