Jump to content

  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

Large Formicarium


  • Please log in to reply
15 replies to this topic

#1 Offline BugFinder - Posted January 26 2015 - 2:51 PM

BugFinder

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 872 posts
  • LocationSunnyvale, CA

I came across this and thought I'd share it with you guys!  Let me know what you think o f it.  it's a really large formicarium for 

Lasius niger colon.
“If an ant carries an object a hundred times its weight, you can carry burdens many times your size.”  ― Matshona Dhliwayo

 

My Journals:

Pogonomyrmex subdentatus

Camponotus Vicinus

Camponotus sansabeanus

Tetramorium (sp)

Pogonomyrmex Californicus

My Ant Goals!


#2 Offline AntsAreUs - Posted January 26 2015 - 3:25 PM

AntsAreUs

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,029 posts
  • LocationMarion, IN

Already seen it, if your thinking about making one like that then you should consider 2 things, not making it, and if not then making tunnels all around the sides which I have made a small version of this and I'm not very satisfied with it.



#3 Offline BugFinder - Posted January 26 2015 - 4:11 PM

BugFinder

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 872 posts
  • LocationSunnyvale, CA

Thanks for your advice Gaige.  I'm not ready to start making my own yet, but I thought my ant friends might enjoy seeing/discussing it.  I already told my buddy who sent it to me that a very large nest like that is not good unless your colony has grown large enough to use most of the chambers.


“If an ant carries an object a hundred times its weight, you can carry burdens many times your size.”  ― Matshona Dhliwayo

 

My Journals:

Pogonomyrmex subdentatus

Camponotus Vicinus

Camponotus sansabeanus

Tetramorium (sp)

Pogonomyrmex Californicus

My Ant Goals!


#4 Offline Crystals - Posted January 26 2015 - 5:49 PM

Crystals

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,048 posts
  • LocationAthabasca, AB (Canada)

I think this guy also made a thread showing how he made it.

I thought it looked neat, but I would be unable to hibernate a colony in it as it is too large for my fridge, so I never made one myself.


  • BugFinder likes this

"Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astound the rest." -- Samuel Clemens

 

List of Handy Links   (pinned in the General section)

My Colonies


#5 Offline ToeNhi - Posted January 26 2015 - 10:49 PM

ToeNhi

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 49 posts
  • LocationBayArea, CA, USA
Crystal, I've seen your posts and videos online for awhile now. What is your largest colony and how do you house them?

-ToeNhi


#6 Offline dspdrew - Posted January 27 2015 - 7:06 AM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

That thing is pretty nice.



#7 Offline Crystals - Posted January 27 2015 - 8:53 AM

Crystals

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,048 posts
  • LocationAthabasca, AB (Canada)

Crystal, I've seen your posts and videos online for awhile now. What is your largest colony and how do you house them?

 

Keep in mind that I have to hibernate all of my colonies and I only have a wine cooler to put them in.  So while there are some nice designs out there that I really like, I can't use them due to the space they take up.  Like the style you linked, I love it, but I can't use it the way it is set up.

 

I use picture frame style formicariums.  They have several things that I need for my colonies.  They are flat, so I can stack them in the cooler.  Tubing connects the outworld to the nest, so I can simply remove the outworld and put a test tube with some nectar on the tubing leading to the nest.

 

I sold my 800+ worker Lasius crypticus colony because they had a strong (and unpleasant) odour.  They had enough brood to hit 1200 before hibernation.

 

My current largest colonies are Camponotus herculeanus and Camponotus novaeboracensis, which are between 100-150 workers.  Both are currently in firebrick nests that are lined with grout.  I tend to use firebrick formicariums and grout formicariums equally depending on the size of the colony and what I have already made.

Camponotus herculeanus during the summer (there are more now):  http://i445.photobuc...zps9b136eca.jpg

Camponotus novaeboracensis before hibernation:  http://i445.photobuc...zps57160fbc.jpg

 

I collected some queens this summer that I really like, and I suspect that they will be catching up to my larger colonies fairly quickly.


  • ToeNhi likes this

"Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astound the rest." -- Samuel Clemens

 

List of Handy Links   (pinned in the General section)

My Colonies


#8 Offline dspdrew - Posted January 27 2015 - 2:18 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

One of the very large exhibits I plan on designing will house Camponotus laevigatus, which will need to be hibernated. For this I plan to actually cool the formicarium itself.



