Help building a formicarium? Ideas welcome!

[tutu10]

Hey guys I looked at some youtube vids on how to make em. But I kinda wanna make em "special" and customized. I was wondering if with the mold mixture I could mix in sand. Like you know when you're going to set the plaster mixture? When its still being made(pouring the thing with water and mixing it) can I pour in some sand along with it?


To make it "rough" looking and feeling? So that the ant's feel better at home and I get a nice look for a mould/plaster? I'm putting it inside of a tank like the one in a youtube video that was for lascious niger.

One of my queens already laid eggs and I think they hatched because I see two little wiggling larvae looking thingies(they're white) in the glass tube. It happened after I put in a small piece of ham. xD I guess I was just worried. I'm taking the ham out tomorrow to make sure but yeah. How long will it take the larvae to turn into ants? As well as do they sell fluon at home depot? and when I set it--- will the ants eventually "learn" not to get near it? Not that I won't stop applying it... But I rather have the ants on the ground of the tank-- not the glass. You know? How can I discourage them from climbing any part of the glass? Will the sand stay in the mould/plaster? or will it peal off? I rather it stay so that the carpenter ants' colony looks "nice" to my eyes and I guess it helps with climbing.

Any ideas?

[Davrin]

Hi tutu10 and welcome to formicarium! I suggest you to read the sections "Costruire un formicaio" and "Cura della colonia": here there're the answers of most of your questions.

How long will it take the larvae to turn into ants?

It depends on the specie, generally the duration of metamorphosis is about 20/25 days (if temperature is correct).

How can I discourage them from climbing any part of the glass?

This forum shows a lot of anti-escape methods in the section "Costruire un formicaio",

I hope I've been helpful, see you soon! (sorry for my bad english)
P.S. May you add a photo of the colony?