3 replies to this topic

[Demomyrmex]

I made one of those DIY grout formicariums. Before adding the grout, I added newspaper at the bottom for making a little nest for the queen, her eggs and the nanitics. It might damage the hardened grout structure to remove it and then remove the paper. They have just outgrown their test tube as they try to escape when I feed them. I made a hole into that nest so if they could slowly tear through the newspaper and bring it to the surface, then I could remove it from there. Will the ants do this? I've seen Pheidole do it but in those instances there was something sweet that the paper absorbed.

[ANTdrew]

Use damp sand or clay to mold chambers in the future. I think ants would dig into newspaper, but they will make a mess and probably hinder visibility a lot in the process.

[Demomyrmex]

Use damp sand or clay to mold chambers in the future. I think ants would dig into newspaper, but they will make a mess and probably hinder visibility a lot in the process.

I did use damp sand in my previous attempt but it's hard to remove. Using a brush to remove the sand is like sandpaper to the grout. I removed the grout from the container and removed the paper but I lost a lot of the edges on it. It still sits firmly against the container so nothing truly lost there. This is the furthest I've gotten with antkeeping. Usually the colony dies after a few nanitics or there's some other issues. If the colony survives and gets bigger, I will run into the next issue which is space for them.

[ANTdrew]

Rinse sand out with water. Hydrostone or Hobby Lobby Perfect Cast are superior to grout for nest making.