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just a quick question....which species of Ants like to nest in Ytong? cos i got the stuff hollowed out and buried at the sides of my basin so i can see inside. and i tried red ants but they never took to it and died off :(
any ideas?
edit: add picture
[left]http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/9822/cimg1430xh2.jpg[/left]
I suppose you tank ist about 20*30 cm big, isnt it? And your ytong-farm is that big to (of cause not as wide as the tank^^).
I dont know what red ants is in german, but i think you mean Myrmica rubra, dont you? If I'm right, i could say that they like ytong nests if the are humid, as you know Myrmica rubra and most of the other ant species must have a certain humidity, may be your nest wasnt humid enough, so they didnt like to move in.
Another reason might be that huge size of your nest, when you have got a smaller colony (20 - 40 animals eg) they probalty wont move in a Nest that is big enough for about 1000 - 2000! Perhaps you try a smaller one or fill it up with soil, so, they can dig their own chambers!
A third reason might be time, sometimes the ants move in immediatly, sometimes it take's a week, perhaps you were too impatiently?
Other ants, that move to ytong nests are for example Lasius niger, Pheidole pallidula, Lasius flavus, Myrmica ruginodis, even Camponotus settles in ytong nests! Indeed almost every european ant would settle in an ytong nest, if the conditions within are good!
Oh, i almost forget one thing! Perhaps your ants are in hibernation and don't move at all, as you know, almost all european ants do hibernation until March.
Looks like a fine nest. ;) Fabian has a few strong points there.
Normally the size doesn't matter, if it is a small colony they will only use one chamber. but they will probably move. Humidity is imported.
Most ants can be kept in a Y-tong nest.
Sometimes it takes time for them to move, but i wash wondering where is the entrance from your nest (i can't see it in the picture).
Greets
Edit Uta post from 8:29
btw: did you catch the colony yourself are did you buy one ? Wash there a queen in the colony ?
@JimmyVe, everybody knows: Size matters :D Just a joke :P Yes, you are probably right, but if the nest is too big, it take them longer to explore it and it will take longer to move in and, when the nest is too big, they often use the rest as arena to put their crap there, those follows may be mould and mites!
It's better to have a smaller nest for your ants at the beginning, and to extend it, when the colony grows.
wow great advice guys thanks...yeah i did mean Myrmica rubra cos i bough a load in the summer but they all seemed to move every day so im not sure if it was too hot for them.
any tips on how i keep the humidity in the ytong up? or should i just spray water along the top of the blocks?
i guess another factor was impatience too...ok thanks muchly guys :)
Yes, drill a hole in the ytong, about 3 cm behind the chambers (so, that you dont drill in a chamber!) and a few cm deep and wide and fill clay granulates in the hole (i hope you know what i mean, these little grains, which are in flower pots too, they store the water), now you cast water in the hole, the ytong will distribute the water automaticly and the clay grains save a little, so you dont have to do that everyday!
That is one off the best ways do to it. you can also put your y-tong nest in water so it can suck up the water but that doesn't work as well.
So good luck with your new colony than. ;)
Do like Fabian suggested. Drilling holes is good idea for keeping ytong wet. I put cotton in the holes because it is also good for retaining water. And it prevents ants from geting down this holes and drowning in the water. Then use suringe to keep the cotton and ytong moist.
Another reason why did your ants die might be food and water. What did you feed them and how often?
@mpir: its a good idea to put cotton in the holes but if they are in to long don't you get fungus on them ?
Greets
Yes it hink so, i suggest clay grain, like in flower pots, its very good :)