21 replies to this topic

[antsriondel]

I've been offline for a while, and I've been thinking about this problem I have. There are so many ant vendors, and so many different styles, it can become hard to find the right ant nest. I'm curious what you think is the best ant nest that is in production, or you would like to see in production, as I am going to be starting to produce nests, but I first wanted to inquire with the ant keeping community on what is, or would be your favourite ant nest. Thanks for taking your time to read this, and I'm excited to hear all of your thoughts!

[Entomologyants]

A tower with 2 rooms, each one being its own subject.

 

1. Bottom layer is for the queen and her brood, to keep the queen hydrated the floor is thick and hollow with a hydration method underneath. The ants get up to the second layer using a spiral that leads through the next floor. To add test tubes, it has outlets on the sides that you can slip the test tube through. The bottom layer has rock and a little bit of sand for the floor, and it has one point going down from the roof. The roof is also rock with a hole for the spiral.

 

2. The top layer has a sandy floor with a plastic roof with a hatch for feeding.

Wait, this is any basic outworld, you asked for a nest.

 

It should come with a red plastic sheet to rap around the nest area. The whole tower is a cylinder. 

I think my idea is crazy, but it's only a dream.

[cooIboyJ]

A large 1-inch deep plate, with a smaller 1.5 inch deep plate that will be on the inside, attached to the bigger one by water-proof screws. You get some dry white sand and fill the smaller plate. Then you fill the large plate with water. The water will keep the ants from escaping and you can do a tubs and tubes setup in the smaller plate with the sand.

[antsriondel]

A tower with 2 rooms, each one being its own subject.

 

1. Bottom layer is for the queen and her brood, to keep the queen hydrated the floor is thick and hollow with a hydration method underneath. The ants get up to the second layer using a spiral that leads through the next floor. To add test tubes, it has outlets on the sides that you can slip the test tube through. The bottom layer has rock and a little bit of sand for the floor, and it has one point going down from the roof. The roof is also rock with a hole for the spiral.

 

2. The top layer has a sandy floor with a plastic roof with a hatch for feeding.

Wait, this is any basic outworld, you asked for a nest.

 

It should come with a red plastic sheet to rap around the nest area. The whole tower is a cylinder. 

I think my idea is crazy, but it's only a dream.

Actually, would you love to know that I love that idea! I've created something very similar, and was actually debating making something like this! Thanks for your feedback!

[antsriondel]

A large 1-inch deep plate, with a smaller 1.5 inch deep plate that will be on the inside, attached to the bigger one by water-proof screws. You get some dry white sand and fill the smaller plate. Then you fill the large plate with water. The water will keep the ants from escaping and you can do a tubs and tubes setup in the smaller plate with the sand.

Interesting! I'd love to see more tubs and tubes setups out there, because of their low price-point, and easy to use and clean.

[TwistyPunch]

The ant nest that I like the most out of all of the ant nests I've tried is a 3D printed nest sold by a company in Sweden called Antkeepers. It provides a good level of humidity for my ants and you can keep buying new nests and attaching them as the colony grows. They come with red lids and you can add water tube reservoirs, making the water supply last for a while. The ants love the nest too. There are tons of great options out there though, and what nest you buy can depend on the species and what humidity levels they need, etc. TarHeelAnts also has some great nest choices but it was a little pricey for me. Anyway that's the nest I like the most. Also, good luck making some ant nests! I'm interested to see what you come up with.

[Ernteameise]

If I ever get into a larger flat, I would really like to get one of these fantastic beautiful Foranto wooden ant nests. They have display pieces that are works of art.

A large, nicely colored Camponotus species in one of these nests, plus a large display outworld for them to roam around, that would be awesome.

https://foranto.eu/

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

Mine would be these Por Amor style formicaiums with big chambers where they are vertical and horizontal, basically those nests where the ants could place brood and hang out on the wall and the floor, like the “jumbo formicarium”, I really like it appease because it provides visibility and it helps distribute your ants around the nest, making practically everything visible. One thing I noticed about it is that the jumbo formicarium is also modular and you can keep adding them as your ants expand.

