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[Ants_Dakota]

Ants_Dakota's Pogonomyrmex occidentalis Journal
Entry 1: Pogonomyrmex occidentalis
10/16/2024
Purpose
To provide background, notable journals, and seed preferences for the ant Pogonomyrmex occidentalis before introducing the colonies that I currently own.
Background
Until recently, I had never purchased an ant colony in my life (and don't plan on doing so again). I have always been a find my own queen type of person because of the patience and contentment it builds with native ants, and I always encourage others to do the same. However, Utah Ants gave me a deal I could not pass down, and I love supporting sole entrepreneurs, so I found myself in possession of two colonies of P. occidentalis. As always, I shall start this journal out by encouraging every reader to keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways, and this journal I hope shall demonstrate one avenue of doing this.
Notable Journals
RushmoreAnts has a wonderful sister journal to mine located here, which contains important background information and notable journals. I encourage you to check this out. However, I want to highlight another exceptional Pogonomyrmex occidentalis journal by Full_Frontal_Yeti, found here. It is a really good example of how to write a detailed and quality journal, and yet not be an expert. If you are thinking about creating your own journal someday, I highly recommend reading through it.
Seed preferences
While there is a detailed entry found here on Formiculture about what seeds are best to feed Pogonomyrmex occidentalis, I wanted to dig a little deeper and do a mini literature review on the subject.
As noted by the user, The Ecological Effect of the Western Harvester Ant (Pogonomyrmex occidentalis) in the Shortgrass Plains Ecosystem by Lee E. Rogers is a wonderful read for anyone keeping this species. Specifically on the topic of seed consumption, Table 20 on Page 69 is very helpful to identify what kinds of seeds these ants eat in the wild. An interesting observation by the author is that "Eriogonum effusum [Diffuse buckwheat]... represented 27% of the total number of seeds foraged."  This observation prompted me to purchase a supply of a similar species for the colonies when they move out of their test tube, mainly because Diffuse buckwheat is highly native to the Great Plains and South Dakota. Could I feed them dandelion and bluegrass seeds like everyone else? Yes, but I want to keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways, and a diet as close to native as possible is something I consider part of this. The Ant, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis, CR., associated with Plant Communities is another great resource centered around the Utah and Idaho area for observing native seed consumption. There is one specific type of seed that this research paper reveals of special note: Peppergrass. Arthur C. Cole has this to say about the sagebrush association: "In no other community do we find as many mounds so closely aggregated with one another and continually increasing in quantity. In fact, it is safe to estimate that there are approximately as many incipient colonies of the ant as there are fully developed mounds." He continues: "Mounds of occidentalis opened in this area were found to contain large quantities of Lepidiuni [peppergrass] seeds, often surpassing the number of Bromus seeds, though Bromus tectorum was extremely abundant throughout this association." I would love to hear if someone decides to feed their colony this type of seed! Because there are no tables contained in this research paper, I created a little cheat sheet covering the seeds discussed within.

 

Highly preferred: peppergrass, downy brome

Accepted: shadscale, prickly Russian thistle, greasewood, Sandberg bluegrass, needle-and-thread grass, Pacific serviceberry, 

Rarely Chosen: alkali sacaton, inland saltgrass, Bitterroot, dwarf purple monkeyflower, Buckwheat

 

An interesting observation is the fact that Buckwheat is rarely chosen within these regions while it is highly selected for in Colorado in the first paper. This can possibly be explained by the research report titled Harvester Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Discriminate Among Artificial Seeds with Different Protein Contents, which explains that "The recruitment of P. occidentalis workers to five percent protein seed 

patches at nearly twice the rate as to zero percent protein seed patches clearly demonstrates that these ants detect protein differences and select for higher protein seeds." The report Harvester Ant Foraging and Shrub-Steppe Seeds: Interactions of Seed Resources and Seed Use also notes that "ants preferentially harvested small, sound seeds." However, when faced with longer travels, ants "preferred large seeds with higher assimilable energy content in trials 10 m from nests."

The following conclusions for the difference in selection then arise: Peppergrass provides higher protein levels and more accessible nutrients than buckwheat. However, while the triangular and larger size of buckwheat seeds can make them harder to manage compared to smaller peppergrass seeds, colonies located in Colorado may have longer foraging distances, and therefore prefer the higher energy trade-off.

