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Hi guys, my name's Jordan, and in this video, I'm continuing on with my how to build an
ant nest series, or as it's technically known, a formicarium.
In the previous episode, we covered the tubs and tubes method.
A very fail-safe way of raising ants, especially within the early stages of ant colonies development.
However, as we learned, it wasn't that great appearance wise.
With their cylindrical shape, test tubes often resulted in an unclear, distorted view of
the ants within.
So, in this episode, I'll be showing you guys how to build something a little more
sophisticated and ideal for observation.
Utilizing a medium, known, as AAC.
So, what exactly is AAC?
Well, it's essentially a very strong, and lightweight building material, made of autoclaved
aerated concrete, AAC for short.
It's comprised entirely of non-toxic, raw materials such as sand, cement, lime and gypsum.
Originally developed in Scandinavia over 70 years ago, it's now widely used within people's
homes all over the world.
And, in our case, it's going to make for a perfect little home, for our, ants.
AAC can be found at most hardware stores.
Depending on where you're from, it may be sold under different names, such as hebel,
ytong, and aircrete.
I got this this large slab from my local hardware store for under $10.
A very reasonable price considering how many nests this could potentially make.
Now, onto the build!
For this guide, I wanted to keep things as cheap and simplistic as possible.
So, no heavy machinery involved.
Just common household items.
First, what you'll need is your screen.
What you'll be observing the ants through.
I'm going to be using a glass slide from a spare picture frame.
And an old c-d case, which I've carefully cut to my desired size using a hacksaw, like
so.
The plastic can be quite prone to cracking and scratching, so work your way through nice
and slow.
I like to give the edges a quick sand with a filer, just so it's nice and smooth.
A bit of sand paper would work fine too.
The size of your screen should depend on the size of the colony you plan on housing.
A common mistake I find beginners make, is that, they provide their ants with far too
much nesting space.
Ants prefer inhabiting small spaces, in which they feel safe and secure.
And too much space, often results in the ants piling up their garbage within empty nesting
chambers, instead of their foraging area.
Left within the humid confines of the nest, this garbage could then potentially promote
harmful mold and bacterial outbreaks.
So only allow for a little bit of growing room, if any.
These nests aren't hard to make.
So, you can always make a second one, once the colony looks to be outgrowing their first.
For this tutorial, I'm going to making a couple of nests.
One for a young colony of Banded Sugar Ants, Camponotus consobrinus, which have around
50 workers, and lots more on the way.
And, another for a single giant bull ant queen, Myrmecia simillima.
So, once you've found an appropriate sized screen, with a pencil, carefully trace its
dimensions onto the brick.
I'm giving mine around a 10mm margin.
Which will be clear as to why, later on.
Then, using a saw, carefully work your way through.
This can get a little bit messy, so you might want to go outside first this part.
And you might want to work on a nice solid table too.
You can see mine is moving all over the place here, which made the process a little more
difficult than it needed to be.
Once you've cut out your shapes, place your screen in the center, mark out the corners,
and then, we're going to be creating another 10mm margin, this time on the interior of
your screen.
This marked area is the safe zone, where we can form tunnels and chambers, without fear
of the edges chipping off, or overextending upon the borders of our screen.
Now, comes the creative part, working out how you want your nest to look.
First, work out the fundamentals.
Here I'm marking out where the nest entrance holes are going to be situated.
This is where you'll be connecting up some vinyl tubing.
Acting as tunnels to lead the ants to their foraging areas and additional nesting space.
Figure out which sized tubing you're going for.
Then, trace it out.
For this small nest, I'm going with a single hole, and for this larger one, one on either
side.
Just make sure the holes are positioned at least 10mm from the surface, so as to improve
its strength.
Once you've got the basics of the nest down,
start working on the finer details
You can make it as simple...or as elaborate as you like.
For this nest here, I'm going for some slender tunnels and a few islands too.
You're really only limited by your imagination...