 

 

The link: https://www.poramora...icarium-5x10-cm

 

Another one would be the “elevator formicarium” also from Por Amor basically it is one of those vertical formicariums but in a smaller format made for small/medium sized colonies and it is not intergrated into an outworld. I’m sure you know how vertical formicariums work.

 

The link: https://www.poramora...ium-small-tower

Edited by OwlThatLikesAnts, March 25 2025 - 11:21 AM.

[ANTdrew]

A dream I have is to make an artistic display of flat formcaria mounted on a wall. I’d have them connected with glass tubing instead of tacky looking vinyl. An energy forcefield barrier would keep the ants contained, and a fleet of nanorobots would take care of cleaning. I’d put a massive Crematogaster colony in this dream setup.

[Full_Frontal_Yeti]

I want an L shaped nest with both vertical and horizontal chamers in one housing.

give both of these views in one

 

I just think it'd be neat, i've done some of both and like them both for different reasons.

But likely this is more work to make than i'd get in for as two separate nests that would need some high precision hole line up to work right for connecting them. That's more precise measuring twice before you cut,  while my projects are lucky to see a measuring device of any kind besides my eyeball. And i don't see pouring such a nest as one mold in one go.

 

Edited by Full_Frontal_Yeti, March 25 2025 - 12:15 PM.

[antsriondel]

The ant nest that I like the most out of all of the ant nests I've tried is a 3D printed nest sold by a company in Sweden called Antkeepers. It provides a good level of humidity for my ants and you can keep buying new nests and attaching them as the colony grows. They come with red lids and you can add water tube reservoirs, making the water supply last for a while. The ants love the nest too. There are tons of great options out there though, and what nest you buy can depend on the species and what humidity levels they need, etc. TarHeelAnts also has some great nest choices but it was a little pricey for me. Anyway that's the nest I like the most. Also, good luck making some ant nests! I'm interested to see what you come up with.

I totally agree with the modularity! I think the ability to buy a ton of nests, for cheap to keep expanding for your ants, without having to deal with moving them from giant nest, to giant nest. I've had and believe many others can agree with me, lost many of my colonies workers, from trying to move one colony to a new nest. There are some ways of going around this, but none as great as just having the ability to keep expanding the formicarium.

[antsriondel]

If I ever get into a larger flat, I would really like to get one of these fantastic beautiful Foranto wooden ant nests. They have display pieces that are works of art.

A large, nicely colored Camponotus species in one of these nests, plus a large display outworld for them to roam around, that would be awesome.

https://foranto.eu/

Yes! Foranto does a great job with their aesthetic, and I'm impressed with the quality of their wooden nests. 

[antsriondel]

Mine would be these Por Amor style formicaiums with big chambers where they are vertical and horizontal, basically those nests where the ants could place brood and hang out on the wall and the floor, like the “jumbo formicarium”, I really like it appease because it provides visibility and it helps distribute your ants around the nest, making practically everything visible. One thing I noticed about it is that the jumbo formicarium is also modular and you can keep adding them as your ants expand.

 

IMG_0259.jpeg

 

The link: https://www.poramora...icarium-5x10-cm

 

Another one would be the “elevator formicarium” also from Por Amor basically it is one of those vertical formicariums but in a smaller format made for small/medium sized colonies and it is not intergrated into an outworld. I’m sure you know how vertical formicariums work.

IMG_0260.jpeg

 

The link: https://www.poramora...ium-small-tower

Yeah, I do like the idea of the wide open nests! The ideal thing about them for me is the ease of cleaning. The tower formicarium! What a nice product, however, I would say Tarheelants product is far superior, I do see the appeal of a smaller nest for smaller colonies, plus the cheaper price range. Thanks for sharing these!

[antsriondel]

A dream I have is to make an artistic display of flat formcaria mounted on a wall. I’d have them connected with glass tubing instead of tacky looking vinyl. An energy forcefield barrier would keep the ants contained, and a fleet of nanorobots would take care of cleaning. I’d put a massive Crematogaster colony in this dream setup.

