6 replies to this topic

[Full_Frontal_Yeti]

I've noticed some people have outworld setups with no lids. While that is not an option in my place, a screen top is.

I have Pogonomyrmex Occidentalis which i can use a fairly loose screen mesh with, US mesh 60. And i'm pretty sure this will be open air enough for the ants to perceive the space as outside of the nest if i outfitted them with full mesh lids.

 

Currently i have a couple THA outworlds with fine mesh vents, i think it's US mesh 400.  Which I believe is acting as a fairly good seal against intrusion by mites and whatever might float out of the air. It allows gas exchange but not exactly a fresh air experience.

 

 

Could anyone say from their own experience if open air vs sealed has made any noticeable differences in problems the colonies had?  Or give any other insights into your experiences in keeping ants with vs. without fully sealed enclosures?

 

 

 

Thanks for any time and effort you can spare,

FFY

 

 

 

 

[kiedeerk]

open set up works fine for Pogonomyrmex. Many barriers work best with open to air set ups like PTFE, baby powder/talcum. Closed set up will generate humidity and these barriers can fail because of that. 

 

Open to air provides best ventilation possible and decrease chance of mold/bacteria etc...

[ANTdrew]

Mites do not float in the air, and even the finest mesh is not sufficient to stop tiny ones if they want to crawl in. They usually get in setups hitch hiking on insect feeders, fruit flies in particular.
I personally love open top outworlds because fluon works so much better, and you can drop in food quickly and with no disturbance to the colony. I have kept a massive Crematogaster cerasi colony (which are perhaps the most adept climbers in the ant world) with no escapes for over a year in open top outworlds. It’s counterintuitive, but for ants, open top plus fluon = escape proof.

[Full_Frontal_Yeti]

Thanks for the input.
My main concern is the ant's protection, not their escaping. Sense captivity makes them maybe a little less suceptible to infecitons but at greater risk of real harm from them when it does happen.

 

If an open top is not seeming to increase their risks meaingfully, then i'm a lot more likely to move on this screen top plan.

But my honey could not handle the sight of an open top ant world in the hosue to be sure, i got to keep some kind of lid on the colony.

 

[ANTdrew]

That’s valid. You need to keep the peace and ensure everyone in the home is on board with your hobby. In that case, I’d advise making a removable magnetic vent like Mack makes, so you can easily remove it without all the vibrations caused by prying off a friction fit lid.

[Full_Frontal_Yeti]

As Antdrew reminded me, the new outwrold has a huge lid-on-lid opening, so i just took off the glass pane covering it and left it open.

The case is tall and the hole in the middle means none of my ants will reach it, they can't stick to the ceiling at all.
The open air sent them into a tizzy, but after an hour or so they calmed down a little.
However the large outworld is being treated differently immediately, where almost none of the ants can be seen just hanging out/napping/lounging around any more. They have a sense of purpose on them out here now and tend to stay on the move when not engaged in foraging or trash pile management.

 

I'm going to rig up a full screen lid for the med outworld using a U gasket, some 40 mesh, and silicon caulk.
And i'll make a screen lid-on-lid so i don't need to take the whole gasket off every time i need in.

Thanks for the input yall.

[100lols]

Dude can’t wait to see what you come up with. I think of giving the ants more airflow with the open lid as an enhanced humidity gradient as well. Keep up the good work FFY!