27 replies to this topic

[Swirlysnowflake]

so...

a wooden ant formicarium

obviously, it’ll rot after a while

but would it be good for ants like crematogaster and camponotus (would they like living in it opposed to a normal formicarium)

and does anyone know the best way to supply hydration to a wooden nest

I'm planning to carve the chambers through one layer of wood, then attach that layer to another thin layer of wood. 

most likely will use it for founding colonies of camponotus

also, if you put the wood in a plastic box that would stop the ants from tunneling out and escaping right?

[Zeiss]

Make sure you use wood from hardwood species of trees.  If it's made from softer woods the ants could easily carve it out.  There's some wooden designs on here, but I can't think of them off the top of my head, so they might be spread around the formicarium thread or elsewhere on the forum.

[Swirlysnowflake]

Make sure you use wood from hardwood species of trees.  If it's made from softer woods the ants could easily carve it out.  There's some wooden designs on here, but I can't think of them off the top of my head, so they might be spread around the formicarium thread or elsewhere on the forum.

would “white wood” be ok?

I'm not sure it that's an actual type of wood, that just what my local home depot is selling 

[Zeiss]

Whitewood is from Tulip trees and should be harder than Pine.  Not sure how well it would stand up to the ants chewing away though.

[ANTdrew]

This is the best example I’ve seen. Scroll down a bit in the journal: https://www.formicul...m/?fromsearch=1

[Barristan]

I built several wood nests, if you put a lot more time and accuracy in making them you can make some better looking ones, but just to give you some more examples:

 

A small nest with a cover:

 

 

 

A larger one:

 

 

I would not try to moisturize a wooden nest by applying water to the wood directly, since it can easily deform. Most ant species that live in wood don't actually need a moist nest, but if you wan to increase humidity you can stick a test tube filled with water and closed with cotton into one of the connection holes, this will increase humidity and ants can drink from the water.

[M_Ants]

In that case why don't people make wooden nests with water towers?

[Barristan]

I don't know, I guess because for most ant species that would move into a wood nest it isn't necessary to moisturize at all. I've kept all of my "wood ant species" in completely dry nests so far. Cork is also an alternative but since ants can easily chew through it it is more an option for an internal nest, either in an outworld or in and ant farm (as replacement for soil):
 

[Swirlysnowflake]

ooh, thanks!

[M_Ants]

Nvm

Edited by M_Ants, November 16 2020 - 8:00 PM.

[Swirlysnowflake]

Will a two-inch thick piece of wood suffice?

(its also 98 inches long, so if this design works i will most likely sell them for cheap , i do not need that many formicariums )

Edited by Swirlysnowflake, November 16 2020 - 8:13 PM.

[Swirlysnowflake]

oh, also what “wood ant” species are there?

camponotus for sure

would crematogaster work in a wood nest?

are there any others lol 

[Barristan]

Temnothorax, Leptothorax, Dolichoderus, and a lot of genera more but I don't know about your area. Not all Crematogaster live in wood, so you have to get information about the species you want to keep.

Edited by Barristan, November 16 2020 - 8:36 PM.

[NickAnter]

I have some plans to make some out of oak twigs, for Temnothorax.

[Kaelwizard]

I have some plans to make some out of oak twigs, for Temnothorax.

Imagine cutting a hollow twig in half (hot dog style) and just like sticking it on the glass in an enclosure. (Or if you want it outside than just stick some glass on it).

[NickAnter]

that's what I plan on doing. Id hollow out the twig, so it wouldn't have to be a rotting one.

[Swirlysnowflake]

that's what I plan on doing. Id hollow out the twig, so it wouldn't have to be a rotting one.

oh, that sounds cool! but wouldn't it be easy for the ants to chew out of the thin bark if it is hollowed out completely?

[DDD101DDD]

Is there an actual benefit in wooden formicaria or is it just for looks?

[AleeGuy]

You shouldn't hydrate the wood. Carpenter ants don't need wet wood to live in. You can connect a test tube setup(or anything else that can hold the water) filled up fully with water so they can use it as a maim hydration system. You can also see that all wooden formicariums on the market have no hydration chamber, because as I said before they don't need wet wood to live in and it will rotten.

[Ants_Dakota]

parasitic formica love wood.