So get creative!
Just remember to keep the size of your ants in mind.
These narrow tunnels here for example might not be best suited for larger species.
Like Bull Ants.
Then, we'll need to work out a hydration system.
There's many ways to go about this.
For this nest, I'm going to be drilling out a tiny hole.
Which will reach through to this chamber here.
So, using an instrument like a syringe, I'll be able to simply inject water directly into
the nest.
Again, at least 10mm from the surface is ideal.
Another way to go out it, is to apply the same method, but instead of the hole connecting
directly to the nesting area, it goes into a separate section.
Inaccessible for the ants.
Ideal if you're planning on housing a tiny ant species, which could potentially crawl
into the watering holes used in the first method.
For both nests, I'm putting one port on either side, that way I can hydrate each side
alternatively.
Doing this will limit the chance of mold and fungi outbreaks, as the humidity conditions
won't remain stable enough for them to thrive.
Once you're happy with the design, it's onto the fun part, carving out all the chambers.
The material is surprisingly soft and easy to work with.
All I'm using are some flat-headed screw drivers, combined with a hammer.
I like to chisel around the outermost parts and slowly work my way in.
AAC can be quite brittle, so take your time, and don't apply to much pressure.
Especially when you're creating thin tunnels and islands like this one.
You might want to also play around with elevation changes, making some parts deeper or shallower,
and creating slopes and steps in between.
As this nest is going to be housing a giant bull ant, I'm giving it a little extra depth,
around about 20mm should be plenty for her.
Here, I'm carving out the hydration chambers.
At least 10mm in depth for these.
Alright, carved out.
You can see the layout on this nest is a little different to what I originally envisioned.
In part due to the brittle, unpredictable nature of the material.
And also, just me changing my mind as I went.
Not everything goes to plan.
So once the carving done, it's time to create the entrance holes.
I like to first start with a small screwdriver, and then gradually work my way up.
Ideally you want the hole to be as circular as possible.
To ensure a tight, escape proof fit, you'll want the hole just a little bit smaller than
what you've traced out.
To test it out, submerge the tubing in some hot water for a little while, and then screw
it in like so.
Alright, all fitting nicely.
Next, it's the hydration holes.
For these I'm using a miniature screw driver.
I want the hole only just big enough for a syringe to fit in.
Perfect.
Now all the cutting and drilling is done, I like to smooth the nest interior down with
a filer, and a bit of sand paper.
Really rounding out all the tunnels and chambers.
Of course, this stage is just optional.
If you like that more rough and jagged look, then just leave it as is.
You will want to get rid of those pencil marks, though.
So give the face a very light sanding.
Just make sure you sand flat and evenly, so your screen ends up sitting flush on top.
Finally, I like to file the edges of the nest.
So it's nice and rounded.
A subtle change, but I think it looks much nicer.
And then, clean up any imperfections.
Like the blue paint here which rubbed off from my saw blade.
Once you're happy with how it looks, make sure to give it a thorough clean.
A brush combined with a dust blower works well.
Better yet, I like to use a vacuum cleaner.
Much easier.
Alright, looking good.
Now, this next part is totally optional, but, I like to give my nests a bit of colour.
The paint I'm going for is made entirely of natural, earthy ingredients, such as chalk
and clay.
So, it's completely non-toxic, perfectly safe for the ants.
I'm giving this nest a coat of green.
And this one orange.
Because AAC is an incredibly porous material, it helps if you water down the paint a little.
That way it'll seep into all the cracks and crevices nicely.
You'll notice I'm leaving the interior of the nest unpainted.
I kind of like the look of ants on a white backdrop.
Bright colours, like white, do a good job at reflecting light.
Thus, illuminating the ants within, and allowing you to see an incredible amount of detail.
I like to give it a couple of coats, for a nice solid finish.
Personally, I think a coat of paint is a must.
As you can see, it instantly transforms the nest, almost into a piece of art.
