The Ant Den: a Cozy Dwelling For Ants

Product Description

The Ant Den simplifies ant care without compromising on functionality, providing an ideal nest and outworld combo tailored to your colony’s needs.  This nest dimensions are 3″ x 3″ x 3″ , perfect for new colonies or smaller ant species. Your ants enjoy ample space in the outworld, roughly the size of a baseball, linked to the 1″ tall nest by a 3/8″ vinyl tube.

Included With The Den

• The “outworld” is the tall square container with a mesh hole in the lid. This is where the ants will forage for food and add dead ants and uneaten food to the trash pile.
• The “nest” is the short square container. This is where the queen and her brood live most of the time.
• The vinyl tubing connects the nest and outworld together. It has a 3/8″ outer diameter.
• A syringe with a blunt tipped needle for adding water to the hydration port.

Hydration

Insert water with the included blunt-tipped syringe into the side hole in the nest. Insert the tip of the syringe as far as it will go and slowly insert the water.

How Does it Work?

This ant farm uses gypsum cement to create a nest environment for the ants. The hydration port allows caretakers to manage the moisture levels within the nest to create an optimal habitat for the ants. Controlling humidity is crucial for the ants’ well-being and helps simulate their natural environment, allowing them to thrive and build their colony comfortably.

How Often and How Much Water?

Add as much water as you can until it starts dripping out of the hole. Approximately 1 ml of water will be added. This is as much water as you need. Refill when the nest looks dry. A good schedule to start out with is every 7 days and modify if needed based on how the nest and colony look.

FAQ

What if I over water the nest?

• You might see water getting into the top of the gypsum cement where the ants are living. You can remove water by inserting the syringe into the hole and pulling out as much water as you can.

Why have the ants moved into the outworld?

• The nest is too dry. After you add water, they will move back in.
• The nest is too wet. Try to remove the excess water with the blunt tipped syringe.

What do I do if I see mold inside of the nest?

• Sometimes ants are less than ideal house guests and they don’t take the trash out. Mold eventually kills colonies. Take a good look at the mold with a magnifying glass. If you see yellow mold, you need to remove it as soon as you can by opening the lid to the nest and picking the moldy pieces out with tweezers.

How do I add test tube ants to the nest?

• Open the nest lid and tap them in. You may want to sedate them by putting them in the fridge for no more than 2 minutes.
• Tap them into the outworld. The only downside to this is that it might take them a few days to find the nest.

How do I apply heat?

• Heat helps ants grow and some species require it in order for brood to develop. The best way to heat the ants is to buy a heat cable and drape the warm part of the cable on the side of the nest opposite of the hydration port.