There is a huge and fundamental difference between natural nests in wood, where the wood is in contact with the (moist) ground and also exposed to the elements, versus a bone-dry captive setup.
In experimenting with wooden nests of my own design, I've found that if the wood dries out, Camponotus will scatter the eggs and larvae about as opposed to grouping them into clumps. The brood in dry nests also take on a more shriveled and dessicated appearance, versus if the wood is moistened somewhat. Consequently, it is absolutely essential, in my view, that the user be able to regulate the relative humidity inside the nest where eggs and larvae are kept. This is especially critical in drier climates like southern California, where the air itself sucks away moisture very quickly.
While it may not be necessary to wet the wood itself, bone-dry wood kept indoors is most definitely a suboptimal nest medium, based on my observations and research. Unless the formicarium is kept in a greenhouse, any indoors area will naturally experience periods of low relative humidity, which could easily spell disaster for ants kept in a bone-dry nest such as this.
Edited by drtrmiller, May 25 2017 - 4:15 AM.
