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What uses are soil/dirt to Ant colonies?


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15 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Hightlyze - Posted September 4 2019 - 7:27 PM

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My grandpa hired someone to dig a giant hole

I don't want the dirt to go to waste

i eat cars for breakfast everynight


#2 Offline BeginnerAntKeeper - Posted September 4 2019 - 7:28 PM

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You can use dirt to make a nice outworld for your ants or make a natural setup for your ants to dig in

#3 Offline BADANT - Posted September 4 2019 - 8:02 PM

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Beware of parasites that may be in your soil


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#4 Offline MrPurpleB - Posted September 4 2019 - 8:32 PM

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Beware of parasites that may be in your soil
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Can't you bake dirt in order to kill any parasites and other harmful bacteria?

#5 Offline BADANT - Posted September 4 2019 - 8:34 PM

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What I’ve done, and some of the experts could chime in on this, I’ve heated the dirt and then put it in cups and frozen for a couple days


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#6 Offline MrPurpleB - Posted September 4 2019 - 9:11 PM

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What I’ve done, and some of the experts could chime in on this, I’ve heated the dirt and then put it in cups and frozen for a couple days
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Alright thanks. This should help and clarify some things for me.

#7 Offline drtrmiller - Posted September 4 2019 - 9:17 PM

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My grandpa hired someone to dig a giant hole

I don't want the dirt to go to waste

 

You wouldn't want to keep it if it is a bad color or too dirty.

 

Can you tell us what color it is, from the choices below?

 

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#8 Offline FSTP - Posted September 4 2019 - 9:29 PM

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My grandpa hired someone to dig a giant hole

I don't want the dirt to go to waste

 

You wouldn't want to keep it if it is a bad color or too dirty.

 

 

 

that's very true. You don't want to use it if the dirt is to dirty. Dirty dirt that is to dirty is dirt that has to much dirt in the dirt and if the dirt has to much dirt making it to dirty the ants will spend to much time trying to clean the dirt off of the dirty dirt.


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#9 Offline BADANT - Posted September 4 2019 - 9:48 PM

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Good point, I usually collect sand not soil


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Edited by BADANT, September 4 2019 - 9:48 PM.


#10 Offline Enderz - Posted September 4 2019 - 9:54 PM

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Can we get a picture of your Grandfather's Giant Hole?


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:morning:  :hot:  :hot:  :hot:

Ex igne et in infernum. 


#11 Offline Nanahira - Posted September 4 2019 - 10:23 PM

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*edit*


Edited by 500miles, May 1 2020 - 10:32 AM.

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#12 Offline Hightlyze - Posted September 4 2019 - 11:21 PM

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Pic

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i eat cars for breakfast everynight


#13 Offline FSTP - Posted September 5 2019 - 12:35 AM

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That is very nice. But why does he need such deep wide hole ?

 

Also thank you for posting the picture in the post and not linking to it.


Edited by FSTP, September 5 2019 - 12:36 AM.

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#14 Offline Enderz - Posted September 5 2019 - 2:54 PM

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Looks fine to me.


:morning:  :hot:  :hot:  :hot:

Ex igne et in infernum. 


#15 Offline mbullock42086 - Posted September 5 2019 - 2:58 PM

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fine sand and clay powder makes a fantastic medium without much threat of collapse- the clay glues it all together, i use it for tarantulas and scorpions too, they love it.

  it especially helps with honeypot ants and ground nesting Camponotus

mix it with a plastic knife- shaking will cause the packing peanut effect in which larger particles rise to the surface, ruining the structure of the substrate.  it all locks together and the clay binds it together- after you mix, simply saturate and let it dry for a few days.  it should drain very well.  a little clay goes a long way- don't overdo it.  to keep it stable you can simply carefully spoon on more of the mixture and gently saturate it to create more burrowing space


Edited by mbullock42086, September 5 2019 - 3:01 PM.

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#16 Offline Canadant - Posted September 11 2019 - 2:35 PM

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That really does look like the pit of carkoon! Is that root structures sticking out?

mbullock thanks. Informative post.
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