Should I put my Camponotus colony in an ac hybrid nest?

[BeanMonster]

What's up guys, it's BeanMonster. I was just wondering if it was a good idea to get my C. Castaneus colony an AC Hybrid Nest. Currently, they are at a head count of 27 and a ton of brood (including majors). So far, the colony is too big for even my largest test tubes and I needed to give them two just to house them. I'm not sure whether it is a good idea to buy a ac hybrid nest for them because it is so big and I fear it might stress them out. Although, it is probably the highest quality nest for them and it is also a long term nest. Just wanting some advice on whether it is a good idea to move them into one or not.


Thanks,
BeanMonster64

[DontSquishTheAnt]

I would suggest waiting until they are at least 50 workers strong.

[Hunter36o]

It would not hurt to order it anyway and get it on a mid to low priority delivery. This would give the colony time to increase in numbers by the time it gets to you.
Normally I would agree with the wait for 50 workers but if you are already adding more test tubes to house the colony then it might be an idea to go with the nest a bit sooner. How old is the colony and how long did it take to get to the 27 head count? I am not familiar with their growth rate but it also depends on that. If it took forever to get to 27 then the answer is no but if they came out of hibernation and boomed in growth then the answer is yes.

Hope this helps.

[Acutus3399]

I bought 2 of the Hybrid complete setups and I love the Hybrid nests. However in the Starter Kit there is a smaller "Nest" box (It's maybe 3"x2" inches don't have it in front of me) that allows test tubes to be attached (up to 4). this sounds like what you would need until you get a few more workers.

Good Luck!

[Acutus3399]

I found what I was talking about on the AC Store. Here it is

https://www.AntsCanada.com/shop/ac-test-tube-portal/

[Antfan]

I would wait for them to reach 70+ workers untill you move them into your nest you bought!

Hope this helps!