18 replies to this topic

[Caneras]

Hello everyone. I'm raising a colony of Pogonomyrmex barbatus in a Tar Heel Mini-Hearth, and I'm heating them using an unlit heat bulb pointed at the end of the formicarium opposite the water well. I have a thermometer attached to a suction cup that can read the temperature of the exterior of the glass.

My question pertains to how the internal temperature of the nest relates to this external reading. I've kept the temperature that the external thermometer tracks around 85-87°F. I don't know if the interior of the nest is cooler than the outside, or if it works like a car interior and heats up more than the external temperature.

I've monitored the queen and workers, and they mostly congregate away from the heater and on the water well regardless of the temperature, even when the nest is room temperature. The queen primarily hangs out on the wall near the water well. The heated side has much of their seed storage and not much else. There is a few eggs and larvae located near the queen, but none have reached the stage where they are preferably heated.

So, my question is whether I should consider the interior of the nest warmer or cooler than its immediate exterior. Should I move the heater closer so that the external temperature is closer (and if so, what temperature should I aim for the exterior glass to read)?

Basically, what should I try to make the thermometer attached outside the glass read for the interior to be at the desired temperature (~85°F)? Hopefully someone has experience with this heating method with Tar Heel formicariums. Thanks!

[TacticalHandleGaming]

I've not heated in this way, however if their seed pile is on that side, it's a good start. All my Pogonomyrmex I've used heat cables away from the water towers, using a temp controller. Normally at about 84*F.

 

 

 

[Caneras]

Thanks for the info! How do you determine that temperature? Is that the surface temperature near the cable?

[T.C.]

Best way to heat colonies is buy a temperature controlled space heater and designate a closet for them. Not everyone wants to give up a closet though.

[TacticalHandleGaming]

Thanks for the info! How do you determine that temperature? Is that the surface temperature near the cable?

Temp sensor at the end of the heat cable that heats first. Set my max temp, so I don't cook my colony.

[Flu1d]

Thanks for the info! How do you determine that temperature? Is that the surface temperature near the cable?

Temp sensor at the end of the heat cable that heats first. Set my max temp, so I don't cook my colony.

May I ask what heating setup you use? I live in Florida, so most of the year room temp is sometimes even TOO hot.. And I have no heater in my home (except a space heater), so when it DOES get cold here, room temp might be in the 20's or 30's fahrenheit so I wanna make sure they're good to go and I like what you described you had

[T.C.]

Thanks for the info! How do you determine that temperature? Is that the surface temperature near the cable?

Temp sensor at the end of the heat cable that heats first. Set my max temp, so I don't cook my colony.

May I ask what heating setup you use? I live in Florida, so most of the year room temp is sometimes even TOO hot.. And I have no heater in my home (except a space heater), so when it DOES get cold here, room temp might be in the 20's or 30's fahrenheit so I wanna make sure they're good to go and I like what you described you had

Any room you are living in wouldn't be too hot.

[Flu1d]

Thanks for the info! How do you determine that temperature? Is that the surface temperature near the cable?

Temp sensor at the end of the heat cable that heats first. Set my max temp, so I don't cook my colony.

May I ask what heating setup you use? I live in Florida, so most of the year room temp is sometimes even TOO hot.. And I have no heater in my home (except a space heater), so when it DOES get cold here, room temp might be in the 20's or 30's fahrenheit so I wanna make sure they're good to go and I like what you described you had

Any room you are living in wouldn't be too hot.

Sorry, I said that wrong. It gets 100 in my house sometimes, but I do have AC. I just meant that I will never have to worry about ants overheating, I am mostly just worried about ants not being warm enough with no heater in the winter

Edited by Flu1d, November 12 2022 - 2:50 PM.

[ANTdrew]

Let them hibernate like they would naturally.

[Flu1d]

Let them hibernate like they would naturally.

Roger that! Thank you

[Astro]

Hello everyone. I'm raising a colony of Pogonomyrmex barbatus in a Tar Heel Mini-Hearth, and I'm heating them using an unlit heat bulb pointed at the end of the formicarium opposite the water well. I have a thermometer attached to a suction cup that can read the temperature of the exterior of the glass.

My question pertains to how the internal temperature of the nest relates to this external reading. I've kept the temperature that the external thermometer tracks around 85-87°F. I don't know if the interior of the nest is cooler than the outside, or if it works like a car interior and heats up more than the external temperature.

I've monitored the queen and workers, and they mostly congregate away from the heater and on the water well regardless of the temperature, even when the nest is room temperature. The queen primarily hangs out on the wall near the water well. The heated side has much of their seed storage and not much else. There is a few eggs and larvae located near the queen, but none have reached the stage where they are preferably heated.

So, my question is whether I should consider the interior of the nest warmer or cooler than its immediate exterior. Should I move the heater closer so that the external temperature is closer (and if so, what temperature should I aim for the exterior glass to read)?

Basically, what should I try to make the thermometer attached outside the glass read for the interior to be at the desired temperature (~85°F)? Hopefully someone has experience with this heating method with Tar Heel formicariums. Thanks!

 

I don't think anyone has answered you're specific question yet. If you're heating the mini hearth via a heat lamp, the nest portion of the Mini Hearth would likely be lower than the outworld, especially if you're heat lamping from above. With a cable or mat, heat via conducting where the MH is touching the heat source I would put the temp probe directly on top of the heat mat or immeditately next to the heat source and set the temps lower. I havent experimented with the MH but I know heat cable on a glass test tubes sealed with cotton in my insulation foam set up gets up to 93 when I set temps to 88F. I have unfortunately cooked ants before, so fair warning to you. Hope this helps. 

