5 replies to this topic

[Works4TheGood]

If I use wet cotton on the floor of my formicarium for hydration, will the ants possibly cover it with substrate and eventually doom themselves?  Or, perhaps the ants will use the substrate in this way to achieve their desired moisture level!  Can anyone give me some insight here on what to expect?

[kellakk]

In my experience, they'll either put their waste on it or bury it with substrate.  Either way you end up with gross, moldy cotton that needs to be replaced.

[dspdrew]

Camponotus love to put all their trash on the wet cotton.

[Works4TheGood]

Wow! That sounds like a suicidal instinct! "Let's go make our trash wet and infected"

[Works4TheGood]

What if I cover the cotton with some mesh? Will they still pile their trash on the mesh?

[dermy]

With my Myrmica colony they even ripped up the cotton and made nests inside it. They also put trash on it too and when it molds it molds quick! I'd suggest using something else other then cotton for larger colonies, it might not be too bad for a small colony of like 50. But after that the sheer numbers of ants dumping trash on it will cause big mold.