ANTCUBE Starter Set for Harvester Ants – L – Popcorn

This starter set is specially designed for grain collecting ant species of the genus Messor or Pogonomyrmex. The farm with the popcorn plate is intended for the storage of grains and ant bread, and should therefore be kept completely dry to prevent grains/seeds stored there by the ants from germinating or becoming moldy.

The second farm with the “terra nidum” plate is intended as the nesting and brood area for the ant colony. This should always be kept slightly moist.

Description of the Terra nidum plate: The Terra nidum (lat. earth nest) plate made of diggable material is a perfect fit for our ANTCUBE ant farms. It can be used both dry and wet. It is also suitable for many ant species, especially those nesting in sand and in (dead) wood. It can be used instead of sand-loam mixtures or the nest inserts made of cork. The advantage of this nest is that the wetting of the plate is easier to control due to a well visible discoloration and the coloration of the plate offers a super contrast to the usually darker ant species. In addition, the inner panes of the ant farm cannot be soiled with substrate, as is the case, for example, with sand-clay mixtures, which allows a perfect view into the nest. Our nest material also has a much firmer structure, so that passages and chambers dug by ants do not collapse.

Important: Please moisten the substrate before use so that the mixture can combine and develop a firm hold in the ant farm. In addition, a dry and dusty substrate can lead to the respiratory tract of the ants being blocked and the animals suffocating in the worst case.

Recommendation: We recommend a 2 mm layer of substrate to prevent the animals from burrowing into the arena and instead use the designated farm. We also recommend lightly pricking the nesting material in the farm (sand/clay, digfix, terra nidum, etc.) at one point to make it easier for the animals to dig in.

Notes on production

The glass is cut according to DIN 1249 with a tolerance of +/- 1mm. In case of extremely small ants an additional breakout protection is essential.

Note on the farm

When attaching or detaching hoses, please note the following:

If the tubing is very difficult to fit onto the connector bushing, the bushing should be lightly rubbed with a drop of our breakout protection oil or powder. The hose should then be pushed onto the bushing by twisting or screwing movements without stressing the bushing with up and down movements. The same applies when removing the hoses from the connection socket of the farm. Please do not simply pull them off!

Note on terra nidum: The natural color shade can vary between beige / sand and light brown. The color shade has no influence on the quality.

Due to manufacturing, the dimensions may vary by +/- 1mm

Included parts:

1x Cricket Jam
1x grain food minor 100g

1x ANTCUBE – Arena 20x20x10 – flat
1x ant arena frame 20×20
1x ant arena cover 20×20
1x fixing points for arena cover 4 pcs.
2x ANTCUBE – Ant farm – L – 20×20 – upright

1x ANTCUBE – Digfix Terra nidum 20×20 – L – beige
1x Popcorn Nest 20×20 – L

1x 1m tube transparent 20/16 mm
2x ANTCUBE – Red foil 20×20 – filter
2x adhesive clips – transparent 2 pcs.
1x substrate – desert – 1 kg

2x grid insert – 50mm – stainless steel
1x grid insert – 27mm – stainless steel
1x grid cap – 16mm – stainless steel

1x tank hose connector 27-14,16,20 mm – transparent
1x feed dispenser 2ml – dosable
1x drinking trough clear 20ml – sponge
1x bowl clear 1×20 – sponge
1x Mini thermo-hygrometer analog – display – hanging
1x Ant escape protection oil 10ml
1x Tweezers spring steel – wide – soft
1x Tweezers plastic transparent
1x Plastic pipette 3ml
1x hand magnifier – 2x – 30mm
1x foam wiper 150x18x2,5mm
1x photo back – desert – 20×10