Watering: humidity and drinking water

Ants drink from damp surfaces, and their brood needs humidity. Each American Ant nest keeps one area damp and the rest drier, so the colony can choose where to be.

A nest reservoir supplies humidity through its printed mesh floor. It is not drinking water. Provide a separate drinking source at all times. Cotton is still used in Scout water tubes, not inside the built-in reservoirs.

The Scout's water is its 16 mm test tube. The damp cotton faces the queen chamber through a small opening, so the queen can drink and the chamber stays humid.

Check the water line regularly and replace dirty cotton promptly. Both V1 and V2 include their tube. When the colony needs more room, Link to Founder through a Riser or Trailhead; keep fresh drinking water available on the new side.

Fill the front-right fill/overflow hole with a syringe or squeeze bottle. Stop when water runs back out and fit the included Fill Plug. Moisture rises through the printed mesh floor into the humidity chamber.

Check the reservoir for leaks before adding ants; top up as the level drops. Provide drinking water separately in a linked outworld or water tube.

The right-end fill/overflow hole tops up one built-in reservoir beneath both humidity chambers. Stop when water runs back out, then fit the Fill Plug.

The queen chamber sits between the humidity chambers. Test for leaks before adding ants and maintain a separate drinking source.

Each quadrant has its own reservoir, fill/overflow hole and Fill Plug. Fill each separately until water returns from its hole, then close it. Keep the four colonies independent.

Provide each colony with its own drinking water. Separate reservoirs are not a guarantee against mold: remove old food, keep tools clean and check water regularly.

Trailhead and Frontiers do not have nest humidity reservoirs. Provide drinking water separately, such as a water-filled tube secured with cotton in the feeding area. Frontier trays are molded into the floor. The planned Dew Tube will serve AA-01 ports after its design and fit are confirmed.

• Too dry: check the reservoir level or Scout tube and top up or refresh the drinking source.
• Too wet: stop adding water if chambers pool, reduce unnecessary heat and check ventilation. A Vent Plug lets air through a closed port.
• Persistent leaks or pooling: move the colony to a safe prepared home and contact us before reusing the nest.

A little condensation near the water is normal.