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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2014 8:28:12 GMT
I was planning to keep my Lasius niger in one.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Sept 21, 2014 9:13:16 GMT
Here are 2 of mine. The top pic shows the one with my current Lasius niger and what they have already made into a nest with lots of chambers, even though they've only been in it for just over 7 weeks now. The next 2 show my 7 queen colony of Formica lemani and the nest they have made.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2014 9:25:35 GMT
Does it come with that soil or does it come with sand. If it does have sand, is it suitable for the ants or has it not been sterilized enough.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Sept 21, 2014 9:34:53 GMT
Does it come with that soil or does it come with sand. If it does have sand, is it suitable for the ants or has it not been sterilized enough. It is supplied with a very fine sand mixed with vermiculite. I either throw it away and use a good potting compost, or mix it into moss peat or loam, as it can dry out and collapse on its own if you don't keep it moist. By adding peat or soil it holds together perfectly and the ants seem to prefer digging into a more natural medium which is like they nest in when in the wild.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2014 9:36:14 GMT
Would it be worth keeping the sand for the foraging arena and buying a peat and loam mix.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Sept 21, 2014 9:39:49 GMT
Yes you could, as the sand mix is safe to use and vermiculite is completely sterile. I would only use a fine layer though of no more than 2 mm and again moisten it from time to time, even though you don't want the ants to dig into it, as being kept dry it can move about on the floor of a foraging arena like fine dust. You can buy small bags of suitable peat based compost from Garden Centres or DIY stores.
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Post by Miles on Sept 22, 2014 1:06:31 GMT
You guys should be glad to have Ant Worlds around. Here in the US, we have Uncle Milton brand, and they are virtually rubbish. Ant Worlds seem to be a little more useful to ant keepers.
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