The AntsCanada Ant Forum's

I have had a Omni nest large but only recently I was able to use it and I encountered a lasting problem.
I am keeping solenopsis xyloni in it as of now and they have 20 or so workers. The problem is that they keep finding ways into the hydration chambers and are trying to escape. I need help and I don't know how or why they are getting inside. I have tried putting cotton inside with the sponge to make it more pressurized so that it pushes the mesh firmly against the walls but they still are getting in. Should I change the sponges to all cotton? I don't know. Please help.
If I can't fix it then I will sell it or trade it for a nest or nests of equal value but I don't want an AC nest.

I believe MB himself has encountered this issue with some harder-to-keep species. Have you tried pushing some cotton into the holes with a needle or something?

Are they going straight through the mesh? If so, i'd just seal another mesh screen over the existing one to cause the holes to be even smaller. You'd have to line it up right. While making an outworld, i created air holes using Mesh Screen Patches that are used to repair Screen doors. You could try that.

The ones i got look like these. Little 2x2in i believe squares.
http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/1000/7e/7e80d172-6b6f-4f8a-aeee-fd6e7a932d37_1000.jpg

Sorry I forgot to reply, but I just removed the mesh and stuck cotton in the corridors touching the sponge.

I have brought this up to Mikey and ooper01 , they might have some insight for you and the issues your having with the AC Omni nest.

Thanks MadVampy for showing me this post. With smaller ant species, and especially escape artists like Solenopsis, we have seen this problem. Your solution of replacing the mesh with cotton has been used by others and has proven to be effective. I suggest you stick with that.