63 replies to this topic

[ANTdrew]

Interesting... Is it like plaster of paris? Or a different compound/mixture?

i think it is like plaster of paris, just more mold resistant.

It is more like hydrostone than plaster of Paris.

[YellowRubberDucky111]

 

 

I don't see a hydration chamber there, and honeypots are a really sensitive species, I wouldn't risk putting them in a homemade nest.

I was thinking about putting a water tower under the nest like AntsVienna did in this video. I didn't know whether or not a desert species of ants would need a humidifier in there nest so I didn't want to draw one out. I have read that honey pots are notoriously fragile, but why would a homemade nest decrease there chance of survival compared to one that you could buy online?

 

Possible malfunctions due to design, bad nesting material used, etc. 

The best seller for honeypot formicarium would be TarHeelAnts. His design has been tested for a very long time, and right now almost all the nests are on sale. Trust me, if you spend the money on the honeypots, you don't want them to die. 

 

I was actually rather planning on going and catching them myself in July, I really like the idea of starting the colony from a single queen I caught and building up from there. Then again if experienced ant keepers have trouble keeping them then I probably don't have much of a chance at it. Shame that honey pots have to be one of the coolest yet one of the more fragile species of ants out there

[SleepyAsianAnter]

I made a simple guide you can try to follow, it outlines the process of building a decent nest that can be used for pots. water "water tower" as well 

 

https://docs.google....dit?usp=sharing

 

What state are you in, honeypots are usually very rare when catching, but this year in cali, we all got a bunch, if you want to buy, now is the time to do it. 

Edited by SleepyAsianAnter, December 11 2020 - 1:24 PM.

[YellowRubberDucky111]

I made a simple guide you can try to follow, it outlines the process of building a decent nest that can be used for pots. water "water tower" as well 

 

https://docs.google....dit?usp=sharing

 

What state are you in, honeypots are usually very rare when catching, but this year in cali, we all got a bunch, if you want to buy, now is the time to do it. 

I live in Southern Cali, in Oceanside. I saw on AntMaps that there's a few locations that people seem to be catching ants and wanted to try my luck later next year. I've been debating whether I would want to skip the wait and buy the ants now, but I'm worried that id get unlucky with a dud or DOA queen. I saw that a lot of online shops don't offer refunds for honey pot ants specifically because of there fragility and with prices being $80+ in some places, I don't know if its worth taking the risk.

Edit: Thank you for the guide as well, it looks pretty in depth and if I follow through with this idea I will be sure to use it!

Edited by YellowRubberDucky111, December 11 2020 - 1:31 PM.

[SleepyAsianAnter]

 

I made a simple guide you can try to follow, it outlines the process of building a decent nest that can be used for pots. water "water tower" as well 

 

https://docs.google....dit?usp=sharing

 

What state are you in, honeypots are usually very rare when catching, but this year in cali, we all got a bunch, if you want to buy, now is the time to do it. 

I live in Southern Cali, in Oceanside. I saw on AntMaps that there's a few locations that people seem to be catching ants and wanted to try my luck later next year. I've been debating whether I would want to skip the wait and buy the ants now, but I'm worried that id get unlucky with a dud or DOA queen. I saw that a lot of online shops don't offer refunds for honey pot ants specifically because of there fragility and with prices being $80+ in some places, I don't know if its worth taking the risk.

Edit: Thank you for the guide as well, it looks pretty in depth and if I follow through with this idea I will be sure to use it!

 

 

Oh nice, I'm in Socal to, if I were you, I'd buy pots now. Compared to previous years, we caught more M. mexicanus queens than ever before, it was a godsend, I seriously doubt it'll happen again. Thanks to that, the average price has dropped significantly to. M. mexicanus is the largest Myrmecocystus species in the world. They are usually sold for much more than that.

[YellowRubberDucky111]

 

 

I made a simple guide you can try to follow, it outlines the process of building a decent nest that can be used for pots. water "water tower" as well 

 

https://docs.google....dit?usp=sharing

 

What state are you in, honeypots are usually very rare when catching, but this year in cali, we all got a bunch, if you want to buy, now is the time to do it. 

I live in Southern Cali, in Oceanside. I saw on AntMaps that there's a few locations that people seem to be catching ants and wanted to try my luck later next year. I've been debating whether I would want to skip the wait and buy the ants now, but I'm worried that id get unlucky with a dud or DOA queen. I saw that a lot of online shops don't offer refunds for honey pot ants specifically because of there fragility and with prices being $80+ in some places, I don't know if its worth taking the risk.

Edit: Thank you for the guide as well, it looks pretty in depth and if I follow through with this idea I will be sure to use it!

 

 

Oh nice, I'm in Socal to, if I were you, I'd buy pots now. Compared to previous years, we caught more M. mexicanus queens than ever before, it was a godsend, I seriously doubt it'll happen again. Thanks to that, the average price has dropped significantly to. M. mexicanus is the largest Myrmecocystus species in the world. They are usually sold for much more than that.

