So, it took me a little while to obtain it, but I finally got a hybrid nest from AntsCanada. I've put it together, and tried to get video/photos of that, but I had a camera problem, and figured there will be a ton of those available soon, so I figured screw it, I'll just throw it together and write a review.
Putting it together was pretty easy. I had a few SNAFU's on the way, but some of that was my own fault. I should have been following the instructions step by step, and had I done that, I would have avoided the glass coming off with the top of the nest, and falling to the ground, but of course I never follow the directions step by step, and so it did.
For those of you who come after me I offer this advice: Follow the directions step by step!
Disassembling it and putting the perilite in was very easy, although I wasn't sure if Mikey had measured what he put in that bag to be the exact amount you need, or if he put extra in there. It would have been nice if the instructions specified that. I wasn't sure so I put it all in there and suspect I may have filled it too full.
The rest of the assembly went fine. I attached it by vinyl tubing to the entrance port of the nucleus the ants were in, and I'm waiting for them to move themselves. I'm going to let the nucleus completely dry out, and I think that and the darkness of the hybrid will get them moved pretty quick.
Initial thoughts:
Positive:
- I love the hydration method. I think it's unique and interesting and I'm excited to find out how well it works.
- I really like that it has a removable cover to keep the light out, and I like that it's fairly small, and that you look into the nest from up above. I'm hoping that'll make viewing and photographing my ants easier than the nest they were in.
Negative:
- I do not like that it does not come with a foraging area. For the price, I would think I would get everything I would need to use this nest. Not so; you must buy a foraging area (outworld for you AC folks), and the vinyl tubing necessary to connect them.
- I bought this because I thought it would be the solution for keeping my small ants from escaping, but now that I have it together, I'm not convinced it'll do that without sealing the entrance blocks and the glass plate, which I really do not want to have to do because I want to be able to open it back up to clean it. This may turn out to be a great next for larger ants, but I suspect I will still be on the hunt for a suitable nest for my TC colonies.
I will keep this journal updated with my thoughts on this nest going forward.
Edited by BugFinder, July 21 2015 - 9:43 PM.