A few more interesting pieces of information also surfaced in my deep dive. According to Spatial Variation in Rates of Seed Removal by Harvester Ants (Pogonomyrmex occidentalis) in a Shrub-steppe Ecosystem, "Rates of seed removal were not affected by the distance of seeds from the nest nor by the surface location (undershrub or intershrub space) in which seeds were placed." This also gives justification for larger outworlds for ants, something I believe strongly in when considering keeping ordinary ants in extraordinary ways. This is further supported by the resource Foraging Patterns of Pogonomyrmex occidentalis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a Shrub–Steppe Ecosystem: The Roles of Temperature, Trunk Trails, and Seed Resources, which states that "permanent trunk trails that were formed by workers traveling in corridors between shrubs." Small outworlds do not allow for this natural behavior of permanent trails.

My Colonies

These colonies made it through the cold into South Dakota over a week ago in a dirt setup. RushmoreAnts removed them from these setups and placed them into test tube setups with Por Amor Inserts for me. Currently, they are being heated by a BN-LINK Seedling Heat Mat 10" x 20.75", which is a very large, high-quality, and affordable heating mat that I encourage ant enthusiasts to look into when looking for a heating pad. Don't buy heating pads from reptile stores, they are up-charged a ton of money. Just look at the price and size of the aforementioned pad for evidence. Colony 1 is doing the best at seven workers, and Colony 2 has two. Both have batches of eggs.

 

Colony 1

 

 

A royal hairy abdomen

 

 

 

The best shot at the egg clump I could get

 

 

 

The colony's first loss from unknown circumstances

 

 

 

Unfortunately, this queen came damaged, with a large dent in her exoskeleton that narrowly missed her eye. I hope she still lives a long life!

 

 

Colony 2

 

 

A magnificent picture of her royal majesty

 

 

 

Several workers harvesting a Kentucky Bluegrass seed over a batch of eggs

 

 

Their Current Setup

 

 

Contains a large heating pad and a thermometer/hygrometer to measure the temperature and humidity. I will need to come up with some solution to incubate the colonies as the temp barely reaches 70 degrees Fahrenheit, although I suspect that it is warmer in the test tube.

 

Remember, when keeping this species, it is not just the most commonly sold ant species around, nor just a good foundation to start with before moving up to more difficult ants. HARVESTER ANTS (POGONOMYRMEX SPP.): Their Community and Ecosystem Influences concludes that " Because of nest densities, the longevity of nests, and the amount of seed harvested and soil handled, harvester ants have significant direct and indirect effects on community structure and ecosystem functioning." You are keeping an ecosystem keystone ant species, so value that!

Feel free to respond with comments about how your Pogonomyrmex colony is doing, or post the link to your journal!

Edited by Ants_Dakota, October 16 2024 - 1:54 PM.

[AntsGodzilla]

Nice first entry! I look forward to seeing this colony grow!

[1tsm3jack]

Look forward to the journal.

 

My journal is here: https://www.formicul...yrmex-journal/  , although I don' have much on it currently, I thought she was Occidentalis and now seeing your macro pictures almost confirms that for me so thanks

[Ants_Dakota]

Nice first entry! I look forward to seeing this colony grow!

Thank you! I also am hoping they are able to take off, despite the dented exoskeleton. 

Look forward to the journal.

 

My journal is here: https://www.formicul...yrmex-journal/  , although I don' have much on it currently, I thought she was Occidentalis and now seeing your macro pictures almost confirms that for me so thanks

I'm glad my macro photos could confirm that! That is one of the greatest reasons why I create these journals, so that others can help get accurate ID's. I have kept up to date on your journal, and good work! Our colonies are only several months apart in founding stages, so I look forward to what extraordinary things you do with your queen.

[RushmoreAnts]

Well done! I added this journal to my Journal Resources tab in mine.

[ANTdrew]

You guys are really elevating Formiculture with these top notch journals! Keep it up! I recommend looking into Prairie Moon nursery to order native prairie seeds for your experiment.

[Ants_Dakota]

You guys are really elevating Formiculture with these top notch journals! Keep it up! I recommend looking into Prairie Moon nursery to order native prairie seeds for your experiment.

