Tip for formicarium maintenance

News Type: Other — Sun Jun 29, 2008 9:08 AM EDT

home-garden, ant, formicarium

Pasi

My formicarium

Feeding are with delicious leftovers.

Ant farm is likely to capture fungus or mildew.

Resin from trees.

Maintenance of ant nest is not that hard, but there are of course few tricks, you should know. Naturally you'll have to feed the ants, but the nest needs also water (for humidity) and correct temperature. Humidity and temperature depend from the type of ants you have. It is also important, that you do not let the Sun shine right to the nest, and some dark does good for them.

But you should know, that ant's may have diseases too (fire ant disease). And because humidity and food leftovers, the farm is likely to have mildew and other unwanted life forms.

Resin is nature's antibacterial weapon, which ants use to keep the doctor away. Trees produce resin to protect them against mildew or fungus and ants use it for same reason. Ants collect resin and spread it around the formicarium and rub themselves against it. I saw a document about this and thought, that I should try it.

I collected some dry resin from trees at our backyard. Then I placed a little bit at the feeding area. Few times I've seen ants working with it and this far my colony has been fine. I cannot say for sure if it works, but I'm going to used in the future too.

Related articles:
Putting ants to dormancy
Cleaning ant nest

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5.8

2.4

{"commentId":2078132,"authorDomain":"Pasi"}

Pasi

The bad thing is, that your fingers get dirty - if you consider that as a bad thing.

{"commentId":2078132,"threadId":"301844","contentId":"1622658","authorDomain":"Pasi"}

1 vote

#1 - Sun Jun 29, 2008 9:16 AM EDT

{"commentId":2078842,"authorDomain":"bigmomma"}

rottlady

Nah I like getting my fingers dirty....I guess this means the ants are out of hibernation and are doing ok? Thanks for the pictures and article on ants....Cool!

{"commentId":2078842,"threadId":"301844","contentId":"1622658","authorDomain":"bigmomma"}

2 votes

#2 - Sun Jun 29, 2008 11:51 AM EDT

{"commentId":2078977,"authorDomain":"Pasi"}

Pasi

I guess this means the ants are out of hibernation and are doing ok?

Yes. There was just one incident, when I gave a living bug for them and it killed about seven ants.

{"commentId":2078977,"threadId":"301844","contentId":"1622658","authorDomain":"Pasi"}

2 votes

#2.1 - Sun Jun 29, 2008 12:22 PM EDT

{"commentId":2078979,"authorDomain":"fawnshore"}

Walt D

Thanks, Pasi! Do any of the ants have names? Surely, the queen does.

{"commentId":2078979,"threadId":"301844","contentId":"1622658","authorDomain":"fawnshore"}

2 votes

#3 - Sun Jun 29, 2008 12:23 PM EDT

{"commentId":2079104,"authorDomain":"Pasi"}

Pasi

Queen is called Raat. Sbutki did not make it and Oldfogey drawn in honey (what a way to go) and I lost Cash too. Raat's first one was called JonesGirl, but I cannot tell, how she is doing. Workers look quite same.

I hope to get 1-2 queens more this summer, but I should build better watering system to my two empty nest.

{"commentId":2079104,"threadId":"301844","contentId":"1622658","authorDomain":"Pasi"}

2 votes

#3.1 - Sun Jun 29, 2008 12:49 PM EDT

{"commentId":2232130,"authorDomain":"JoulesBeef"}

JoulesBeef

ow some neat stuff.. I have thought about getting some ants.. one of those childhood things I no longer have to ask moms permission.
I was wondering if you have seen/tried these blue gel ant farms

This miraculous gel, derived from a NASA Space experiment, serves as both habitat and nutrition for your ants - allowing you to watch in awe as they turn a brick of aqua-blue gel into a fascinating colony of tunnels. Never before have you been so capable of watching these awesome creatures at work.

it sounds cool and all but since I know nothing about ant colonys..you sounded like the guy to ask.

** ahh saw you link.. this is a gel farm? and gel is bad? is it the same sorta stuff?? I m guessing so.

{"commentId":2232130,"threadId":"301844","contentId":"1622658","authorDomain":"JoulesBeef"}

1 vote

#4 - Sat Jul 19, 2008 4:58 PM EDT

{"commentId":2235035,"authorDomain":"Pasi"}

Pasi

Yes I have tried, and they are not good. The gel gets easily mold and is then useless. You may have few ant workers in the gel nest but you cannot have a colony with a queen in it.

I ordered one formicarium from Antstore and you could check out their farms: antfarms

{"commentId":2235035,"threadId":"301844","contentId":"1622658","authorDomain":"Pasi"}

#4.1 - Sun Jul 20, 2008 2:35 AM EDT

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"301844","isPrivate":false}

PASI

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Tip for formicarium maintenance

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