The Benefits of Cycling Nests and Satellite Nests (Nest Waste Management) - AntsCanada Tutorial #19

Summary

In this tutorial, Mikey Bustos, also known as Canada, discusses the importance of environmental change for ants in captivity. He explains that ants in the wild maintain cleanliness through various natural processes. However, in captivity, these processes are absent, necessitating regular nest cycling—moving colonies to new nests every one to two years—to enhance their health and productivity. Bustos also highlights the benefits of satellite nests for population growth, suggesting that providing these can significantly improve ant colonies' well-being.

Takeaways

• 🐜 The importance of a clean and sterile environment for ants in captivity to mimic their natural underground habitat.
• 🌱 Ants have a natural tendency to maintain cleanliness by forming garbage piles and designated bathroom areas to prevent bacterial growth.
• 👶 Ant larvae contribute to nest cleanliness by excreting only once before metamorphosis, keeping the nest environment sterile.
• 🔄 The concept of 'cycling nests' involves moving ant colonies to new nests on a routine basis to promote health and productivity.
• 📈 Cycling nests annually or biannually has been observed to improve ant colony health, brood production, and appetite compared to colonies in the same nest for longer periods.
• 🏠 The benefits of cycling nests are particularly significant for semi-nomadic ant species that are less particular about maintaining a clean environment.
• 🌟 The introduction of 'satellite nests' can lead to population explosions, surpassing the growth rates of colonies in larger, single nests.
• 🔍 Observations of ants moving into tubes or nooks can indicate a need for nest cycling or the provision of satellite nests.
• 🌱 The absence of natural soil cycling and the presence of a constant media in captivity present challenges for maintaining a healthy ant environment.
• 👩‍🔬 The script suggests an upcoming product for hibernating ant colonies, which may also aid in nest cycling.
• 📚 The tutorial emphasizes the need for ant keepers to understand and implement nest cycling and satellite nest strategies to ensure the health and growth of their colonies.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the tutorial presented by Mikey Bustos?

The main topic of the tutorial is the importance of changing the living environment for ants in captivity, including cycling nests and the use of satellite nests to promote healthy ant colony behavior and growth.

Why do ants need to maintain a clean and sterile environment in the wild?

Ants need to maintain a clean and sterile environment in the wild due to the close proximity in which millions of individuals live. This moist environment is a potential breeding ground for bacteria and mold, making cleanliness crucial for the colony's health.

What is trophallaxis and why is it important for ant colonies?

Trophallaxis is the process of food transfer from mouth to mouth within an ant colony. It is important because it helps to keep the internal nest environment clean by ensuring that nothing sits for too long and contributes to the colony's overall cleanliness.

How do ants deal with waste in their wild environment?

In the wild, ants deal with waste by forming garbage piles, carrying the dead to specific areas, and using the meconium excreted by larvae. Additionally, bacteria, fungi, molds, and small mites help break down organic material, maintaining a clean environment.

What challenges do ant keepers face in a captive setting regarding waste management?

In a captive setting, ant keepers face challenges such as the lack of various creatures and organisms to break down waste, as well as the static nature of the soil, which does not move or cycle as it does in the wild.

What is the concept of 'cycling nests' and how often should it be done according to the tutorial?

Cycling nests refers to the practice of moving an ant colony from one nest to another on a routine basis. The tutorial suggests that this should be done once a year or once every two years for optimal colony health and growth.

What benefits did Mikey Bustos observe in ants that were cycled to new nests?

Ants that were cycled to new nests showed earlier brood production, increased appetite, and a higher colony expansion rate compared to those kept in the same nest for the same period.

Why are semi-nomadic ants like the American ant particularly suited to nest cycling?

Semi-nomadic ants are likely less finicky about maintaining a clean and sterile environment because they naturally move locations every year or two in the wild, making them well-adapted to the practice of nest cycling.

What is the significance of providing satellite nests to ant colonies?

Providing satellite nests allows for population explosions, as it gives the ants additional space to expand. This results in greater population growth rates compared to colonies housed in a single, large nest.

What signs indicate that an ant colony needs a nest cycle or a satellite nest?

Signs that an ant colony needs a nest cycle or a satellite nest include the ants moving into tubes or nooks in the outworld, indicating a desire for a new or additional living space.

What product is Mikey Bustos planning to release to assist with ant colony management?

Mikey Bustos is planning to release a hibernation product that will help with both the hibernation of ant colonies and the process of cycling nests.

Outlines

00:00

🐜 Importance of Change in Ant Captive Environments

In this paragraph, Mikey Bustos, also known as Canada, discusses the significance of environmental change for ants kept in captivity. He explains the biological profile of a wild ant colony's underground environment, emphasizing the cleanliness and sterility required to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold. The ants' natural behaviors, such as forming garbage piles, carrying the dead to specific locations, and designated bathroom areas, contribute to maintaining a clean nest. The larvae's unique life cycle also aids in nest cleanliness. The challenges of replicating this natural waste breakdown process in captivity without the symbiotic relationships found in the wild are highlighted, pointing out the need for different techniques to ensure a thriving captive environment.