I really appreciate that, and I know RushmoreAnts does as well. We have talked at length about "supporting the Formiculture dad," aka you, in the never-ending task of educating new ant keepers with the knowledge we have. I hope we can make a difference in this hobby!

[Mushu]

Awesome journals and nice pictures. Really appreciate the detailed journaling and literature. 

 

When I was younger and had my Pogonomyrmex sp. colony I thought about growing grass,dandelion,etc, so they can cut it down in the outworld(10 gallon tank). I had planned to give them a 60 gallon outworld. If they didn't poop so much on glass like when I had them, I'd keep a colony. They are easy to keep,interesting, and ferocious. They took any live insect I gave them, including bees.

 

On the BN-LINK Seedling Heat, I have another brand I am using one to heat my Dubia roach colony. They are great as they don't get as hot as the ZooMed heating cables/pads thus less chance of overheating. The reptile pads from ZooMed are definitely pricey for the size, however they do seem to not have as large of heat cables, thus the surface is more flat. I tried a BN-LINK reptile pad with attached  temperature controller(main reason I wanted it for) from Amazon and unfortunately they sent a used one, but the heat cables inside were large when I inspected and was not flat, so I could not sit a formicarium steadily on it, I returned it.  I am curious how large the heat cables inside BN-LINK Seedling Heatpad is.

[Ants_Dakota]

Awesome journals and nice pictures. Really appreciate the detailed journaling and literature. 

 

When I was younger and had my Pogonomyrmex sp. colony I thought about growing grass,dandelion,etc, so they can cut it down in the outworld(10 gallon tank). I had planned to give them a 60 gallon outworld. If they didn't poop so much on glass like when I had them, I'd keep a colony. They are easy to keep,interesting, and ferocious. They took any live insect I gave them, including bees.

 

On the BN-LINK Seedling Heat, I have another brand I am using one to heat my Dubia roach colony. They are great as they don't get as hot as the ZooMed heating cables/pads thus less chance of overheating. The reptile pads from ZooMed are definitely pricey for the size, however they do seem to not have as large of heat cables, thus the surface is more flat. I tried a BN-LINK reptile pad with attached  temperature controller(main reason I wanted it for) from Amazon and unfortunately they sent a used one, but the heat cables inside were large when I inspected and was not flat, so I could not sit a formicarium steadily on it, I returned it.  I am curious how large the heat cables inside BN-LINK Seedling Heatpad is.

I appreciate the encouragement! That is an interesting idea as Pogonomyrmex are known to clear the surroundings of their nest of any plants and debris, although I would just hate to see so much work put into growing the plants chopped down haha. It is interesting that you mentioned the temperature probe, as I just bought a VIVOSUN 10"x 20.75" Seedling Heat Mat and Digital Thermostat Combo Set from Amazon for a future experiment. BN-LINK seedling pads have very flat heating cables inside that do not create any issues with elevation differences. In fact, you cannot even feel them; it just feels like a solid surface. From the image I have attached, I conclude they use heating strips instead of cables to create this even distribution (and the price is unbeatable if you are raising multiple colonies).

Perhaps the engineers created a different design when considering it usually is underneath an aquarium tank. 

When I first got this heating pad, I could not use it because it almost killed multiple of my ant colonies due to it being so hot and me having a rag covering the colonies from light which acted as an insulation barrier to keep heat in. However, perhaps this belief in it being hotter than reptile mats is misplaced, due to your comment as well as the fact it is not heating my current Pogonomyrmex colonies as well as the thermometer in the image in my post shows. This just goes to show how checking the temperature on your ants, or having a thermometer near them, is pretty important, and something I would recommend to those keeping multiple colonies. I currently use an Indoor Outdoor Thermometer Wireless, 4.5 Inch Display Digital Hygrometer Thermometer to monitor this colony, and plan on using the 3 included smaller probes inside of my fridge to verify the temperature, inside of outworlds that are on a heating pad this spring, and on other levels of my shelf. They are really handy and affordable.

Edited by Ants_Dakota, October 18 2024 - 6:16 AM.

[Mushu]

 

Awesome journals and nice pictures. Really appreciate the detailed journaling and literature. 

