A normal test tube setup is really hard to clean and potential mold and a lot of disadvantages but for a queen and some workers (12) should be a good home but it won't last long
Wakooshi nests shouldn't be under the 3d printed section, they are effectively gypsum nests in a 3d printed shell. The ants only interact with the gypsum material when in the nest portion. And gypsum/plaster nests are by FAR the best nest type, objectively. Acrylic and ytong are both pretty terrible. Acrylic has horrible moisture properties and grip for the ants, making it entirely unusable for majority of species that require anything past mediocre care. Ytong has bad moisture retention and is really brittle and easy for ants to dig through, given long enough Wood nests are decent for some arboreal or dry-loving species, but still kinda has the same problem as acrylic. Because the material itself can't absorb water well, it has bad moisture gradients and some species can still dig through. 'True' 3d printed nests are effectively just acrylic, so still bad. Gypsum or plaster are by far the best for practically any species. Its ability to soak in water while also retaining its strength makes it like ytong but better in every way. I'd say the only drawback of it compared to ytong is its difficulty to drill or carve into, but that can easily be solved by just pouring molds rather than carving. It looks way better, you can do sand coating for more grip and aesthetics, you can dye it, there are more methods of hydration (water tower, direct hydration) allowing you to more easily change the nest depending on species. If you have a dryer species, like one that would usually nest in dry wood, you don't even have to hydrate it and you basically have an acrylic or wood nest. By far the best looking, most functional nest type available. For international nests, wakooshi and other gypsum based nests should be the gold standard. I'm honestly not sure why so many countries still use ytong and acrylic, they're blatantly inferior when compared. In the US, ytong and acrylic has pretty much gone extinct for this reason; everyone uses gypsum/plaster.
True the gypsum nests from wakooshi aren’t actually 3D printed on the inside now that I think of it. Thanks for all your valuable insights on the range of nest type. This video was put out to inform people of all the nest types and some of their properties to hopefully find the best nests for their ants. And yes I agree with your preferred nest types especially the wakooshi ones. Thanks
wonderful channel name
A normal test tube setup is really hard to clean and potential mold and a lot of disadvantages but for a queen and some workers (12) should be a good home but it won't last long
(For massive ants)
Great vid lots of good info
Very informative video what great useful information 😊
yo bro where’d u get those plastic outworlds from that connect to antastics 3d printed nest??
Temu
great vid 🙌
Wakooshi nests shouldn't be under the 3d printed section, they are effectively gypsum nests in a 3d printed shell. The ants only interact with the gypsum material when in the nest portion. And gypsum/plaster nests are by FAR the best nest type, objectively.
Acrylic and ytong are both pretty terrible. Acrylic has horrible moisture properties and grip for the ants, making it entirely unusable for majority of species that require anything past mediocre care. Ytong has bad moisture retention and is really brittle and easy for ants to dig through, given long enough
Wood nests are decent for some arboreal or dry-loving species, but still kinda has the same problem as acrylic. Because the material itself can't absorb water well, it has bad moisture gradients and some species can still dig through.
'True' 3d printed nests are effectively just acrylic, so still bad.
Gypsum or plaster are by far the best for practically any species. Its ability to soak in water while also retaining its strength makes it like ytong but better in every way. I'd say the only drawback of it compared to ytong is its difficulty to drill or carve into, but that can easily be solved by just pouring molds rather than carving. It looks way better, you can do sand coating for more grip and aesthetics, you can dye it, there are more methods of hydration (water tower, direct hydration) allowing you to more easily change the nest depending on species. If you have a dryer species, like one that would usually nest in dry wood, you don't even have to hydrate it and you basically have an acrylic or wood nest. By far the best looking, most functional nest type available.
For international nests, wakooshi and other gypsum based nests should be the gold standard. I'm honestly not sure why so many countries still use ytong and acrylic, they're blatantly inferior when compared. In the US, ytong and acrylic has pretty much gone extinct for this reason; everyone uses gypsum/plaster.
True the gypsum nests from wakooshi aren’t actually 3D printed on the inside now that I think of it. Thanks for all your valuable insights on the range of nest type. This video was put out to inform people of all the nest types and some of their properties to hopefully find the best nests for their ants. And yes I agree with your preferred nest types especially the wakooshi ones. Thanks