6 replies to this topic

[Queen]

Is it better to keep harvester ants (beyond the colony's first year) in a flat/horizontal nest, a tall/vertical nest, or it doesn't matter (just ant keepers reference)?

 

You can assume all nests meets all the standard needs of the colony: water, heat, sugar, humidity, ventilation, etc...

[SleepyAsianAnter]

Flat nest, if kept in a nest who's glass is at a 90 degree angle, they'll defecate on it and the entire pane will be white, you won't even be able to see in. But if the glass is their ceiling they tend to leave it alone

[TacticalHandleGaming]

I've had much better luck with mine in a fallen fortress. 

[Queen]

Thanks!

[AntsLA]

Flat is probably the way to go, I tend to think the closer you can replicate an animal's natural habitat the better. Harvester ants also prefer to nest in soil since they have a hard time gripping plastic/glass.

[PetsNotPests]

For harvester ants, a horizontal nest is the way to go. Harvester ants store great deals of seeds within their nest, so a vertical nest would just be a template for a seed avalanche. 

[cap_backfire]

For harvester ants, a horizontal nest is the way to go. Harvester ants store great deals of seeds within their nest, so a vertical nest would just be a template for a seed avalanche. 

This is super useful