 

When I was younger and had my Pogonomyrmex sp. colony I thought about growing grass,dandelion,etc, so they can cut it down in the outworld(10 gallon tank). I had planned to give them a 60 gallon outworld. If they didn't poop so much on glass like when I had them, I'd keep a colony. They are easy to keep,interesting, and ferocious. They took any live insect I gave them, including bees.

 

On the BN-LINK Seedling Heat, I have another brand I am using one to heat my Dubia roach colony. They are great as they don't get as hot as the ZooMed heating cables/pads thus less chance of overheating. The reptile pads from ZooMed are definitely pricey for the size, however they do seem to not have as large of heat cables, thus the surface is more flat. I tried a BN-LINK reptile pad with attached  temperature controller(main reason I wanted it for) from Amazon and unfortunately they sent a used one, but the heat cables inside were large when I inspected and was not flat, so I could not sit a formicarium steadily on it, I returned it.  I am curious how large the heat cables inside BN-LINK Seedling Heatpad is.

I appreciate the encouragement! That is an interesting idea as Pogonomyrmex are known to clear the surroundings of their nest of any plants and debris, although I would just hate to see so much work put into growing the plants chopped down haha. It is interesting that you mentioned the temperature probe, as I just bought a VIVOSUN 10"x 20.75" Seedling Heat Mat and Digital Thermostat Combo Set from Amazon for a future experiment. BN-LINK seedling pads have very flat heating cables inside that do not create any issues with elevation differences. In fact, you cannot even feel them; it just feels like a solid surface. From the image I have attached, I conclude they use heating strips instead of cables to create this even distribution (and the price is unbeatable if you are raising multiple colonies).

710uZ0Cih8L._AC_SX679_.jpg

Perhaps the engineers created a different design when considering it usually is underneath an aquarium tank. 

When I first got this heating pad, I could not use it because it almost killed multiple of my ant colonies due to it being so hot and me having a rag covering the colonies from light which acted as an insulation barrier to keep heat in. However, perhaps this belief in it being hotter than reptile mats is misplaced, due to your comment as well as the fact it is not heating my current Pogonomyrmex colonies as well as the thermometer in the image in my post shows. This just goes to show how checking the temperature on your ants, or having a thermometer near them, is pretty important, and something I would recommend to those keeping multiple colonies. I currently use an Indoor Outdoor Thermometer Wireless, 4.5 Inch Display Digital Hygrometer Thermometer to monitor this colony, and plan on using the 3 included smaller probes inside of my fridge to verify the temperature, inside of outworlds that are on a heating pad this spring, and on other levels of my shelf. They are really handy and affordable.

 

 

No truer words spoken. Indeed we should always  check the temperature to verify the behavior in different setups. I read the advertised temperatures if there is and look at the dimensions and wattage to get an idea, but really depends on how much of the cable is emitting heat relative to wattage. The Seedling Mats also have an additional layer as you've shown compared to heating cables.  Heating cables are more versatile to maneuver.

 

 

ZooMed heatpad: 8 x 12 inches - 16 watts

 

ZooMed heatpad small : 4 x7 inches - 4 watts

 

ZooMeed heating cable: 11.5 feet , 5 feet of the cable is heated - 15 watt 

 

Seedling Mat 10" x 20.75":  - 17.5 watts

 

 

Good to know the seedling mat is flat, that's perfect and you can't beat it for the price. I could not readily tell on Amazon, how flat it was when I was searching, they all looked flat to me.

[Ants_Dakota]

Awesome journals and nice pictures. Really appreciate the detailed journaling and literature.

When I was younger and had my Pogonomyrmex sp. colony I thought about growing grass,dandelion,etc, so they can cut it down in the outworld(10 gallon tank). I had planned to give them a 60 gallon outworld. If they didn't poop so much on glass like when I had them, I'd keep a colony. They are easy to keep,interesting, and ferocious. They took any live insect I gave them, including bees.

On the BN-LINK Seedling Heat, I have another brand I am using one to heat my Dubia roach colony. They are great as they don't get as hot as the ZooMed heating cables/pads thus less chance of overheating. The reptile pads from ZooMed are definitely pricey for the size, however they do seem to not have as large of heat cables, thus the surface is more flat. I tried a BN-LINK reptile pad with attached temperature controller(main reason I wanted it for) from Amazon and unfortunately they sent a used one, but the heat cables inside were large when I inspected and was not flat, so I could not sit a formicarium steadily on it, I returned it. I am curious how large the heat cables inside BN-LINK Seedling Heatpad is.

