ANTSTORE World of Ants

[TimeyMaster]

i have all ways been interested in ants and i am looking at building my own farm with ytong stone, i will be soon deisgining my own style nest and will post designs and pictures so i would like ideas things you have done that have worked, things you could have done better things you should have done, meterials to use and not to use and where best to get them in the UK?, i know they are problery out there on this site but my reading is not great so it is hard for me to find them so if they can be here would hlep a great deal please let me know, if you can give pictures even better i will be thank full for your help!!

ohh and i am looking at keeping Lasius niger so some info could help to thanks so much!!!

[TimeyMaster]

here is my idear

[jbc]

Well I like your idea. I made one ytong nest today(it is vertical):D I don't have water wells, but an little pool on top.

So it will stand vertical?

!!REMEMBER before you let YOUR ants in, blast the whole ytong with an air compressor, so that there is no dust, and catch like 20 other worker ants and put them there, if they don't die after 22-24 hours than you can let your ants in.

To cover the nest use organic glass (its just like plastic) and drill very, very small holes so that the ants have fresh air.

Dont carve your tunnels near the end of the ytong because it can break off.

Use the whitest ytong you can FIND, because black on white is cool

Use a Bison glue with no color, dont leave gaps. First glue the tubes, than the glass.

If it will stand vertical than dont make any vertival tunnels, because the ants could not walk, make them in a slight angle.

Tomorrow I will upload my nest ok?

[TimeyMaster]

im hopng it will stant up thats the idear so the wells are on the top for the waters to seap in to the stone, any idears on how deep and how big the nests and tunnels should be?

and i would love to see your nest!!

also i been hearing about museum glass for it's clarity?

Edit Uta - Timey, please use the edit function! Thank you!

[Markus]

>!!REMEMBER before you let YOUR ants in, blast the whole ytong with an air compressor, so that there is no dust, and catch like 20 other worker ants and put them there, if they don't die after 22-24 hours than you can let your ants in.<

Cleaning with water helps either and you dont have to worry about breaving dust...

>Dont carve your tunnels near the end of the ytong because it can break off.<

Not if you don't work too brutal and if the ytong does not have weakspots.
viewtopic.php?f=135&t=13950
viewtopic.php?f=135&t=14015


And another thing: tunnels should not go into rooms from the undersite, because then their breed could fall into.

[jbc]

I will upload my nest today.

I will keep their Camponotus ligniperdus so I carved my tunnels and chambers like 6 cm deep.

Well I think you could carve your chambers like 5 cm deep so that the tunnels and chambers are at the half thick of the nest coz nest is 10 cm and chambers, tunnels 5 cm so then it will be OK.

I will soon upload it maybe at 6 pm ok?

Here is the address.
Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar

If you can't see it contact me.

I worked on it approximatively 10 hours

[TimeyMaster]

that is a nice nest man i like that! sorry took a while to respond had work all day!

did you get your ytong from the uk?

[jbc]

Yeah, thanks, I like it too. There are a few broken gaps off, but I will try to seal them with gypsum, if not I will let them be there.

You can see the tools I used too.

No not from UK I got it from my country-Latvia. In a shop were you can buy stuff for house. Is it hardware store?

But you must buy the whole ytong, thats a big block, but the seller could cut it to your size.

Yesterday I blasted the nest with a powerful air compressor(8 atmospheres), so that theres no dust.

Lasius niger is great starter ant species. It adapts to almost everything. They like honey but mix it with water (they like it more, when it is in liquid), they like, flies, grasshoppers, flour-worms and other insects, but before you give them insects put the insects in very hot water, so that any bacteria die. 23-25 Celsius is their temperature. Lasius niger are slow movers they could even spend a year in their test tube, before they will move in the ytong. They don't like it too dry or too wet so in the middle and a little bit more they will like it. Don't put your basin and nest in direct sunlight or the ants will die.

For the glue I found this http://antstore.net/shop/product_info.php/info/p1824_terra-bond---white.html/XTCsid/f12823a76f0d398d67a588a42fe900e2

If I sad something wrong feel free to correct me.

Did you understand my lousy English?:D

[TimeyMaster]

thanks again for your help i am finding this most interesting! and your English is fine i understand it well!!

[SteveUK28]

Hi Timey, been busy the last few days or i would have replied sooner. OK.. making a ytong nest is simple.. and your def over thinking it lol..

If you have not already you can get your ytong block from wicks.. last time i got one they was around 90p each, prob gone up a bit now.

I used Aquatic sealant on mine to seal the glass to it, and i got the glass from a local glazer who even unsharped the edged think it cost me like £3..

L. niger dont like it too wet so you dont need to worry much about loads of water, I would make just one well in the top drilled right down into it so just one side is damp..

Your drawing is not too clear, are you going to be placing a ytong inside a tank? I wouldnt with ytong not with Lasius.. Id connect the ytong to a plastic fish tank from wilkos.. and melt a hole in the side or bottom for a connecting tube to the ytong.

Take a look at the ytong i made here.. viewtopic.php?f=199&t=8445 I would do the same for Lasius... best of luck and to Antstore

[jbc]

Hi Steve, do Camponutus ligniperda like it dry too?

[SteveUK28]

C. ligniperda are strange bud... they like to nest in wood dont they.. so its interpreting if that wood is dry or not.. I would have part of the nest damp at least.. then if they dont want it.. they can move to another part of the nest... If you see them never use the damp part.. then you dont bother adding water anymore Hope that helps!

[jbc]

I will keep them in my ytong- Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar

What is the temperature for Camponotus ligniperdus? I will have a heat mat.

Plz reply Steve.

[TimeyMaster]

cool thanks steve the main reason i want to put it is a glass case is cuz of the wife i have to make this as neat as i can or i wont be allowed to have it in the house lol. then we get in to a it's me or the ants problem lol
but the well hole will be open to all the time and i'm thinking of making a gap around the back, side and bottom panel with some pads for some air space?

and what is a ytong block is it a Aerated Block or Medium Density Block?

[jbc]

Yup Timey its aerated block.

I could keep you up to date with my C. ligniperda when I will recieve them, if you want it.