#9 Offline Crystals - Posted January 27 2015 - 2:28 PM

Crystals

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,048 posts
  • LocationAthabasca, AB (Canada)

There used to be a large ant exhibit in Edmonton, Alberta.  They used some sort of refridgeration coils behind the tunnels to cool the nest.  It was eventually removed and they used a tropical species that was active all year.

It was a huge exhibit, about 8 feet long, 3 feet wide and 4 feet tall.  The nest occupied about 1/3 of the display, almost like the side of a hill.  The rest was a large foraging area.


"Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astound the rest." -- Samuel Clemens

 

List of Handy Links   (pinned in the General section)

My Colonies


#10 Offline dspdrew - Posted January 27 2015 - 2:32 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

That's awesome. Mine won't be that big. :P



#11 Offline BugFinder - Posted January 27 2015 - 3:09 PM

BugFinder

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 872 posts
  • LocationSunnyvale, CA

That sounds awesome.  I would think trying to refrigerate the nest like that would cost more money and time than it would probably be worth.


“If an ant carries an object a hundred times its weight, you can carry burdens many times your size.”  ― Matshona Dhliwayo

 

My Journals:

Pogonomyrmex subdentatus

Camponotus Vicinus

Camponotus sansabeanus

Tetramorium (sp)

Pogonomyrmex Californicus

My Ant Goals!


#12 Offline dspdrew - Posted January 27 2015 - 3:32 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

I think if you do it right, it shouldn't cost too much. It's a very small amount of cooling.



#13 Offline dean_k - Posted January 27 2015 - 3:55 PM

dean_k

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 845 posts
  • LocationWaterown, Ontario, Canada

Image a gigantic formicarium with a mature honey pot ants colony...

 

You gotta do that one for me, Drew.


Edited by dean_k, January 27 2015 - 3:56 PM.


#14 Offline BugFinder - Posted January 27 2015 - 4:19 PM

BugFinder

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 872 posts
  • LocationSunnyvale, CA

I don't think it matters so much how much you have to cool it, once you've obtained and installed the compressor, metering devices, copper tubing, and refrigerant, you're going to be in for quite bit of money, and that doesn't even count the cost of labor (even if you do it yourself, you need to count the time you spent doing it and assign a value to that time to get an accurate idea of how expensive the project was, and you can't legally purchase/handle the refrigerant unless you have an EPA license to do so).

 

It is a neat idea in theory, though.


“If an ant carries an object a hundred times its weight, you can carry burdens many times your size.”  ― Matshona Dhliwayo

 

My Journals:

Pogonomyrmex subdentatus

Camponotus Vicinus

Camponotus sansabeanus

Tetramorium (sp)

Pogonomyrmex Californicus

My Ant Goals!


#15 Offline dean_k - Posted January 27 2015 - 4:28 PM

dean_k

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 845 posts
  • LocationWaterown, Ontario, Canada

Some ant species from temperate region can skip hibernation.

 

And I think some ant species in CA doesn't hibernate. So, hibernation isn't an issue since you can avoid hibernating species.



#16 Offline dspdrew - Posted January 27 2015 - 4:28 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Image a gigantic formicarium with a mature honey pot ants colony...

 

You gotta do that one for me, Drew.

 

Actually the three species I was definitely planning to make one for would be Camponotus laevigatus, Acromyrmex versicolor, and a Myrmecocystus species, probably mexicanus.

 

 

I don't think it matters so much how much you have to cool it, once you've obtained and installed the compressor, metering devices, copper tubing, and refrigerant, you're going to be in for quite bit of money, and that doesn't even count the cost of labor (even if you do it yourself, you need to count the time you spent doing it and assign a value to that time to get an accurate idea of how expensive the project was, and you can't legally purchase/handle the refrigerant unless you have an EPA license to do so).

 

It is a neat idea in theory, though.

 

If I was to use a compressor, I would most likely modify a very small cooler of some sort. I was thinking more along the lines of a water chiller for fish. I am planning for this to be a paludarium with a little running stream. I have a lot of mechanics/maintenance engineers in my family, so I will find a way. My dad worked with AC units most of his life. Thermoelectric Peltier coolers might even be an option.






0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users