The Best Ant Nest on the Market: Our New Ytong Formicarium Collection
Updated: 1 day ago
Designed for beginners, built for perfection. If you are starting your journey into ant keeping, choosing the right nest is one of the most important decisions you will make.
After more than three years of development, testing and continuous improvement, we proudly introduce our newest generation of Ytong nests: a collection that is beginner-friendly and engineered to be the best ant nest on the market. Our previous version earned more than 200 five-star reviews, and this upgraded lineup takes quality, performance and design a step further.
What Is a Ytong Ant Nest?
Ytong is aerated concrete, a porous material that behaves like a sponge. It absorbs moisture and spreads it through the nest, which gives your ants a stable and healthy environment.
Every nest material has its own strengths:
Acrylic nests give an excellent view of your colony, but need a separate way to keep part of the nest moist.
Test tubes are simple and ideal for founding colonies, but offer limited space.
Natural setups look beautiful, but you see less of your colony.
Ytong combines good hydration, a natural look and a clear view of your colony, which makes it a great all-round choice for most species.
Why Our Ytong Nests Are Different
Every nest is:
Designed and produced in Schinveld, the Netherlands
Built with precision using a custom 3D-printed outer shell
Reinforced with stainless steel mesh and screws
Engineered to prevent escapes, even if ants dig into the Ytong
What makes them stand out:
Good moisture retention without leaking
A safe hydration port with built-in mesh
A clear view of your colony with strong contrast
Durable, high-end construction
Suitable for almost every ant species
These nests are the result of years of refinement and real-world testing.
Type A vs Type B: Choosing the Right Series
Our collection is divided into two series. Choosing the right one is simple: small ants go in Type A, large ants in Type B.
Type A (Red): Precision for Smaller Species
Type A is designed to be used vertically. It has narrow, straight chambers and is ideal for ants under 10 mm, such as Lasius niger, Tetramorium and Myrmica.
Type B (Green): Space for Larger Species
Type B is designed to be used horizontally. It has larger, square chambers and is ideal for ants over 10 mm, such as Camponotus ligniperda, Camponotus nicobarensis and larger Messor species.
The Full Size Range: From Founding to XL
Each series comes in five sizes, so your setup can grow with your colony:
When to Upgrade
Follow this simple rule: move your colony when they fill about half of the nest, and choose a new nest they can fill about halfway as well. This keeps the humidity in balance, reduces stress and helps your colony grow.
Hydration System: The Core of Every Great Formicarium
Hydration is where Ytong really shines. Each nest has a dedicated hydration port with embedded stainless steel mesh, so you can safely add water without any risk of escapes. Add a little water when the Ytong starts to look lighter; it should look darker, but never wet. The Ytong slowly absorbs and spreads the moisture, which creates a natural gradient from moist to dry.
A few tips:
Ytong works like a sponge and needs time to absorb water, so wait a while before adding more.
Darker Ytong means more moisture.
Do not overwater, especially with Type A. In a vertical nest, water travels downward quickly.
In a horizontal nest like Type B, moisture spreads more evenly and predictably.
Heating Your Nest
Heating matters, and many beginners get this wrong. Heat a Ytong nest from above, and do not place the nest on top of a heat mat or heat cable. Heat from below causes condensation, disrupts the humidity balance and can stress your colony. A heat source on top of one part of the nest creates a natural temperature gradient, so your ants can choose where they want to be.
Moving Your Ants Into a Ytong Nest
Moving your colony is simple if you do it right. Connect the new nest to the outworld, apply gentle heat to the new nest and let the ants move on their own. They will relocate to the better environment by themselves. Once they have moved, disconnect the old nest and enjoy your upgraded setup.
Maintenance and Longevity
These nests are built to last for years. Clean them with a toothbrush under running water, and be gentle, as Ytong is a soft material. To prevent mould, avoid giving a small colony a nest that is too large, because small colonies may store waste inside the nest.
Pro tip: take a photo of your nest when it arrives dry. This gives you a perfect reference for moisture levels later.
Why Choose Ytong?
Ytong keeps humidity more stable than many other materials, looks more natural than a test tube, and gives you more visibility and control than a natural setup. If you want a nest that grows with your colony, Ytong is a great next step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ytong safe for ants?
Yes. It is one of the safest and most widely used materials in ant keeping.
Can Ytong mould?
Yes, but only if it is misused. This usually happens when a colony is too small for the nest.
Does it dry out quickly?
No. Ytong holds moisture very well.
Which size should I choose?
Pick a size your colony can fill about halfway.
Start Your Colony the Right Way
If you are just starting out, the best way to begin is our Founding Ytong Nest + Outworld Starting Set. It gives you everything you need to start your colony the right way, using the same system trusted by experienced keepers.
This collection is the result of years of engineering, hundreds of customer reviews and continuous improvement. And now it is available for you.
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