Cute small Ant Nest with secret tunnels

Hi there!

This is the second version of an ant nest that i designed a couple months ago.

This design includes:

• water reservoir (sponge) to keep the moisture
  • be careful since the wall infront of the sponge is just one layer thick!
• secret tunnels for the ants to discover
• Artificial visible tunnels to nest in
• Tunnels that can be dug by the ants on the other side (recommended to fill with soil or sand)

Before you start

Be aware that this is an ant nest for real animals. So take care! The diameter of the tunnels is 5mm and the chambers are quite small. Keep that in mind when deciding which colony to pick. This nest fits perfectly the needs of Lasius Niger and similar species. 

Instructions

1. Get a box that the printed file will fit in. I got this one from amazon: https://amzn.to/3Ji6tGn

2. Cut a sponge to the size of 6cm x 3cm x 2cm as seen in the image below

3. Print the file - it will pause mid print.

4. Squeeze the sponge in the hole, as seen in the images below. Be careful and try to not move the print

5. Continue the print (please watch it for a couple of minutes, because the next layers will be printed into the air)
6. Insert some sand or soil into the backside of the nest

7. (OPTIONAL) Seal the gaps of the print with sillicone , this will prevent the ants from not using the tunnels

8.  Drop your ants in the nest and have fun!