05:02

🔄 Benefits of Nest Cycling and Satellite Nests for Ant Colonies

This paragraph focuses on the concept of 'nest cycling', which involves moving ant colonies to new nests on a routine basis, such as once or twice a year. Mikey Bustos shares findings from his experiments that show colonies in new nests exhibit earlier brood production, increased appetite, and higher expansion rates compared to those in the same nest for extended periods. The practice is particularly beneficial for semi-nomadic species like the American ants, which may be less particular about cleanliness due to their natural migratory habits. The paragraph also introduces the idea of 'satellite nests', which have been observed to cause population explosions in colonies. Bustos advises on signs that indicate the need for nest cycling or providing satellite nests, such as ants moving into tubes or nooks, and concludes with a teaser for an upcoming hibernation product designed to assist with nest cycling.

Keywords

💡Ants

Ants are social insects known for their complex colonies and cooperative behavior. In the video, ants are the central focus, with the speaker discussing their behavior, care, and management in captivity. The script mentions the importance of understanding ant biology and behavior to ensure their health and well-being in an artificial environment.

💡Captive Environment

A captive environment refers to a controlled setting where animals are kept, such as a zoo or an ant farm. The video discusses the challenges of maintaining a healthy environment for ants in captivity, highlighting the need for cleanliness and the absence of natural waste breakdown processes found in the wild.

💡Change of Environment

The concept of changing the environment is emphasized in the video as crucial for the health and growth of ant colonies. It involves moving ants to a new living space periodically, which can stimulate colony expansion and improve their overall condition. The script uses the term to discuss the benefits of cycling nests, which is a method of changing the ants' environment.

💡Biological Profile

The biological profile of an organism includes its physical, physiological, and behavioral characteristics. In the context of the video, the biological profile of ants is discussed to understand their natural habitat and how it contrasts with a captive setting, emphasizing the need for a clean and sterile environment.

💡Trophallaxis

Trophallaxis is a behavior in ants where they exchange food through mouth-to-mouth contact. The video script mentions this process as a way ants maintain cleanliness within their colonies, as it prevents food from sitting for too long and potentially causing contamination.

💡Meconium

Meconium refers to the first feces produced by an organism, in this case, ants. The video explains that ants excrete meconium only once, right before they pupate, which helps keep the nest clean. This is an example of how ants naturally maintain a sterile environment.

💡Cycling Nests

Cycling nests is a practice discussed in the video where ant colonies are moved from one nest to another at regular intervals. This practice is shown to have benefits such as earlier brood production and higher colony expansion rates, making it an essential part of ant care in captivity.

💡Semi-nomadic

Semi-nomadic refers to a lifestyle that involves regular movement but not constant migration. The video suggests that semi-nomadic ants, like some species in America, may benefit more from cycling nests due to their natural tendency to move and change environments.

💡Satellite Nests

Satellite nests are additional nests provided to an ant colony, separate from the main nest. The video script highlights the benefits of satellite nests, such as population explosions, which occur when ants are given more space to expand and reproduce.

💡Hibernation

Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in some animals, often during winter. The video mentions an upcoming product for hibernating ant colonies, which could also assist with nest cycling, indicating a broader range of care practices for ants in captivity.

💡Ant Nursery

An ant nursery is a facility or setup dedicated to the care and breeding of ants. The video script references the ant nursery as a place where many discoveries about ant behavior and care have been made, emphasizing the importance of research and observation in ant husbandry.

Highlights

The importance of changing the environment for ants in captivity to mimic their natural, clean and sterile underground habitat.

Ants' natural behavior of maintaining cleanliness through garbage piles, carrying the dead, and designated bathroom areas.

Trophallaxis, the process of ants transferring food from mouth to mouth, contributing to nest cleanliness.

The unique way larvae clean the nest by excreting meconium inside their cocoons before metamorphosis.

Wild ants' symbiotic relationship with bacteria, fungi, and other organisms that help break down waste.

Challenges of waste management in captive ant settings due to the absence of natural decomposers.

The concept of 'cycling nests' as a method to improve ant health and productivity in captivity.

Observations that ants in new nests show earlier brood production and higher appetite compared to those in old nests.

The tested benefit of nest cycling for semi-nomadic ants like the American species.

Recommendation to cycle ant nests once or twice a year for optimal health and growth.

The discovery of 'satellite nests' and their role in population explosions within ant colonies.

The greater population growth rates in colonies with satellite nests compared to those in larger single nests.

The rationale behind not creating overly large nests for ants and the benefits of smaller, more frequent nests.

Signs that ants need nest cycling or satellite nests, such as moving into tubes or nooks in the environment.

An upcoming hibernation product to assist with nest cycling and colony management.