Plus, it goes further than just aesthetics too.
After numerous testing on our range, now on our shop, we discovered, a coat of paint or
two greatly improves the water retentive qualities of this material.
In this experiment, both of these nests here were injected with 4ml of water, and after
4 days sitting at room temperature, the unpainted nest on the right, dropped in humidity much
quicker than the painted model did.
The ants will appreciate that consistency in humidity.
And it makes it easier on the keeper too.
You won't need to hydrate the nest nearly as often.
So, it's definitely worth giving it a coat or two.
Speaking of hydration, once the paint has dried, if you like, you can add some sponges
into your watering chambers.
Which will, again, improve the system a little.
Sponges help the water disperse more slowly and evenly upon injection, and also help retain
humidity a little bit longer than otherwise.
Just be careful that the sponges you use don't have any added, harmful chemicals.
I'm using some regular kitchen sponges, which come in some nice vibrant colours.
Now, comes the final stage, securing your screen on to the front.
First, you'll want to give the inner side of your screen a good clean.
Ideally with a micro fiber cloth.
It helps if you look through it over a white background, so all the dust stands out.
Once its looking nice and clean, secure it onto your nest using some hot glue or some
silicone.
Just make sure they're non-toxic formulas.
But, to keep things extra simple, I'm securing mine with a colourful, non-toxic, putty-like
adhesive, known as Blu-Tack.
Carefully roll it up into a long, even strand...
and then, press it down around the edges of your screen.
I'm rolling mine down with my paintbrush to get a nice smooth finish.
I really like this approach, as it makes the removal of the screen, later on, extremely
quick and easy.
As a finishing touch, I like to stick some soft safety pads to the bottom.
Now, everything's pretty much done.
But, there's just one thing missing…the ants!
Now, assuming you've been raising up your colony in a tubs and tubes setup, like I've
been with these guys, all you have to do now, is connect your new nest up to their foraging
area.
Just use a fairly sort section of tubing.
This way, the ants won't have to travel very far to find their new home.
Again, soften the ends in some hot water, and screw them in.
Make sure you've sealed off any extra entrance holes.
I'm using a bit of cotton ball for mine.
Alternatively, you could attach up a water reservoir, like a test tube, half filled with
fresh water and blocked off with some cotton.
This way the ants have an easily accessible source of drinking water, and additionally,
the reservoir keeps up the humidity within the nest, too.
To entice the ants to move in, what you'll want to do, is first, hydrate the nest.
AAC acts like a sponge, water soaks in, and gravity pulls it down, into the base of the material.
The water then evaporates upwards, providing the ants with a slow and steady release of
humidity.
How often, and how much you water, will depend on the particular species you're raising.
Some ants prefer a relatively dry nest, whereas, others, prefer a saturated one.
So, if they don't seem interested at first, play around with the humidity.
I've learned that this Bull Ant and Sugar Ants here, prefer a fairly dry nest.
So, I'm adding in around 4ml of fresh water, and I'll do the same in another 3-4 days
or so.
If you've opted for a simplistic hydration system, one where the water injects directly
into the nest.
Make sure to seal off the holes with a bit of Blu Tac when you're done.
Even if the ants you're housing are too big to be able to fit through them, wild ant
colonies might not be.
So, this will prevent foreign ants from discovering the nest and potentially attacking, and raiding
its inhabitants.
Once your nest has been hydrated, cover it up from light.
A little business, or playing card works nicely.
Now, it's just a matter of waiting.
Sometimes the ants will discover the nest and move in almost straight away, and other
times, they may take days, even weeks.
As I often say, ant keeping requires a good deal of patience.
The key is to continually experiment with the humidly, until you find something that
they really like.
As you can see, my sugar ants here are in desperate need of a new home.
They've outgrown two giant test tubes.
Just look at all that brood!
So, almost as soon as I hooked up the nest, workers came in curiously to inspect the new
space.
