Heating

Not always. Most common species do fine at room temperature. Warmth speeds up brood development, so a warm spot helps founding queens and small colonies grow faster, especially in a cool house.

Aim for a warm end, not a warm nest. Heat one part and leave the rest at room temperature, so the colony can move its brood to the spot it prefers.

• A reptile heat cable that passes through the straight heat channel without forcing it.
• A thermostat and probe, every time. An uncontrolled cable can overheat a colony.
• A thermometer to check the warm area.

Set the thermostat so the warm end sits at about 75–82 °F, and keep every part of the nest under about 85 °F. Tape the probe to the outside of the nest at the warm end, so it reads what the ants feel rather than the room air.

Fit the cable and run it for a day before the colony moves in. That way you can adjust the thermostat without disturbing anyone.

The straight Founder channel runs front to back beneath the warm brood chamber. Thread a cable and thermostat probe without forcing them. They stay separate from the ants. Keep the humid right side cooler and check temperature before adding the colony.

A straight front-to-back channel runs beneath the warm brood chamber on the left. Thread the heat cable without forcing it and use a thermostat.

Leave the humid right side cooler. Heating near water increases evaporation and condensation. The two slide-in lids open independently, left toward the front and right toward the back.

Two straight channels run side to side beneath the outer chambers. Each channel warms two colonies. Use one for half the unit, or both; each active heat source needs thermostat control.

Install and check temperatures before adding ants. A channel affects a pair of colonies, so pair species with compatible heat and winter needs. Never assume one quadrant is cold while its shared channel is heated.

The Scout has no heating channel, and founding queens do well at room temperature. If your room stays below about 70 °F, you can warm the port end: set it over a small heat mat or cable on a thermostat, with the test-tube end off the heat.

Never heat the test tube. Warm water fogs the tube and the chamber with condensation, and droplets can drown eggs and young brood.

Many native species from places with cold winters need a winter rest, called diapause, to stay healthy and keep laying. Carpenter ants (Camponotus), cornfield ants (Lasius) and field ants (Formica) are common examples.

• From late fall, turn the heat off and let the colony cool gradually over a week or two.
• Keep it at about 45–55 °F for around three months. A wine fridge set in that range works well, or a basement or unheated room if a thermometer shows it holds steady there.
• Keep the water topped up. The colony eats little or nothing, so offer only small amounts of food.
• In spring, warm it back up gradually, then turn the heat on again.

Species from places without real winters, and tropical species, don't need a rest. If you're not sure, look up your species.

• Run every heat source through a thermostat.
• Keep nests out of direct sun. Sun through a window can overheat a nest quickly.
• Don't cross the heat cable over itself or bunch up the spare length. Loop the extra loosely, away from the nest.
• No heat lamps or space heaters aimed at a nest. PETG and acrylic can warp if they get hot.