I mean, that's pretty much every ant keepers dream, I'll work on it  

[antsriondel]

I want an L shaped nest with both vertical and horizontal chamers in one housing.

give both of these views in one

8136DAC4-5690-492F-B8CE-7DE972BD1ABC.png

 

2.png

I just think it'd be neat, i've done some of both and like them both for different reasons.

But likely this is more work to make than i'd get in for as two separate nests that would need some high precision hole line up to work right for connecting them. That's more precise measuring twice before you cut,  while my projects are lucky to see a measuring device of any kind besides my eyeball. And i don't see pouring such a nest as one mold in one go.

 

Wow, that's actually such a good idea! I like the idea of having two, three, or even four+ sections in a nest, so the ants can place their brood in different places, like they do in nature. This is an idea I'll definitely keep in mind, when I start designing my first productions phase of nests!

[rptraut]

Hello antsriondel;

 

The two styles of formicaria I make are the all-in-one system and the modular (sectional) system.   To be ideal, each one includes some basic elements - they're escape proof and ventilated.    It must be easy to feed the ants and clean up trash.    Hydration of the colony must be easy to monitor and rehydrate.   To be ideal most of my formicaria have a feeding port and a feeding area for liquids and protein.    Lids must be secure, yet easy to remove.   After these basics, there are many factors that influence what might be ideal in any particular situation.  

 

 

 

All-in-One system

 

 

 

These are two examples of all-in-one formicaria, on the left is a founding setup while on the right is a bigger setup for a Camponotus colony.    These are easy to handle, move or rearrange because of their compact nature.    I use colonies like these for demonstrations as they're also easy to transport.   As far as looking after the ants, the biggest limitation is when a colony outgrows the space, they need to be connected to something larger which is what I do with a founding colony, or the ant population has to be limited by culling to stay within the available space.    Many of my colonies are quite happy to live within the bounds of a moderately sized all-in-one.   

 

 

 

 

The all-in-one setup allows for viewing of the outworld and nest activities at the same time making it ideal for demonstrations.  

 

 

 

Modular System

 

With the modular system, I'm able to connect a number of smaller units together to make a larger space as the colony grows.   A small colony might consist of the founding module connected to a feeding module.   I connect additional modules when needed while keeping the feeding module in an accessible place for easy feeding.    Having two or three feeding modules from separate colonies close together makes feeding easier for ants that can be some distance away.   

 

 

 

 

I often have a significant amount of tubing between modules to mimic the distance travelled by a wild colony in pursuit of food.   I think my Tetramorium colonies need this kind of exercise.   I make all my modules interchangeable with connectors installed at the same height and size.   

 

Some of my colonies are kept by a window where they're heated by the sun.    I can shade some modules, keeping them cool, or expose part of a module to be heated by the sun.    You could also put one module on a heat mat.   This gives the ants a choice of temperature.   

 

 

 

 

In the fall when colonies retreat from outworlds and nurse modules to the main nest for the winter, those empty modules can be disconnected and only the nest module and feeding module put into winter storage.   Empty modules can then be upgraded, cleaned, fixed, disinfected and reinstalled in spring.   

 

 

 

 

This is the modular formicarium of a Camponotus colony.    I added modules each year as the colony grew.    At the rear right is the founding formicarium and rear left is a brood chamber.    In the front right is the feeding module where they're fed proteins, sugar/water and water.     In the center front is a small outworld/feeding area I gave them before I added the larger feeding module to the right.   To the left is the colony's outworld.   These setups can be designed so each module has a specific purpose.

 

 

 

 

This formicarium wouldn't be much good for Camponotus ants, but I think it's ideal for this Temnothorax colony.

 

 

I've found that the ideal formicarium depends on its purpose and the ants you want to house.   I try to make each one keeping these things in mind and construct the ideal formicarium for that situation. 

RPT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rptraut]

Sorry, double click......

Edited by rptraut, March 27 2025 - 12:57 AM.

[antsriondel]

Hello antsriondel;

 

The two styles of formicaria I make are the all-in-one system and the modular (sectional) system.   To be ideal, each one includes some basic elements - they're escape proof and ventilated.    It must be easy to feed the ants and clean up trash.    Hydration of the colony must be easy to monitor and rehydrate.   To be ideal most of my formicaria have a feeding port and a feeding area for liquids and protein.    Lids must be secure, yet easy to remove.   After these basics, there are many factors that influence what might be ideal in any particular situation.  

