4 replies to this topic

[aznphenom]

I am very unsure about the whole heating thing when it comes to ants. The seller of my formicarium said that I shouldn’t use a heating source as long as the room temperature is 60-70F then I should be fine because it will be hotter in the little formicarium. It is very similar to the mini hearth from Tarheel Ants. I was under the impression that I should need a heat source. If I was to get a heat source and use it, are the ants smart enough to move out to the outworld if it gets too hot or will they bake themselves? How do I know if it’s too hot or too cold? Or is humidity the only thing I should worry about?

Thanks

Edited by aznphenom, November 30 2019 - 11:12 PM.

[P0rcelain]

to my awareness, ants are smart enough to stay away from hot areas. they actually use their ability to detect heat and humidity to build their nests.

the problem, then, is less 'will it hurt them' and more 'will they stay away from areas which are important due to heat issues'.

consider, for example, if you have their water on the heated area.

if they evacuate into the outworld with their brood, and refuse to go into the heated area, they will not be able to drink.

but if my assumption is correct, and you are asking this purely to know if your ants will be safe in the event of a freak accident, then yes. they will probably be mostly fine, if not very exposed until you fix the problem.

 

it would be wise to have someone experience check this though, because i am basically just a sentient textbook. my first queens are still waiting for their eggs to hatch.

[P0rcelain]

o and i misread a little

if he says you should not use it, then i would say do not use one

it depends on the species of ant though

if they are caught locally, then do not use a heater

the reason being that they are well adapted to your climate if they are local anyway

but if they are not local, you will have to do research to determine if your local climate is too hot or cold

[ANTdrew]

What species of ants are you keeping? If it is a species that needs hibernation, then you definitely don’t need any heating.
Ants are certainly smart enough to move to optimal heat/ humidity levels. Your goal should be to create a GRADIENT by only heating a small part of their formicarium, so they can choose what suits them. A 15 watt heat cable is the preferred way to do this.

[SuperFrank]

You can very easily overheat a colony and often times they will not relocate themselves in time, even if it kills them.

Edited by SuperFrank, December 3 2019 - 10:52 PM.