ANTSTORE World of Ants

[Spore]

Is it possible to water a cork ant farm in the same way as soil farms? if so, could the cork becom mouldy and harm the ants? I have used a gypsum nest for some ant species befor but the nest became mouldy due to the water that was soaked into it, so i'm worried that a cork nest may result in similar circumstances.

This is the farm that i had in mind:
http://www.antstore.net/shop/product_in ... -10mm.html

[tail__]

Cork is very easy to water, it will not get mould if it is clean. Make sure before buying that the cork is not treated with some chemical substances, which are usually harmful for ants. When the cork is completely dry, it needs at least a few hours to get moist, but if it is done once, the cork absorbs more water with ease.

[Spore]

So if i soak the cork once, the second time i do so it will apsorb with more ease.
Would the ants prefer the cork to be damp? or could i leave it dry and place a water feeder in a foraging area?

[Kale^^]

Depends on the species, whether the farm needs to be dry or damp.

[tail__]

It should be damp, ant nest interior is always at least partially damp. The best would be watering it only in one part, ants usually need both damp and dry places.

[JimmyVe]

Hello Spore and welcome.

Cork nest are fine. Depending on the species you would like to keep. You could keep them moist like tail said, most ants prefer that.

[Spore]

Thanks for the replies so far.
I was planing on housing a Camponotus and Messor species in cork nests. Would these nests be suitable?

[JimmyVe]

Depending on the size of the Camponotus ants you would like to keep.

For Messor i'm not sure, i think they would dig trough the cork.

[Spore]

I thought that about messor to.

The Campo ants are Camponotus Ligniperda.

[JimmyVe]

Camponotus ligniperda are big ants, so they need a big farm.

[Spore]

Yeah i know, they have dug alot in the 30*20*20 cm basin i got them in.