 

 

 

All-in-One system

 

 

IMG_7374.JPG

 

These are two examples of all-in-one formicaria, on the left is a founding setup while on the right is a bigger setup for a Camponotus colony.    These are easy to handle, move or rearrange because of their compact nature.    I use colonies like these for demonstrations as they're also easy to transport.   As far as looking after the ants, the biggest limitation is when a colony outgrows the space, they need to be connected to something larger which is what I do with a founding colony, or the ant population has to be limited by culling to stay within the available space.    Many of my colonies are quite happy to live within the bounds of a moderately sized all-in-one.   

 

 

 

IMG_7378.JPG

 

The all-in-one setup allows for viewing of the outworld and nest activities at the same time making it ideal for demonstrations.  

 

 

 

Modular System

 

With the modular system, I'm able to connect a number of smaller units together to make a larger space as the colony grows.   A small colony might consist of the founding module connected to a feeding module.   I connect additional modules when needed while keeping the feeding module in an accessible place for easy feeding.    Having two or three feeding modules from separate colonies close together makes feeding easier for ants that can be some distance away.   

 

 

 

IMG_7524 - Copy.JPG

 

I often have a significant amount of tubing between modules to mimic the distance travelled by a wild colony in pursuit of food.   I think my Tetramorium colonies need this kind of exercise.   I make all my modules interchangeable with connectors installed at the same height and size.   

 

Some of my colonies are kept by a window where they're heated by the sun.    I can shade some modules, keeping them cool, or expose part of a module to be heated by the sun.    You could also put one module on a heat mat.   This gives the ants a choice of temperature.   

 

 

 

IMG_7525.JPG

 

In the fall when colonies retreat from outworlds and nurse modules to the main nest for the winter, those empty modules can be disconnected and only the nest module and feeding module put into winter storage.   Empty modules can then be upgraded, cleaned, fixed, disinfected and reinstalled in spring.   

 

 

 

IMG_8099.JPG

 

This is the modular formicarium of a Camponotus colony.    I added modules each year as the colony grew.    At the rear right is the founding formicarium and rear left is a brood chamber.    In the front right is the feeding module where they're fed proteins, sugar/water and water.     In the center front is a small outworld/feeding area I gave them before I added the larger feeding module to the right.   To the left is the colony's outworld.   These setups can be designed so each module has a specific purpose.

 

 

 

IMG_8098.JPG

 

This formicarium wouldn't be much good for Camponotus ants, but I think it's ideal for this Temnothorax colony.

 

 

I've found that the ideal formicarium depends on its purpose and the ants you want to house.   I try to make each one keeping these things in mind and construct the ideal formicarium for that situation. 

RPT

Wow, I like the diversity! Different species have different needs, and I think making formicarium dedicated to those needs would be great for ant keepers, who want the right nest for their species. I also love modularity, and the ability to expand your colony, without having to spend sometimes upwards of $100 on a nest.

[rptraut]

Hello antsriondel;

 

I also enjoy the diversity of different formicaria and the ant colonies that live in them.    Each one is a different environment; I enjoy seeing how the ants adapt and modify that environment to suit their needs.   If you're partial to modularity, you might enjoy seeing some of my other setups in this thread    Recommendations for tiny ant formicariums - General Ant Keeping - Ants & Myrmecology Forum

 

I build these formicaria for a lot less money than you've quoted.   Most of the containers I start with are for food storage and have a tight-fitting lid.   Even a large one costs less than $10 Cdn and most cost $5-6 Cdn.    The most difficult part of their construction is the drilling of the various sized holes in the acrylic for screens, feeding port, and access fittings for tubing.   Smaller holes can be drilled with an electric hand drill and brad point bits, while the larger holes I drill with a drill press and a Forstner bit.   