 

Do you have a specific seller that you trust the most? Also, I read that you should never put a solo queen into a nest before she at least has a few workers and brood, is that correct? I just want to make sure that if I were to go through with buying them, that I make there transfer process as comfortable for them as possible

[SleepyAsianAnter]

 

 

 

I made a simple guide you can try to follow, it outlines the process of building a decent nest that can be used for pots. water "water tower" as well 

 

https://docs.google....dit?usp=sharing

 

What state are you in, honeypots are usually very rare when catching, but this year in cali, we all got a bunch, if you want to buy, now is the time to do it. 

I live in Southern Cali, in Oceanside. I saw on AntMaps that there's a few locations that people seem to be catching ants and wanted to try my luck later next year. I've been debating whether I would want to skip the wait and buy the ants now, but I'm worried that id get unlucky with a dud or DOA queen. I saw that a lot of online shops don't offer refunds for honey pot ants specifically because of there fragility and with prices being $80+ in some places, I don't know if its worth taking the risk.

Edit: Thank you for the guide as well, it looks pretty in depth and if I follow through with this idea I will be sure to use it!

 

 

Oh nice, I'm in Socal to, if I were you, I'd buy pots now. Compared to previous years, we caught more M. mexicanus queens than ever before, it was a godsend, I seriously doubt it'll happen again. Thanks to that, the average price has dropped significantly to. M. mexicanus is the largest Myrmecocystus species in the world. They are usually sold for much more than that.

 

Do you have a specific seller that you trust the most? Also, I read that you should never put a solo queen into a nest before she at least has a few workers and brood, is that correct? I just want to make sure that if I were to go through with buying them, that I make there transfer process as comfortable for them as possible

 

All good mexicanus should have workers, 2nd gen pupae, and maybe 3rd gen larvae by now. As for sellers, there are many here.

 

Me

cocdeshijie

ystheant

Nurbs

 

And a couple others, check out the marketplace on this forum

[Swirlysnowflake]

 

 

 

I made a simple guide you can try to follow, it outlines the process of building a decent nest that can be used for pots. water "water tower" as well 

 

https://docs.google....dit?usp=sharing

 

What state are you in, honeypots are usually very rare when catching, but this year in cali, we all got a bunch, if you want to buy, now is the time to do it. 

I live in Southern Cali, in Oceanside. I saw on AntMaps that there's a few locations that people seem to be catching ants and wanted to try my luck later next year. I've been debating whether I would want to skip the wait and buy the ants now, but I'm worried that id get unlucky with a dud or DOA queen. I saw that a lot of online shops don't offer refunds for honey pot ants specifically because of there fragility and with prices being $80+ in some places, I don't know if its worth taking the risk.

Edit: Thank you for the guide as well, it looks pretty in depth and if I follow through with this idea I will be sure to use it!

 

 

Oh nice, I'm in Socal to, if I were you, I'd buy pots now. Compared to previous years, we caught more M. mexicanus queens than ever before, it was a godsend, I seriously doubt it'll happen again. Thanks to that, the average price has dropped significantly to. M. mexicanus is the largest Myrmecocystus species in the world. They are usually sold for much more than that.

 

Do you have a specific seller that you trust the most? Also, I read that you should never put a solo queen into a nest before she at least has a few workers and brood, is that correct? I just want to make sure that if I were to go through with buying them, that I make there transfer process as comfortable for them as possible

 

I got my M. mexicanus colony from JenC. He might have some left.

[YellowRubberDucky111]

 

 

 

 

I made a simple guide you can try to follow, it outlines the process of building a decent nest that can be used for pots. water "water tower" as well 

 

https://docs.google....dit?usp=sharing

 

What state are you in, honeypots are usually very rare when catching, but this year in cali, we all got a bunch, if you want to buy, now is the time to do it. 

I live in Southern Cali, in Oceanside. I saw on AntMaps that there's a few locations that people seem to be catching ants and wanted to try my luck later next year. I've been debating whether I would want to skip the wait and buy the ants now, but I'm worried that id get unlucky with a dud or DOA queen. I saw that a lot of online shops don't offer refunds for honey pot ants specifically because of there fragility and with prices being $80+ in some places, I don't know if its worth taking the risk.

Edit: Thank you for the guide as well, it looks pretty in depth and if I follow through with this idea I will be sure to use it!

 

 

Oh nice, I'm in Socal to, if I were you, I'd buy pots now. Compared to previous years, we caught more M. mexicanus queens than ever before, it was a godsend, I seriously doubt it'll happen again. Thanks to that, the average price has dropped significantly to. M. mexicanus is the largest Myrmecocystus species in the world. They are usually sold for much more than that.

 

Do you have a specific seller that you trust the most? Also, I read that you should never put a solo queen into a nest before she at least has a few workers and brood, is that correct? I just want to make sure that if I were to go through with buying them, that I make there transfer process as comfortable for them as possible

 

All good mexicanus should have workers, 2nd gen pupae, and maybe 3rd gen larvae by now. As for sellers, there are many here.

 

Me

cocdeshijie

ystheant

Nurbs

 

And a couple others, check out the marketplace on this forum

 

Would it make sense for me to buy the honeypots before I have a nest ready? Are they fully or semi claustral, I couldn't find any solid information about that online.