The overall recommendation to take care of ant colonies by cycling nests and providing satellite nests for better ant health and growth.

Transcripts

hey what's up guys it's your boy and

Canada here aka Mikey Bustos bringing

you another random but helpful tutorial

on ants P n Scanlan store has a great

and nursery and we've housed so many

ants now and have been able to make some

amazing discoveries on and keeping and

ant behavior I guess something like that

is inevitable when your housing close to

100 colonies events over the course of

two years it's really been amazing how

many different things we've been able to

discover regarding the lives of ants and

techniques that allow for them to truly

thrive in the captive environment now

one of the things we've discovered is

the importance of change and when I say

change we mean in particular a change of

environment a change of living space now

before I go on to talk about change the

element of change and the importance of

change of living space I want to take us

back first to examine the biological

profile of a wild underground

environment

now the ants themselves are fairly clean

you know and they have to be if you

consider the living space they live in

out in the wild it's an underground

environment you have sometimes millions

of individuals living in close proximity

to each other its moist

and you know it's definitely a potential

breeding ground for a lot of bacteria

mold etc so the ants naturally have to

stay as clean and sterile as they can

it's evident when you see and forming

garbage piles in certain areas of the

nest or above the ground or when you see

them carry the dead somewhere else or

even when you notice that the ants are

going to a bath the bathroom you know in

a certain place ants will even transfer

through trophallaxis the process is

called food from mouth to mouth so

nothing really sits there for too long

even the larvae themselves are built to

keep the internal nest environment clean

throughout their entire lives they only

go to the bathroom once right before pew

patient they excrete what's called the

meconium which is a fecal pellet and

appears as a black dot on the tip of the

cocoon now the meconium is excreted

inside the cocoon which keeps the

surrounding area clean and sterile and

benefits the entire colony now anyways

that is in the nest in the wild gets

dealt with how by bacteria that break

down the organic material fungus

different molds microorganisms or even

small mites you know that come along and

break down the food we even had a video

of very small crustaceans known as and

place

that eat aunt poop you know so there's a

symbiotic relationship there and

generally in a wild ants living space

you've got this big community of

different organisms that are providing

food and breaking it down etc now the

challenge in a captive setting of course

is you don't have that luxury of you

know the different creatures and

organisms breaking down their waste

unless you're scooping up soil from the

wild and using it in their setup you're

not going to get that same kind of I

guess cycling you know and also in the

wild the soil is always in constant

motion

you know the ants bring soil up to the

surface it gets washed away you know and

they dig new tunnels and just the soil

is always moving whereas in a captive

setting you essentially have the same

media there so these are certain

challenges that and keepers have to face

and we've certainly noticed many things

keeping ants in captivity so now I'm

going to talk about the importance of

cycling nests

now what's cycling nests cycling nests

really is just moving our colony from

one nest to another on routine you know

and I'm not talking about having a

colony move every week to a new nest or

every month to a new nest I'm talking

once a year once every two years and

this is something we've tested as well

ants that were placed in the new nest

the following year did very well brew

production started earlier the appetite

was big colony expansion rate was higher

than those colonies of the same species

and age under the same temperature and

who

conditions that were housed in the same

nest for two years and we found that

cycling nests was especially beneficial

for ants that are known to be

semi-nomadic like America and I suspect

that semi-nomadic ants just naturally

are less finicky about keeping their

environment clean and sterile seeing as

you know they're always moving once a

year or once every two years

get your hands to move into a new form

aquarium take their old form aquarium

wash it out wash out all that gunk put

it on hold for the following year and if

you'd like you at home can also test

this if you have several colonies keep

an ant colony in one form aquarium and

keep another colony in a form aquarium

but cycle their nests every year and

you'll see a big difference just as we

have at the ant nursery another thing

we've discovered at the end canola and

store and nursery is the importance of

satellite nests now we found population

explosions occur when we add an

additional nest to a colony and these

population explosions are greater than

the population growth rates of those

colonies of the same species and age

again under the same temperature and

food conditions that were housed in a

super huge nest you know with more than

ample room for them to expend people

have asked why doesn't the ants Canada

and store create super huge huge huge

formic area three foot by two foot nests

and this is why we don't so we wanted to

express and recommend to all of you the

importance of cycling your nests once or

twice a year having them move out clean

out their illness etc and the importance

of providing satellite nests a separate

nest from the maintenance that the ants

can kind of like move themselves the

brood the Queen interchangeably

definitely see a difference that's

something we highly recommend signs that

your hands are really need you to

provide a cycling of nests and or a

satellite nest or nests or when you

notice ends have after living perfectly

and happily in a nest you see them

moving into a tube in a nook or cranny

in your out world if you ever see that

then you know they need either a cycling

of nests or they need a satellite nest

provided to them so that's it for now

hope this video helps you out and we

wish you all the best we are coming out

with a hibernation product very very

soon to help you hibernate your colonies

but which will also help with cycling

nests take care of those ends and spread

the ant love and spending