Edited by Astro, November 18 2022 - 6:29 PM.

[T.C.]

 

Hello everyone. I'm raising a colony of Pogonomyrmex barbatus in a Tar Heel Mini-Hearth, and I'm heating them using an unlit heat bulb pointed at the end of the formicarium opposite the water well. I have a thermometer attached to a suction cup that can read the temperature of the exterior of the glass.

My question pertains to how the internal temperature of the nest relates to this external reading. I've kept the temperature that the external thermometer tracks around 85-87°F. I don't know if the interior of the nest is cooler than the outside, or if it works like a car interior and heats up more than the external temperature.

I've monitored the queen and workers, and they mostly congregate away from the heater and on the water well regardless of the temperature, even when the nest is room temperature. The queen primarily hangs out on the wall near the water well. The heated side has much of their seed storage and not much else. There is a few eggs and larvae located near the queen, but none have reached the stage where they are preferably heated.

So, my question is whether I should consider the interior of the nest warmer or cooler than its immediate exterior. Should I move the heater closer so that the external temperature is closer (and if so, what temperature should I aim for the exterior glass to read)?

Basically, what should I try to make the thermometer attached outside the glass read for the interior to be at the desired temperature (~85°F)? Hopefully someone has experience with this heating method with Tar Heel formicariums. Thanks!

 

I don't think anyone has answered you're specific question yet. If you're heating the mini hearth via a heat lamp, the nest portion of the Mini Hearth would likely be lower than the outworld, especially if you're heat lamping from above. With a cable or mat, heat via conducting where the MH is touching the heat source I would put the temp probe directly on top of the heat mat or immeditately next to the heat source and set the temps lower. I havent experimented with the MH but I know heat cable on a glass test tubes sealed with cotton in my insulation foam set up gets up to 93 when I set temps to 88F. I have unfortunately cooked ants before, so fair warning to you. Hope this helps. 

 

 

A temperature controlled heating pad I found is best for avoiding cooking your colonies. I too have fried a colony or two with heating cables.

[Flu1d]

Hello everyone. I'm raising a colony of Pogonomyrmex barbatus in a Tar Heel Mini-Hearth, and I'm heating them using an unlit heat bulb pointed at the end of the formicarium opposite the water well. I have a thermometer attached to a suction cup that can read the temperature of the exterior of the glass.

My question pertains to how the internal temperature of the nest relates to this external reading. I've kept the temperature that the external thermometer tracks around 85-87°F. I don't know if the interior of the nest is cooler than the outside, or if it works like a car interior and heats up more than the external temperature.

I've monitored the queen and workers, and they mostly congregate away from the heater and on the water well regardless of the temperature, even when the nest is room temperature. The queen primarily hangs out on the wall near the water well. The heated side has much of their seed storage and not much else. There is a few eggs and larvae located near the queen, but none have reached the stage where they are preferably heated.

So, my question is whether I should consider the interior of the nest warmer or cooler than its immediate exterior. Should I move the heater closer so that the external temperature is closer (and if so, what temperature should I aim for the exterior glass to read)?

Basically, what should I try to make the thermometer attached outside the glass read for the interior to be at the desired temperature (~85°F)? Hopefully someone has experience with this heating method with Tar Heel formicariums. Thanks!

I don't think anyone has answered you're specific question yet. If you're heating the mini hearth via a heat lamp, the nest portion of the Mini Hearth would likely be lower than the outworld, especially if you're heat lamping from above. With a cable or mat, heat via conducting where the MH is touching the heat source I would put the temp probe directly on top of the heat mat or immeditately next to the heat source and set the temps lower. I havent experimented with the MH but I know heat cable on a glass test tubes sealed with cotton in my insulation foam set up gets up to 93 when I set temps to 88F. I have unfortunately cooked ants before, so fair warning to you. Hope this helps.

A temperature controlled heating pad I found is best for avoiding cooking your colonies. I too have fried a colony or two with heating cables.

I have never bought a heating pad before.. What would you recommend? Any brands to avoid?

[ANTdrew]

A heat mat is basically just a heat cable encased in vinyl. Cables are more versatile because you can position them wherever and even heat several colonies at once. I recommend ZooMed 15 watt cables.

[T.C.]

But heating cables are not temperature controlled. So if positioned poorly, you can bake your ants. Plus the zoo med heating cables have randomly high Temps at one point in the cable, and other spots on the cable are really low. I personally use them as a last resort. In 2016 I baked one of my favorite colonies ever with a heating cable.

[ANTdrew]

Fair point. Maybe Virginia ants take more heat since our summers get hotter than hell’s attic. Whether cable or mat, go slow! Heat a tiny bit of the nest and see how the ants react. Adjust as needed.

[LowQualityAnts]

deleted

Edited by LowQualityAnts, November 21 2022 - 5:52 AM.

[Flu1d]

Fair point. Maybe Virginia ants take more heat since our summers get hotter than hell’s attic. Whether cable or mat, go slow! Heat a tiny bit of the nest and see how the ants react. Adjust as needed.

Oh, perfect! The zoo med 15 watt cable was the one I was actually looking for! My test tubes will be on stilts (those PorAmorArt TT rings) so the cable should run underneath the tubes at a fairly comfortable distance and I can position it pretty much anywhere underneath, which I find extremely useful

[T.C.]

I would rap the cables on the side rather than underneath. Heat rises and you don't want the heat building up in the nesting area.

Edited by T.C., November 20 2022 - 6:00 PM.