12 replies to this topic

[zkublin]

So I have been a minor participant on the anting forums for the past 3 years.  I have read everything I could on what kind of substrate to use in a thin vertical nest, however, the best I have been able to find is some custom mixtures of sand/dirt/peat/substrate clay.  Everyone seams to say that it is best to make test batches and see which ones you like best to protect against collapse but still be malleable enough for the ants to dig and prevent (as much as possible) the ants ability to stick the material to the galls and block my view.  Currently my tests have shown me that the best mixture so far is 1 part powdered bentonite clay to 9 or 10 parts reptile sand from PetCo.  I have treid adding coconut fiber etch as well but I did not see any benefit to adding it to the mixture, the sand and clay by itself did a great job of holding moisture and I don't think it needs the added moisture holding abilities of coconut fiber.

 

So long question not so short, do any of you have any other advice or tips for me?  I want to use a substrate nest because I am most interested in the ants natural digging/nest architecture behavior and pre-molded nests will take out must of the fun of the hobby for me.  I have a cacophonous colony in one of the large tarheal founding chambers with 20+ workers that I am going to connect to my newly constructed thin nest within the next month or so, but I want to make sure I fill it with a good substrate that will work.

 

Thanks for the help!

 

-Zach

[Billy]

To be honest, I just filled mine with what I had on hand (sharp sand). It might not be the best, but I am sure my ants will manage. 

[dspdrew]

I usually mix half and half clay and sand. It's all going to hold moisture pretty well.

[zkublin]

I usually mix half and half clay and sand. It's all going to hold moisture pretty well.

Really?  Half sand and half clay?  In my tests I found that even with a 1 to 9 ratio (1 part clay to 9 parts sand) the mixture became really hard when it dried, and I was worried that it would be too hard for the ants to dig through.  Your ants were able to dig in a half and half mixture?

[dspdrew]

The only thing too hard for them to dig through would be solid rock. Trust me, the ants will dig through it. They have all the time in the world.

[kellakk]

It really depends on the properties of the substrate you're using. Pure clay is very fine particles (the USDA calls clay anything less than 0.002 mm), while sand is usually much larger (USDA: > 0.05 mm).  If you're collecting substrate from outside, it is not likely to be purely one size.  Substrate that you buy from the store is much more uniform.  These variations are why most people will recommend making test batches and deciding for yourself what mixture works best.

 

In your case, I would just use the mixture you have already decided on. If the ants don't seem to like it or it doesn't seem to work for some reason, you can always relocate them.

 

Did you mean that you have Camponotus?  I've never heard of people putting Camponotus in a dirt nest, although there are some soil-dwelling species in the genus.  Figuring out whether your ants will actually dig is another important thing to consider.

[William. T]

In the UK, there are plenty of ant stores that sell substrate. 

[kellakk]

In the UK, there are plenty of ant stores that sell substrate. 

 

How is that helpful?

[zkublin]

It really depends on the properties of the substrate you're using. Pure clay is very fine particles (the USDA calls clay anything less than 0.002 mm), while sand is usually much larger (USDA: > 0.05 mm).  If you're collecting substrate from outside, it is not likely to be purely one size.  Substrate that you buy from the store is much more uniform.  These variations are why most people will recommend making test batches and deciding for yourself what mixture works best.

 

In your case, I would just use the mixture you have already decided on. If the ants don't seem to like it or it doesn't seem to work for some reason, you can always relocate them.

 

Did you mean that you have Camponotus?  I've never heard of people putting Camponotus in a dirt nest, although there are some soil-dwelling species in the genus.  Figuring out whether your ants will actually dig is another important thing to consider.

Ya I guess I will go with the best mix from my tests and yes I men't Camponotus.  I know they are not big diggers but from my research they will dig when that's the best option for a nest.

 

Also I live in the US which prevents me from buying the UK store substrates and any other materials that come from international online stores, because unfortunately only the US and Canadian stores will ship to the US.

 

Any more advice or tips is always welcome.  Thanks everyone.

[William. T]

 

In the UK, there are plenty of ant stores that sell substrate. 

 

How is that helpful?

 

 

Queen Ant Shop used to sell ant substrate. I just found they stopped. They used to ship to the US. I found another one, but can't put a name on it. It's really a 50-50 sand and loam.

[zkublin]

 

 

In the UK, there are plenty of ant stores that sell substrate. 

 

How is that helpful?

 

 

Queen Ant Shop used to sell ant substrate. I just found they stopped. They used to ship to the US. I found another one, but can't put a name on it. It's really a 50-50 sand and loam.

 

What do you mean by you "can't put a name on it"?  Do you mean you can't remember who sold it, the product actually has no name, the company the sells it has no name, or you can't post the name on the forum?

[prettycode]

 

 

 

In the UK, there are plenty of ant stores that sell substrate. 

 

How is that helpful?

 

 

Queen Ant Shop used to sell ant substrate. I just found they stopped. They used to ship to the US. I found another one, but can't put a name on it. It's really a 50-50 sand and loam.

 

What do you mean by you "can't put a name on it"?  Do you mean you can't remember who sold it, the product actually has no name, the company the sells it has no name, or you can't post the name on the forum?

 

 

It means he can't remember the name.

[William. T]

 

 

 

In the UK, there are plenty of ant stores that sell substrate. 

 

How is that helpful?

 

 

Queen Ant Shop used to sell ant substrate. I just found they stopped. They used to ship to the US. I found another one, but can't put a name on it. It's really a 50-50 sand and loam.

 

What do you mean by you "can't put a name on it"?  Do you mean you can't remember who sold it, the product actually has no name, the company the sells it has no name, or you can't post the name on the forum?

 

PrettyCode is right. Know the ant company is from Europe, but can't remember the name.