And once the word got out to the rest of the colony, instantly they started moving on in.
It wasn't long before all that brood, and the most important member of the colony, the
queen, was relocated.
She seems very relaxed, which is a great sign that she's settled into to her new home.
The Bull ant queen was a little apprehensive with her new nest.
It took her a few days before she was happy with it.
Now, she looks right at home.
She even brought some sand in with her from her foraging area.
If you remember from my "bull ant showcase", we saw that their larvae often required some
form of substrate in order to properly spin their cocoons.
So, now that the ants have moved out of their old nests, unless you have a test tube attached,
it's best keep a tube or two back here.
That way they always have access to water, just in case the new nest dries out.
Visually, this new setup is such a drastic improvement upon their former homes.
Now, you can see almost everything the ants are up to in high clarity.
It's so easy to lose hours just staring away at these little guys.
So, what do you guys think of these little creations?
Not too bad, right?
And all through utilizing cheap and simplistic tools and materials, like c-d cases, screwdrivers
and Blu Tack.
It really is something anyone can do.
And, of course, if you do have access to machinery like powered drills and jigsaws, all the easier.
I always feel a great sense of satisfaction from building my own nests.
It really allows you to get creative, fulfilling both your personal aesthetics needs, and more
importantly, allows you to design something specialised for your ants, and their needs.
Like in my case for example, where I carved out some extra chamber depth to accommodate
for my giant bull ant queen here.
But, of course, I understand, not everyone is the crafty type.
So, that's where we come in.
We build our nests from this same material, AAC, in a range of sizes, to suit virtually
everyone's ant keeping needs.
If you want to know how we make these particular models, check out our store unveiling video
here.
There's definitely many ways to about using this material.
Instead of going for modular designs like these, for example, where the foraging area
connects up to the nest externally, perhaps, you can go for an all in one design.
Where the nesting area sits up vertically within a container, and the foraging area
is positioned on top.
Giving you more of a 3D dimensional design.
We'll be looking at how to build all in ones in my next video, so stay tuned for that!
Now, onto our regular contest.
For this video we'll be giving away 2 of our size 1 ytong nests.
First, to the winners of last videos contest.
Last time I asked you guys, what was the most abundant ant species in your area.
Sadly, in my neighborhood, mostly what I seem to find, are these guys, the highly invasive,
Argentine Ants, Linepithema humile.
They're completely taking over.
A lot of the native ants I used to come across, like Bull Ants, Furnace Ants, and even, the
super abundant, Green-headed ants, are becoming rarer and rarer to find.
So the lucky winner is…Ali, all the way from California, who took some photos of some
Argentine Ants.
Unfortunately, they too have taken over his area.
These ones were farming some sap sucking bugs.
Consuming their honeydew, and standing guard to defend them from predators.
Some great shots Ali!
And now, to winner here on YouTube.
Congratulations to…Ant Noob, who answered Aphaenogaster longiceps, commonly known as
the Funnel Ant, for their habit of constructing steep concave shaped nest entrances.
Perfect for entrapping unwary prey.
We've recently got my hands on some queens of this species.
Very unusual looking things.
I'll be sure to make a video on these guys soon.
For the next videos contest, I want to know what you guys are housing your ants in.
Whether it be in a ytong nest like these ones…acrylic nests…or maybe you've gone with a naturalistic
dirt setup.
And let us know how your ants have settled in to this environment.
If you're not an ant keeper yet, maybe just let us know what your ideal setup would be.
I know when I first learned about ant keeping, my dream, was to have a huge colony living
within a transparent nest, like what I've now got with my Argentine Ants here.
So, same deal as last time.
Post your answers in the comment section below.
And send us a photo of your current nesting arrangement, or perhaps a sketch of your desired
setup, over on Instagram.
Just remember to tag, or include the hashtag #antsaustralia so we can find it.
As always, thanks for watching this video and I hope you enjoyed.
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