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I live in California. Nobody even knows what ytong is, let alone has it for sale. Pumice was another highly rated nest material, but finding it in pieces larger than sold for cleaning was impossible. The next highly rated material was tile grout. I cast two nests out of that. I carved them before it set completely. They were heavy like bricks and I couldn't modify them once they dried.
I had an idea! It worked out better than I ever expected . I am going to share my revolutionary recipe with you.
You will need per lite and tile grout and plastic wrap to line your mold, wood to form the sides, coarse sand to add texture, and modeling clay to hold the wood in place. I used what is called saltillo grout because it was the cheapest. Saltillo grout is sanded grout made to spread under floor tile grout. It can handle joints larger than standard sanded tile grout.
OK, mix the perlite and grout approximately 50:50. Do not use more than that in perlite. If you aren't sure, use a bit less. Add water, mix well. The perlite will absorb lots of water. I used my small aquarium as a mold. I placed 1'' x 2'' x 6'' wood on the two sides and a longer one for the top. I lined that with plastic wrap, being careful to not have wrinkles. I poured the perlite grout mix into the mold. I used playdough, modeling clay to hold the top wood piece in place. For texture, I patted coarse sand onto the top surface.
Let the slab set overnight. Remove the wood and carefully pry up the slab. You can carve it easily with a dremel tool at this time, or you can wait until it is convenient for you. I use grinding stones, tile cutting bits and grout removing bits to carve out my tunnels and chambers.
This is a link to pictures and instructions: http://antfarm.yuku.com/topic/12758/Grout-Formicarium-Photo-Journal--includes-photo-link-tosome?page=2
this is a link to more pictures and yes, I do have duplicates since they are in different sites: https://picasaweb.google.com/115795497407614868846/HowToMakeAnANTFARMAkaFORMICARIUM#
Hi bugbarb
I live in Brazil and I am also having a hard time finding ytong or pumice in big chunks. I will see if I can make a nest using your tutorial, thank you for sharing it.
Marcelo
It looks really natural, has the perlite made it much lighter in weight and is there a risk of it crumbling at all. Thanks for sharing your idea :)
Why don´t you simply use cast (plaster stone, gypsum I don´t know how exactly you call it in the USA)?
The main problem I see in your construction is that most grouts don´t simply get hard and stop to react chemicaly!
For example they can corrode in some cases and as far as I know the pH is not neutral so they can also corrode other materials.
Depanding on what ants you keep it could happen, that their excrements, acids and so on can destroy or react with the nest.
Did you already keep ants in that?
Good point, Kaj.
How have the ants behaved in it, and for how long have you kept them in there, bugbarb?
I will try to experiment with a small nest and put a small colony in it as soon as I can get one, I'll post the results here after a few months.
My method is by no means perfect. It needs testing by other people. I made the beginner mistake of placing my small colonies into the larger nest too soon. I should have waited until they had more workers. I am having problems because of that. Out of ten queens, I am down to seven. In the wild, I don't think that many would have survived up to this point, so even counting losses, I'm doing ok.
The reason I used tile grout was that I read it is a better nest material than plaster because it isn't as prone to mold. Also, plaster is only available in craft stores for a higher price than grout.
Yes, the main issue I am facing is mold inside the nest. What I am doing is I am placing food in a separate "forage" container and it's been a week or so and there has been no mold or humidity on the plaster nest, but then again, the ants have not moved there so no food has been carried over. I'm thinking that my Camponotus ligniperdus will need a moist nest, and that can't be achieved with plaster unless it is a species that does not mind mold (if there is one at all). That is the main reason I am looking to buy a nice ytong nest. Problem is no ant shop will ship it to Brazil (understandable with queens and colonies/live ants, but not understandable at all with nests if I am willing to pay the higher postage fees). So your nest materials greatly interest me :)
Unless there is a way to control mold growth inside a nest. A friend of mine has actually given me an idea, but I need ants to try it out as well. If I can get more colonies and it works I will post it here.
Do you have any pictures of your setup you could post here, perhaps?
Were you able to view the pictures through the 2 links I provided? I include step by step instructions with accompanying pictures. If not, I'll figure something out.
The only mold I have had has been on the used aquarium plants I put in a couple of the tanks.
My life will be chaotic for the next couple of weeks. First, getting ready for knee surgery, then recovering from it. How impaired I'll be depends upon what the doctor finds when he goes inside. I hope to get my room setup so I can be online and be comfortable.
I couldnt get pics from the first link until i fiddled with the link http://antfarm.yuku.com/topic/12758/Grout-Formicarium-Photo-Journal--includes-photo-link-tosome-
Good luck with the knee :)
Yus Bugbarb, I can see the pictures. I somehow missed the pictures on the first post completely =P~