My most recent customer nest, this one was actually made for AntDrew. You can check it out soon on his Crematogaster journal here. The nest was made of Hobby Lobby Perfect Cast, which should prevent the Crematogaster from escaping.
The nest when it came out of the mold:
The outworld after a good washing:
*Edit:
Please note I simply offer a cheaper alternative to the largest brands in ant keeping. Each nest is custom-made, and therefore one of a kind. I have no product line, the nests I show on this thread are only to show the advanced ant keeping community that DIY nest solutions are possible. Among other brands, I respect THA and Foranto as some of the best in the business. It should be noted however that most nest making companies have no legal protection for their products. Instead, sellers like Foranto rely on the pure skill and art they put into their products to set them apart in the market. I have bought nests from both THA and Foranto, both of which excel at what they do. Me making some DIY nests will not affect Mack's business; ant keepers who already make formicaria themselves will continue to do so, those who buy professional quality formicaria will continue to buy.
If anything, making DIY formicaria helps the community as a whole, as new people to the hobby often are turned away at the prospect of buying an expensive nest for something they have not learned to appreciate yet. As they become more advanced however, and their colonies grow, ant keepers often turn to larger and better formicaria. Cheaper nests should, and do, serve as the intermediate step(s) between a simple test tube and a THA Fortress.
Edited by UtahAnts, September 1 2022 - 5:52 PM.