[SleepyAsianAnter]

They'll be fine in a tube for a bit longer, assuming they have enough water. Fully/semi claustral applies to founding queens, not colonies

[YellowRubberDucky111]

They'll be fine in a tube for a bit longer, assuming they have enough water. Fully/semi claustral applies to founding queens, not colonies

Yes, if I were to buy a honey pot ants online I would just be getting the queen and a few workers right? Or does claustral and semi claustral still not apply even if there's only a few workers

[SleepyAsianAnter]

Claustral means the queen doesn't need feeding to start her colony, semi-claustral means she does. If you were to buy a good honeypot, they should have 10-30 workers and larvae/pupae, judging from the fact that it's only been a couple months since their flights. 

[YellowRubberDucky111]

Claustral means the queen doesn't need feeding to start her colony, semi-claustral means she does. If you were to buy a good honeypot, they should have 10-30 workers and larvae/pupae, judging from the fact that it's only been a couple months since their flights. 

Oh ok, I see now. But in general are honey pot ants claustral, just in case I decide to go with the catch it myself route

[YellowRubberDucky111]

Would it be a good idea to create a grout formicarium as shown by D Colony in this video? The Kritter Keeper tank I own has a strange shape where the tank gets wider towards the top compared to the bottom, so it would be a lot easier to have a mold that I can carve into rather then trying to chisel a usable shape out of a brick. Anyways I'm having trouble finding k23 firebrick or ytong brick in my area that is a correct size for the tank that I'm using. Would self made or store bought grout have any chemicals or additives that could potentially harm ants or any other reason why it wouldn't be a good material to use? Thanks

[Swirlysnowflake]

Would it be a good idea to create a grout formicarium as shown by D Colony in this video? The Kritter Keeper tank I own has a strange shape where the tank gets wider towards the top compared to the bottom, so it would be a lot easier to have a mold that I can carve into rather then trying to chisel a usable shape out of a brick. Anyways I'm having trouble finding k23 firebrick or ytong brick in my area that is a correct size for the tank that I'm using. Would self made or store bought grout have any chemicals or additives that could potentially harm ants or any other reason why it wouldn't be a good material to use? Thanks

Unsanded grout generally is a ok material. Crystal has a great guide on how to use grout for formicariums.

[M_Ants]

Does sanded grout work? 

[Swirlysnowflake]

Does sanded grout work? 

No, I think that sanded grout doesn't absorb water. I'm pretty sure only unsanded grout absorbs it.

[YellowRubberDucky111]

 

Would it be a good idea to create a grout formicarium as shown by D Colony in this video? The Kritter Keeper tank I own has a strange shape where the tank gets wider towards the top compared to the bottom, so it would be a lot easier to have a mold that I can carve into rather then trying to chisel a usable shape out of a brick. Anyways I'm having trouble finding k23 firebrick or ytong brick in my area that is a correct size for the tank that I'm using. Would self made or store bought grout have any chemicals or additives that could potentially harm ants or any other reason why it wouldn't be a good material to use? Thanks

Unsanded grout generally is a ok material. Crystal has a great guide on how to use grout for formicariums.

 

Could you link the guide please? I don't really know how to search around this forum.

[Swirlysnowflake]

 

 

Would it be a good idea to create a grout formicarium as shown by D Colony in this video? The Kritter Keeper tank I own has a strange shape where the tank gets wider towards the top compared to the bottom, so it would be a lot easier to have a mold that I can carve into rather then trying to chisel a usable shape out of a brick. Anyways I'm having trouble finding k23 firebrick or ytong brick in my area that is a correct size for the tank that I'm using. Would self made or store bought grout have any chemicals or additives that could potentially harm ants or any other reason why it wouldn't be a good material to use? Thanks

Unsanded grout generally is a ok material. Crystal has a great guide on how to use grout for formicariums.

 

Could you link the guide please? I don't really know how to search around this forum.

 

https://www.formicul...ced-hydration/ 

Shows how to make a specific type of formicarium, but it also still shows how to use grout. 

[YellowRubberDucky111]

 

 

 

Would it be a good idea to create a grout formicarium as shown by D Colony in this video? The Kritter Keeper tank I own has a strange shape where the tank gets wider towards the top compared to the bottom, so it would be a lot easier to have a mold that I can carve into rather then trying to chisel a usable shape out of a brick. Anyways I'm having trouble finding k23 firebrick or ytong brick in my area that is a correct size for the tank that I'm using. Would self made or store bought grout have any chemicals or additives that could potentially harm ants or any other reason why it wouldn't be a good material to use? Thanks

Unsanded grout generally is a ok material. Crystal has a great guide on how to use grout for formicariums.

 

Could you link the guide please? I don't really know how to search around this forum.

 

https://www.formicul...ced-hydration/ 

Shows how to make a specific type of formicarium, but it also still shows how to use grout. 

 

I see, thank you for the guide. How hard is it to chisel/break grout? It seemed that Crystals made a putty mold and poured the grout over it rather then what happened in the video where D Colony was able to chisel the grout.