The AntsCanada Ant Forum's

I have a colony of western harvester ants (pogo occidentalis) that the spousal unit got me for our anniversary. Right now, they're quite content in an AC hybrid mini attached to an AC outworld with the desert biome (I wanted them to feel at home). The queen is Peggy Sue and the workers are the Farm Girls, because Reasons. Anyway, the tubing between the nest and the outworld is very short. I have their nest, Xena and her Warrior Princess (Campo Penn) in a mini omni, and Billie Jean (Campo Discolor) in an ant tower mini all on a small table wrapped neatly in a heating cord. All are doing well, but it's crowded. Biggest concern is that I have some VERY interested cats enjoy watching them crawling around just a bit too much. I'm concerned about the possibility of curious paws. Granted, if they free the pogos, I will have some sorry and wiser kitties, but I'd prefer not to have the whole house crawling with irritated stinging Farm Girls, so my plan is to move my set-ups onto a shelf on the wall.

Here's the problem. The Farm Girls can't climb, and I'm not entirely sure how to go about fitting their nest and outworld on a shelf. With the Campos, I could have the nest on one shelf and the outworld on another, but that won't work with ants that can't climb up and down tubing. Suggestions? Shelf is about two feet long. I could, in a pinch, possibly crowd them both on the shelf, but it would make maintenance rather difficult. One thing I'm spitballing about is possibly putting a bit of glue down a tube, dumping in some sand, and letting it dry to make an ant ladder, but I don't know how safe that would be for the ants.

Making an ant ladder is a genius idea but maybe you should not put glue in the tube because it could jam the tube (you could if the tube is wide enough). What you could do is put some glue on some skinny strings and feed toes true the tube making them stick to the side of the tube. If you do put glue in the tube you could use a wooden stick to unclog the tube.

You don't think the glue itself would cause any problems? It's a big tube, one of the bigger ones that fits the AC set-ups, so not too worried about clogs. I figured I could use Elmer's school glue, just wanted to make sure it would be safe for the ants.

You mite have to let it sit when its made so the fumes can be unconsecrated but if you are using school glue it should be fine for ants. but I am not completely certain.

Worth a try, ta!