I gave my carpenter ants some cork bark for “enrichment” This is what it looks like after two years of them chewing on it.

myrmepropagandist

I gave my carpenter ants some cork bark for “enrichment” This is what it looks like after two years of them chewing on it. Bark is soft so I thought they’d shred it but instead they made some kind of sculpture.

rk: could be an enum

@futurebird

Okay, so, gonna bother you about ants again, sorry: I got a heating cable and a little two-dimensional flat "classic" ant farm (with tubing to connect other "units")...

...are harvester ants a good choice for a 10 year old? I'm trying to get a species that will be okay in a house environment without needing diapause and with just a cable for heating...

(Sorry, I've read a ton and everything seems contradictory...)

myrmepropagandist

@rk

Harvester ants are great, easy to care for (they can live on seeds so you don't need to find insects for them to eat, although an insect treat won't be refused)

They are very active, easy to see since they are medium-sized.

Unless your house is under 68F you might not need the heating cable, be careful with that, too much heat can be a problem, they need a gradient in case it's too hot.

The only downside to harvesters is they CAN sting. I had them for three years never got stung.

myrmepropagandist

@rk

But since they can sting you do need to be careful, and can't let them crawl on your hand probably.

That said they have been used as pet ants for decades because they are hearty.

They also do well in sandwich sand farms. I would avoid gel farms if possible.

llewelly

@futurebird I would have thought that look would be ant for "utilitarian".

Chebucto Regional Softball Club

I gave my carpenter ants some cork bark for “enrichment” This is what it looks like after two years of them chewing on it.