4 replies to this topic

[DarkxSage]

I have thermometers set up to keep the heat at around 80f using a heat pad, there's enough not under the pad that there should be a cooling gradient to allow them to thermoregulate. They currently reside in an un-airconditioned room but would I be able to keep them in my room which is about 60f since i have them on a set heat or would that be too much of potential shock.

[ANTdrew]

They will be much happier in the room without air conditioning. They will not get shocked moving to a new room, though. Your electric bill must be high, though.

[ReignofRage]

I always found the idea of "heat gradients" to be taken too far. Colonies that are still in just a test tube pretty much never need any sort of gradient, especially considering they pretty much never get one in the wild. Additionally, it is extremely easy to get absurd heat gradients using a test tube or a nest. I did some tests with test tubes being heated by a heat mat and also some heated by a heat cable. While the entrance of the tubes were 90+ degrees F. the side next to the water cotton was barely hitting 70 degrees F. Ants need to be kept much warmer than people typically keep them.

[DarkxSage]

They will be much happier in the room without air conditioning. They will not get shocked moving to a new room, though. Your electric bill must be high, though.

Hmm ok i figured as much. Smaller room so its not so bad.

 

I always found the idea of "heat gradients" to be taken too far. Colonies that are still in just a test tube pretty much never need any sort of gradient, especially considering they pretty much never get one in the wild. Additionally, it is extremely easy to get absurd heat gradients using a test tube or a nest. I did some tests with test tubes being heated by a heat mat and also some heated by a heat cable. While the entrance of the tubes were 90+ degrees F. the side next to the water cotton was barely hitting 70 degrees F. Ants need to be kept much warmer than people typically keep them.

That is interesting. Ill have to put a thermometer on the other side to see what the difference is.

[Full_Frontal_Yeti]

I've only kept one colony so far, so my experience is limited to that. https://www.formicul...x-occidentalis/
At over a year in now with a lot of growth (from 28 to =>400 now i est.), and using thermostats the whole time. I do have some temp data experience to share.

 

 

At the start even in a mini hearth i applied heat to one side not the other, and noticed the ants kept brood where it was hottest the most.

 

The last iteration of their nest setup still in place is three separate ones connected via short tubes. I do change the thermostat upper/lower boundaries based on time of year, as i have no climate control here. So they are kept in basically stable temp ranges that don't wild swing a lot.

In the largest (8"x6") nest i keep the heat on one side between 80-83f. and the other side where the water towers are stays about 2-3f below that while heat is on but drops a lot faster and lower when it cuts out at 83. Warms up slower as well. I imagine it averages out to more like 6f cooler.
In nest two (4.5"x4.5")i heat one side to only 80, but only if it gets below 70. I est it averages about 75f or lower maybe.
In nest three(4x4) i don't heat it, no temp probe either. It's the first nest off the outworld. Also has one water tower.

 

I have a fair bit of temp gradient for them to choose from dipping down to 70 or room ambient in one nest, held around 80-82  in some areas. Outworlds are currently unheated(incandescent lights for outworld heating in winter) and have vented lids.

 

The population split is that late stage(not eating) brood are moved back and forth every so often between the full heat area and the water towers in the large nest where the most heat is. I had allowed this to be as high as 86, their behavior was the same then as it is now on 83.  I turned it down to potentially slow down the overall colony growth average.

Eggs and larvae clutches are also always in the large (hottest) nest, in one of the water towers opposite the heat cable side.

Feeding stage larvae are also mainly in the large nest water towers. Though a few ants always have their own idea about the best place for that particular larvae right now at any of the available water towers in the nest complex. With nest two having a consistent few feeding larvae all the time. but just a few the brood primarily reside in the hottest nest, moving back and forth between the hottest part and the most humid part every so often.

 

Except when the over all temps exceed heating as ambient in my room goes over 83. At which point all brood will be kept in water towers all the time. Showing me that i believe the heated area is not being left because too hot, but for not being humid enough.

 

The queen lives mainly in the 2nd nest (heated but generally much cooler), occasionally found in the big nest water towers.
She is about 75% of the time in the same place in nest two in a water tower area. When she ventures out it's to the big nest and to one of the water towers there where she stays for a few days at a time or more(she don't move around frequently).

 

the rest of the workers are all over the place as far as where they just hang out when not working. Some in the hotter areas, though less packed in. A lot in the mid area where it stays in the 70s a lot of the time, they pack in there fairly tight. And that nest would be particularly humid as it is mostly water towers.

And even a few in the first nest chambers consistently, but the lowest population density.

 

And the outwordls are all very busy, likely never less than a 100 in the big outworld.

 

Anyway just thought i give you my xp, the ants do seem to take advantage of a heat gradient, preferring cooler living and hotter brood rearing, but preferring humidity for living in too, and dryness for their seed larder.

Best of luck and enjoyment in your ant keeping.

Edited by Full_Frontal_Yeti, July 17 2024 - 7:25 PM.