The Pioneer is a large ant habitat from Tar Heel Ants. This "long" formicarium features white, sand-coated interior (brown sand interior optional) is intended for maturing colonies to mature colonies. Each Pioneer formicarium comes with two-levels of chambers for medium to large species and three for small (and an increase in cost as well).
Watch the video below for an overview of the original Pioneer habitat. See photos accompanying this product for more recent versions.
Features:
- Dimenions: 15" x 3.5" x 3.5" Nest and Foraging Area
- Top-mounted foraging area
- Removable vent optional
- Optional foraging area styles
- Interior nest options: Embedded stones (quartz, crystals, etc.), alternative layout options available with customization requests (email us at tarheelants@gmail.com to discuss your designs)
- Dual Large Water Towers (Screen covered apparatus inside habitat for humidity)
- Nestmates - Optional for an increased fee (additional modifications for hydration and ventilation)
- Paint and high gloss finished for durability and moisture retention
- One-of-a-kind hand-molded nest chambers using methods developed in house for molding sand-coated chambers. Stalactites and other decor optional.
Here are some links to the individual options videos:
Brief Q&A that may explain some options for this formicarium:
- What's the difference with Museum glass?
Museum Glass gives a 95% glare reduction versus standard glass. It is also called "invisible glass" and is purely a cosmetic option for our viewing. It is money well spent if you plan on doing many videos and/or photos.
- What does add a second side mean...glass on back?
Second side: The second side of the Pioneer nest adds an additional side to the opposite "main" viewing side. This is the same size but of course a different design but similar to the main side. This side also comes with magnets and glass attached.
- Are they expandable...so if my colony is successful, can a second Pioneer be attached by tubing port(s)?
Expandable nest? YES! The Pioneer comes with a side port that is 1/2" (13mm) diameter. You can attach tubing to this port and connect other habitats.
- I'm getting the smaller sp. of Pogonomyrmex, but assume Large would still be best "classification" for design?
Pogonomyrmex spp. in general are large ants. Even the smaller species of these are large "medium-sized" ants. I would recommend a medium sized nest for them because the chambers and tunnels for the Pioneer are larger on average than some of our other nests.
****Please indicate in the comment section what color (gold, chrome, red, blue, black, etc.) for the exterior finish of your Longhouse. Email us for any questions!
***Please NOTE! This formicarium, like all of our other formicaria, are hand-made-to-order. Planning, preparation, and a lot of care go into every single formicaria, every single order. We strive to get your orders completed as soon as we can but as volume of orders picks up during the busy seasons (November through January and May to August/September) we cannot meet our normal quoted shipping times. Please order in advance if possible to give us time to get your formicaria shipped in time to meet your needs. The Pioneer will take between 4-6 weeks to complete during normal business periods, and longer during peak seasons.