I appreciate the encouragement! That is an interesting idea as Pogonomyrmex are known to clear the surroundings of their nest of any plants and debris, although I would just hate to see so much work put into growing the plants chopped down haha. It is interesting that you mentioned the temperature probe, as I just bought a VIVOSUN 10"x 20.75" Seedling Heat Mat and Digital Thermostat Combo Set from Amazon for a future experiment. BN-LINK seedling pads have very flat heating cables inside that do not create any issues with elevation differences. In fact, you cannot even feel them; it just feels like a solid surface. From the image I have attached, I conclude they use heating strips instead of cables to create this even distribution (and the price is unbeatable if you are raising multiple colonies).
710uZ0Cih8L._AC_SX679_.jpg
Perhaps the engineers created a different design when considering it usually is underneath an aquarium tank.
When I first got this heating pad, I could not use it because it almost killed multiple of my ant colonies due to it being so hot and me having a rag covering the colonies from light which acted as an insulation barrier to keep heat in. However, perhaps this belief in it being hotter than reptile mats is misplaced, due to your comment as well as the fact it is not heating my current Pogonomyrmex colonies as well as the thermometer in the image in my post shows. This just goes to show how checking the temperature on your ants, or having a thermometer near them, is pretty important, and something I would recommend to those keeping multiple colonies. I currently use an Indoor Outdoor Thermometer Wireless, 4.5 Inch Display Digital Hygrometer Thermometer to monitor this colony, and plan on using the 3 included smaller probes inside of my fridge to verify the temperature, inside of outworlds that are on a heating pad this spring, and on other levels of my shelf. They are really handy and affordable.

No truer words spoken. Indeed we should always check the temperature to verify the behavior in different setups. I read the advertised temperatures if there is and look at the dimensions and wattage to get an idea, but really depends on how much of the cable is emitting heat relative to wattage. The Seedling Mats also have an additional layer as you've shown compared to heating cables. Heating cables are more versatile to maneuver.


ZooMed heatpad: 8 x 12 inches - 16 watts

ZooMed heatpad small : 4 x7 inches - 4 watts

ZooMeed heating cable: 11.5 feet , 5 feet of the cable is heated - 15 watt

Seedling Mat 10" x 20.75": - 17.5 watts


Good to know the seedling mat is flat, that's perfect and you can't beat it for the price. I could not readily tell on Amazon, how flat it was when I was searching, they all looked flat to me.

Your calculations on wattage is fascinating and something I never thought of. I think that is a very important factor, like you said, in determining heat, as in indeed proves that ZooMed pads and the cable are warmer (more powerful) than the seedling pads. Using a ratio, I suppose it is possible to calculate the price per wattage to see which one is more affordable. I agree that heating cables are probably more beneficial to antkeepers, as they are more maneuverable as you mentioned, and have the highest output of heat, but I had bought this a while ago and wanted to get use out of it. I think heating pads should not be through out entirely by ant keepers, though, as they have use for heating horizontal formicaria created from hydrostone, perfect cast, or ultracal 30, which is what I plan to use it for in the future.

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

 

 

Colony 1

 

PA160640.JPG

 

A royal hairy abdomen

 

 

PA160644.JPG

 

The best shot at the egg clump I could get

 

In these two photos, the insert has space between the cotton, and I have 3 por amor ant inserts and I am pretty sure that there is not supposed to be space in between the inserts and the cotton because of how you can crush the queen and all of the colony, (I almost did that once lol)

 

Is there any reason why there is space?

 

Also I think that the colony is going very good right now and it is PACKED with information

[Ants_Dakota]

 

 

 

Colony 1

 

PA160640.JPG

 

A royal hairy abdomen

 

 

PA160644.JPG

 

The best shot at the egg clump I could get

 

In these two photos, the insert has space between the cotton, and I have 3 por amor ant inserts and I am pretty sure that there is not supposed to be space in between the inserts and the cotton because of how you can crush the queen and all of the colony, (I almost did that once lol)

 

Is there any reason why there is space?

