OUR ACRYLIC NESTS

Our range of purpose-built acrylic formicaria! Each design has been carefully engineered to house ant colonies throughout all stages of their development, and are well suited for virtually all ant species, big and small.

The materiaL

Acrylic, also known as Plexiglas or Perspex, is a transparent thermoplastic. The material is lightweight and robust. Each of our nests are comprised of 5 separate sheets of acrylic. Once screwed together and assembled as a formicarium, these sheets form a solid, structure, that is both water retentive and escape proof. A perfect environment for a thriving ant colony! 

so HOW do WE DO IT?

First, using a laser cutting machine, we cut out the 5 separate sheets of acrylic (1 white, 1 coloured, and 3 clear). Tiny holes are cut into the front plate for ventilation and hydration purposes. Then, by hand, we screw all these sheets together and add in some colourful mold resistant sponges. These sponges are used to control the nests’ humidity levels. To ensure the exposed screws don’t scratch the surface of your tabletop, bench, or shelf. We fit some smooth dome nuts onto their feet.

The base plate of acrylic, where the ants reside on, is a slightly transparent white, allowing for both light to bounce off, and shine through. This makes illuminating your ants for observation and photography a breeze.

The entrance to the nests attach up to its sides and are designed to holster vinyl tubing of 13mm in diameter. It also features a gate system! With use of a small, clear acrylic slide, the ants can be secured solely within the nest, if needed.

To hydrate the nests, water is simply injected into the water reservoirs through the small holes positioned above them (best done with a syringe). The sponges within these reservoirs absorb up this moisture, and then through capillary action, the moisture slowly seeps through the tiny gaps between each slide of the acrylic. Providing the ants with a slow and steady release of humidity, as well a clean source of drinking water.

WHY CHOOSE ACRYLIC?

As our acrylic formicaria are tightly sealed, it makes them an excellent option for the smaller ant species, which may be able to squeeze through tiny gaps and escape alternative nesting media (such as ytong). The robust nature of acrylic also allows it to be reused many times over. Simply move your colony out, disassemble the nest, give it a good clean under some hot water, reassemble, and it’s ready to house ants once again! These formicaria are built to go the distance!

To see our acrylic nests in use, we highly recommend checking out this video below.