Ceramic clay formicarium

When breeding in captivity ants are trying to artificially create their nest. We hold the vessel can not be simply filled with dirt or sand. Otherwise, your ants dig corridors vats would like them and would not be observed. In addition, there backfilling corridors. They are used because different materials such as gypsum , ytong and plexiglass .

Since ants communicate with the environment mainly by chemical means, I wanted to be as close to natural materials. So I created a nest of clay, which I subsequently fired. This will provide material that is originating from clay, but after firing a solid and well maintained moisture

Clay could not be any problems, but it has to be formed. Although I used the pottery, but we can also use a clay (loess, clay, yellow).

Working with clay as plasticine. Create the future shape of the nest so that the front straight. Small rolls down the nest kept in the correct position and serve to suck moisture from the bottom.

cly formicarium

Leave the clay to dry a couple of hours to harden up a bit leathery state. Appropriate tool scrape out of the chamber. I used lyžičkár. Each chamber should be withheld until the bottom of the plane to where ants can store helmets. Chambers do prefer deeper, it will still be a brand.

ceramic formicarium

Now let the clay a few days to a few weeks to dry. It is best to close it in a cardboard box in a dark place that slowly became dry and unbroken. Clay during the drying shrinks and deforms. If the earth was completely dry, sandpaper to align the front of the chamber better touched down on the glass.

Each clay has its curves and firing temperature. So the order of 900 - 1200 ° C. So in the oven it will definitely not. The fired clay has a hardness and consistency of bricks. It is biologically inert and perfectly maintains the moisture. During firing like a piece cleaved in the spot where the east of the nest. Little did I leveled it to the nest could be used. Finally, turn finely sanded smooth to the front chamber perfectly touched down on the glass

ceramic cly formicarium

Construction of formicarium II used the same as in ytong . I still drenched surface plaster, so I concluded damp section down and arena remained dry. The hard and dry arena ants do not dig the new hall.

Plaster shape the landscape arena. Pour onto the wet plaster sand, which stuck there. Also creates the entrance to the nest to loose sand bottom for leaks. Output from the nest I made along the glass, I let everything good view.

Insight into the arena. The environment is arid steppe style. Perfectly dry arena is maintenance-free and extra sav it not spoil food residue, as quickly dry up.