 

I have used a hand drill for the larger holes, the trick is to drill a small pilot hole for the point of the Forstner bit to fit into.   This keeps the bit from wandering while the large bit scribes the hole and provides a ledge for the bit to ride in.   Once the holes are drilled, I tidy them up with my Dremel and a sanding drum.   I try to achieve a tight fit between hole and tubing so the hot glue I use merely holds the tubing in place and is not responsible for containing the ants.    In other words, the ants can't escape past the tight-fitting tubing, even without the hot glue.   I hot glue screens to the outside of the container so ants don't have access to the glue and can't chew it.   If you want to see more details on construction, including pictures of the drill bits and how they're used, look here   Pictures of Formicariums and Outworlds - Page 41 - General Ant Keeping - Ants & Myrmecology Forum

 

 

 

Beyond that I use grout/vermiculite to make chambers, I use small bottles for chambers, and I try to give my formicaria a natural look with moss, plastic plants and flowers, rocks and small branches.   All this makes these setups more interesting for me and gives the ants more space and diversity.   This is an opportunity to use your creativity; while my wife shops, I look for small containers with tight fitting lids, or small test tubes, or rubber stoppers and while she looks for birds on our walks, I look for interesting rocks of the right size and branches that will add interest to a future setup.   I enjoy using these materials to create an appealing and functional home for my ants.   Give it a try, it's really not that hard.   

RPT

 

 

 

[RushmoreAnts]

Mine would be a sort of modified test tube, sort of like a cross between Por Amor's test tubes and Apartment formicarium. Essentially it would be a rectangular test tube. The rectangular shape would both completely rolling, even better than test tube stands or other current solutions to that problem. It would also mitigate the issue of glare when photographing, as the glass on the top side would be flat, not round. 

 

The top of this nest would be a flat piece of glass for viewing. It would be attached with magnets like THA or screws like Buckeye Myrmecology, easily removable for cleaning.

The right side would also be glass for increased visibility from more angles.

The bottom would be plastic/acrylic with grout/substrate/THA-style floor layered above it to optimize the ants' textural experience.

The left side would be like the bottom except vertical, allowing the ants to hang from that surface.

 

All sides will have a length of 6 inches and a width of 1 inch (~ 15 cm by 2.5 cm). Looking at the nest head on like peering into the entrance of a test tube, it would appear to be a square, with each side being 1 inch long. This means the nest itself would have the dimensions of 6" X 1" X 1" (~15 cm X 2.5 cm X 2.5 cm).

 

The back of the nest would have a water chamber similar to Por Amor's test tubes except without the gravel. All sides of the water chamber would be clear to enable easy monitoring of the water levels. It would be connected to the nest via a precision-cut rectangular PVA sponge, designed to tightly fill in the rectangular shape to prevent leakage. Furthermore, the plastic where the sponge is located will be slightly indented on all sides to keep the sponge in place. 

 

The nest area would be divided into four chambers, all of which are in sequence beside each other with Chamber 1 bordering the water chamber and Chamber 4 on the other side of the nest. The walls separating the chambers should be coated in grout/substrate/THA-style flooring as the bottom and left sides of the nest are, to provide even more surface area for the ants to rest on. at the very bottom of each wall there would be a semicircular opening through which the ants can navigate between chambers. 

 

All walls would be 1 inch by 1 inch (~2.5 cm by 2.5 cm). The semicircular openings would have a diameter of 1/4 inch (~2/3 cm). It would not be intended for large species such as most Camponotus, yet these openings could accommodate most ants smaller than that.

 

The front of the nest would be square, 1 inch by 1 inch (~2.5 cm by 2.5 cm). It would have a circular opening with a tubing mate protruding outward to fit 3/8-inch tubing. In appearance the front of the nest would appear like a square AntsCanada test tube adapter, yet it would be permanently attached to the nest, as the nest can be cleaned by removing the top panel. The inside of the front panel would be coated in grout/substrate/THA-style flooring like the bottom, left side, and chamber walls.

 

Overall, this nest would take all of the advantages of Por Amor's innovative test tubes and combines them with the advantages of a flat formicarium. This setup would provide much more surface area than Por Amor's test tubes (or any test tube, for that matter) while still providing the same advantages a test tube insert does.