Wooden nest??

[calianter]

Hello, this coming up spring is going to be my first attempt at raising a colony ;D (Very anxious). I have promising queens in hibernation as I type.

I would love to get some ideas on different types of nests to build.I was wondering if anyone might have some experience with a wooden nest? Yay or Nay?

One of the big reasons I ask is because, unfortunately aerated concrete a.k.a "Ytong" material is not available in the U.S and I would like to make my own nest.

[Wood~Ant]

I have never used wood, only 2 panes of glass set in an upright frame. I mainly keep my ants in plastic or glass set ups.
A lot depends on what species you are going to keep, as some ants will chew through wood.

[calianter]

I will most likely keep a nice Niger or Flavus colony in it. I'm just worried about mold growing.

[Wood~Ant]

Jan 10, 2012 16:34:52 GMT calianter said:

I will most likely keep a nice Niger or Flavus colony in it. I'm just worried about mold growing.

You could try a hard wood and put a coat of clear varnish on the surface

[calianter]

Ill have to try that out,thanks!

[batspiderfish]

You could always use plaster. People freak out whenever they see mold, but there are only ever certain types of mold which are harmful to ants, and these don't come from plaster.