 

Also I think that the colony is going very good right now and it is PACKED with information

 

That space is not supposed to be there, that is correct. That space forms as the water storage is used up and the cotton moves down the test tube, while the insert stays stationary. Theoretically, when using inserts, you should use a Cotton Water Keeper from Por Amor Art to keep this negative pressure from happening, although I dislike how much volume they take up in the water chamber and the price as I have a lot of colonies. I will just leave the insert how it is, as like you mentioned, ants seem to like hiding behind the insert and moving it risks crushing the colony.

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

That space is not supposed to be there, that is correct. That space forms as the water storage is used up and the cotton moves down the test tube, while the insert stays stationary. Theoretically, when using inserts, you should use a Cotton Water Keeper from Por Amor Art to keep this negative pressure from happening, although I dislike how much volume they take up in the water chamber and the price as I have a lot of colonies. I will just leave the insert how it is, as like you mentioned, ants seem to like hiding behind the insert and moving it risks crushing the colony.

for some reason, I observe that every species I have kept will try to live behind the insert for some reason and also, does the queen fit in the holes in the insert because on the second photo, she looks like a mom checking up on her children in their room (which she kind of is)

Edited by OwlThatLikesAnts, October 20 2024 - 1:56 PM.

[Ants_Dakota]

 

That space is not supposed to be there, that is correct. That space forms as the water storage is used up and the cotton moves down the test tube, while the insert stays stationary. Theoretically, when using inserts, you should use a Cotton Water Keeper from Por Amor Art to keep this negative pressure from happening, although I dislike how much volume they take up in the water chamber and the price as I have a lot of colonies. I will just leave the insert how it is, as like you mentioned, ants seem to like hiding behind the insert and moving it risks crushing the colony.

for some reason, I observe that every species I have kept will try to live behind the insert for some reason and also, does the queen fit in the holes in the insert because on the second photo, she looks like a mom checking up on her children in their room (which she kind of is)

 

I observe this as well, probably because it is more enclosed and ants like this, as well as it is the most humid and moist for the brood. I believe she could, I just don't think there was enough room for her to turn around inside. That is a very true analogy actually I like it!

[Mushu]

 

 

 

Awesome journals and nice pictures. Really appreciate the detailed journaling and literature.

When I was younger and had my Pogonomyrmex sp. colony I thought about growing grass,dandelion,etc, so they can cut it down in the outworld(10 gallon tank). I had planned to give them a 60 gallon outworld. If they didn't poop so much on glass like when I had them, I'd keep a colony. They are easy to keep,interesting, and ferocious. They took any live insect I gave them, including bees.

On the BN-LINK Seedling Heat, I have another brand I am using one to heat my Dubia roach colony. They are great as they don't get as hot as the ZooMed heating cables/pads thus less chance of overheating. The reptile pads from ZooMed are definitely pricey for the size, however they do seem to not have as large of heat cables, thus the surface is more flat. I tried a BN-LINK reptile pad with attached temperature controller(main reason I wanted it for) from Amazon and unfortunately they sent a used one, but the heat cables inside were large when I inspected and was not flat, so I could not sit a formicarium steadily on it, I returned it. I am curious how large the heat cables inside BN-LINK Seedling Heatpad is.

I appreciate the encouragement! That is an interesting idea as Pogonomyrmex are known to clear the surroundings of their nest of any plants and debris, although I would just hate to see so much work put into growing the plants chopped down haha. It is interesting that you mentioned the temperature probe, as I just bought a VIVOSUN 10"x 20.75" Seedling Heat Mat and Digital Thermostat Combo Set from Amazon for a future experiment. BN-LINK seedling pads have very flat heating cables inside that do not create any issues with elevation differences. In fact, you cannot even feel them; it just feels like a solid surface. From the image I have attached, I conclude they use heating strips instead of cables to create this even distribution (and the price is unbeatable if you are raising multiple colonies).
710uZ0Cih8L._AC_SX679_.jpg
Perhaps the engineers created a different design when considering it usually is underneath an aquarium tank.
When I first got this heating pad, I could not use it because it almost killed multiple of my ant colonies due to it being so hot and me having a rag covering the colonies from light which acted as an insulation barrier to keep heat in. However, perhaps this belief in it being hotter than reptile mats is misplaced, due to your comment as well as the fact it is not heating my current Pogonomyrmex colonies as well as the thermometer in the image in my post shows. This just goes to show how checking the temperature on your ants, or having a thermometer near them, is pretty important, and something I would recommend to those keeping multiple colonies. I currently use an Indoor Outdoor Thermometer Wireless, 4.5 Inch Display Digital Hygrometer Thermometer to monitor this colony, and plan on using the 3 included smaller probes inside of my fridge to verify the temperature, inside of outworlds that are on a heating pad this spring, and on other levels of my shelf. They are really handy and affordable.

