7 replies to this topic

[FelixTheAnter]

Hello hello! As most of you regulars here have probably seen, my Pheidole Pallidula colony has some very special beetles living with them. Currently the colony has two test tubes inside their outworld, but I need to move them to a proper nest so that they can be observed better. They have 2 queens and about 200 workers right now. Plus a big pile of brood.

I'm gonna dump all my thoughts here so y'all can hopefully help me sort through them lol

I have made some Ytong nests in the past for my huge Lasius colony, and they've done really well in them. I generally drill a very large hole down through the nest on one side, and keep it filled with water. That usually leaves about 1/3 of the nest with a damp floor which seems to give a good humidity gradient.

Since this colony is so important, I'm very anxious about moving them to a nest. I had two colonies fail in ytong nests, but one wasn't doing well to start with. But otherwise my large Lasius colony is absolutely thriving in it. I'm worried Pheidole could escape between the space between the glass & nest, but I could potentially just use silcone around the edges to be safe.

I've got a local guy who can 3rd print pretty much any nest design for me, which seems like a good option...but I've never used acrylic/plastic nests before, so I'm worried my lack of experience with those will be a problem.

What nests do Pheidole usually do best in? What's the most forgiving option here? Highly important that whatever nest I choose is vertical(side view of ants) and allows for good observation.

Thoughts on this are appreciated, and thank you for letting me dump my anxious thoughts lol

[ANTdrew]

I think a Ytong nest would be fine for them. You’d absolutely want to seal the glass to the nest with silicone, though. Also seal up around tubing and any other potential escape points. They may just dig through the Ytong in time, though.
My Pheidole LOVE moisture. They empty huge water feeders in days, and they huddle around the moistest areas. I’d once again recommend making a THA style water towers to create consistent humidity in the nest.

[FelixTheAnter]

Thanks so much! You've always got great advice, always highly appreciated

My only concern with the water tower is actually fitting one into the nest, without allowing the ants to actually get down around it? I'd have to carve out a hole in the bottom the exact size of the water container I'd use, and I'm not sure how to do that in Ytong.

[ANTdrew]

That’s a valid point. To fully embed a water tower you probably want to use hydrostone plaster.

[FelixTheAnter]

I'm pretty sure you're speaking English but I have no clue what you're talking about

[ANTdrew]

Here are some photos to explain. I used a small petri dish to make the water tower. Hydrostone is an extra hard plaster that is mold resistant. I’m not sure what they call it in Europe.

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[FelixTheAnter]

Oh, interesting! I'm definitely going to have to look into this, I really like plaster nests but the mold/softness can really be an issue. Thank you

[gs5248]

Hydrostone is different than plaster, and a lot stronger. Pheidole won't be able to chew through it, and it won't mold. Does Perfect Cast exist Europe? Maybe you could look it up online.

Edited by gs5248, June 26 2023 - 1:21 PM.