von bugsy » 26. Jun 2012 19:30
I have to agree with Andie in that the bigger the colony, the easier it is for them to regulate the conditions they need. With a small colony and going from my own experiences I would suggest that it is more difficult for them to do this, especially if your chambers are large. Y-tong will soak up any moisture. I would keep a colony in a test tube until it has a few hundred workers then give them the option to move. My Messor are exotic and really struggled in a y-tong with about 20 workers, the queen didn't lay and the brood didn't change for about 3 months. I put a test tube in the basin, over night they moved and the queen started laying again. Simple, give them the options and they will decide, they know best. Although I haven't actually answered your question I hope it helped.