No truer words spoken. Indeed we should always check the temperature to verify the behavior in different setups. I read the advertised temperatures if there is and look at the dimensions and wattage to get an idea, but really depends on how much of the cable is emitting heat relative to wattage. The Seedling Mats also have an additional layer as you've shown compared to heating cables. Heating cables are more versatile to maneuver.


ZooMed heatpad: 8 x 12 inches - 16 watts

ZooMed heatpad small : 4 x7 inches - 4 watts

ZooMeed heating cable: 11.5 feet , 5 feet of the cable is heated - 15 watt

Seedling Mat 10" x 20.75": - 17.5 watts


Good to know the seedling mat is flat, that's perfect and you can't beat it for the price. I could not readily tell on Amazon, how flat it was when I was searching, they all looked flat to me.

Your calculations on wattage is fascinating and something I never thought of. I think that is a very important factor, like you said, in determining heat, as in indeed proves that ZooMed pads and the cable are warmer (more powerful) than the seedling pads. Using a ratio, I suppose it is possible to calculate the price per wattage to see which one is more affordable. I agree that heating cables are probably more beneficial to antkeepers, as they are more maneuverable as you mentioned, and have the highest output of heat, but I had bought this a while ago and wanted to get use out of it. I think heating pads should not be through out entirely by ant keepers, though, as they have use for heating horizontal formicaria created from hydrostone, perfect cast, or ultracal 30, which is what I plan to use it for in the future.

 

Indeed they both have their uses. I actually wish I can still return my seedling mat and get yours, as mines is not as flat. I planned to use one to heat the outworld and part of the nest connected to it.Seems like  what we should be looking for in the seedling mats is heating film instead of heating wire as the technology(the picture from my brand Kokopro shows a flat wire,which it is not flat) for flatter surfaces, although yours does show heating wire in the diagram. There are some higher powered heating mats out there. They will usually state some high temperature and wattage relative to the dimensions.

 

Look forward to updates as Pogonomyrmex's were my first love.

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

I observe this as well, probably because it is more enclosed and ants like this, as well as it is the most humid and moist for the brood. I believe she could, I just don't think there was enough room for her to turn around inside. That is a very true analogy actually I like it!

 

Don’t forget about that personification

[Ants_Dakota]

 

Your calculations on wattage is fascinating and something I never thought of. I think that is a very important factor, like you said, in determining heat, as in indeed proves that ZooMed pads and the cable are warmer (more powerful) than the seedling pads. Using a ratio, I suppose it is possible to calculate the price per wattage to see which one is more affordable. I agree that heating cables are probably more beneficial to antkeepers, as they are more maneuverable as you mentioned, and have the highest output of heat, but I had bought this a while ago and wanted to get use out of it. I think heating pads should not be through out entirely by ant keepers, though, as they have use for heating horizontal formicaria created from hydrostone, perfect cast, or ultracal 30, which is what I plan to use it for in the future.

 

Indeed they both have their uses. I actually wish I can still return my seedling mat and get yours, as mines is not as flat. I planned to use one to heat the outworld and part of the nest connected to it.Seems like  what we should be looking for in the seedling mats is heating film instead of heating wire as the technology(the picture from my brand Kokopro shows a flat wire,which it is not flat) for flatter surfaces, although yours does show heating wire in the diagram. There are some higher powered heating mats out there. They will usually state some high temperature and wattage relative to the dimensions.

 

Look forward to updates as Pogonomyrmex's were my first love.

 

I wish that for you as well. That is unfortunate your's is not flat, and I could see how the manufacturer could omit minor details thinking it was harmless, but then the uneven surface that no one else notices ruins it for antkeepers. Hopefully you can find a use for it or get a different one in the future.