Experience Nature's Tiniest Engineers
Explore the fascinating world of eusocial insects with expert guidance: from beginner-friendly colonies to industry-leading nests, we'll kickstart your ant-keeping experience!
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The most loved by our community.
Substratum Sand Ant Nest
Foraging Area Included Engineered Sandy Substrate Regional Watering Ports Four Spacer Choices Standing or Shelf Configuration TrapJaw's Substratum™ Nest Natural excavation. Engineered control. Most formicaria offer either a natural digging environment or a clear, manageable view of the colony. Substratum was designed to provide both. Your ants excavate their own tunnels and chambers inside a professionally developed substrate-based system, built around the way ants live in the wild. Spacers Choose from four widths or follow the recommendation for your selected species. The spacer sets how much depth the ants have to dig. A thinner spacer improves visibility, but that means that they are more restricted in nest construction and overall capacity. Ultimately, the choice is yours! Engineered Substrate After nearly two years of testing, we’ve settled on the perfect mix. Our substrate has improved structural properties, retains moisture, and stays off the panel so you have an unrivaled view into the ants’ underground world. Regional Watering & Humidity Control Four regional watering ports let you create moist and dry areas throughout the nest, allowing the colony to choose the conditions they need for different types of chambers. For example, you can watch as your harvester ants store their seeds in a dry granary, while lower chambers are reserved for moisture-loving eggs and larvae. PVA sponges provide humidity into the lower chambers, where the queen is likely to settle in. Versatility Substratum may be configured to stand upright on the included legs, or mounted to a shelf with the included 3M velcro dots for an immersive viewing experience. Additionally, a separate nest module can be purchased for a double-nest configuration on a single foraging area. The nest ships with 3/8" and 1/2" AntDock ports and a 16mm TubeDock, so the setup can grow with the colony. Run vinyl tubing out to another foraging area, place a standard 16x150mm test tube straight into the foraging area, or close a port off entirely with the included AntDock blocker. Approximate Dimensions Nest: 5.75" long, 7.75" tall, variable width Included Medium Foraging Area: 8" long, 6" wide, ~4.5" tall Assembled (standing): 9.5" long, 6" wide, 11" tall What’s in the box 1× Nest w/ Insert 1× Medium Foraging Area 1× Legs (Standing Configuration) 2× 3M Velcro Dots (Shelf Configuration) 1× Bag of Substrate 1× Plastic Funnel 2× Heating Cable Clips • Hex Wrench & Foraging Area Attachment Screws • 3/8" & 1/2" AntDock Ports 1× AntDock Blocker 1× 16mm TubeDock 1× Syringe with Blunt-Tip Needle 1× Instruction Card Recommended accessories Liquid Feeder or Test Tube Required Your ants need fresh drinking water in the foraging area. Fluon Escape Barrier Optional Extra insurance against escapes while you work in the foraging area. Heating Cable Optional Some species grow faster with supplemental heat. Clips are in the box.
Arboreal Ant Nest
Wood and Acrylic Inserts Optional Humidity Supply Adjustable Ventilation System Upright or Hanging Configuration Pre-Assembled TrapJaw’s Arboreal Nest Provides a unique opportunity to display cavity-nesting and arboreal ants. Designed for species that have lower humidity requirements and benefit from verticality, these nests provide modular setup options: Spacers Small (4.5mm) and large (9.5mm) spacer sizes allow you to choose the right option for your ant species. Size and pairing We generally recommend pairing a nest with its same-sized foraging area. Small (2"x4") & Medium (4"x6") Nests Compatible with all TJL Foraging Areas Large (8"x8") Nests Compatible with Medium and Large Foraging Areas Real Wood Each nest comes assembled with an oak wood insert that can be switched out with an included white acrylic insert before moving ants inside. More insert styles are coming soon. Humidity & Hydration Specialty PVA sponges supply optional humidity into the chambers. Arboreal Nests must be used in combination with fresh drinking water supplied in the foraging area. Please see the Compatible Species list above for the ant species we have evaluated for compatibility in our Arboreal Nests. Contact us for help ensuring proper formicarium selection for your ants. Adjustable Ventilation Thoughtfully-placed ventilation holes allow the keeper to increase or reduce airflow into the nest. During setup, simply flip the viewing plate over to exclude the ventilation holes and ensure higher humidity and improved security to prevent even the tiniest ants from escaping. Nests with large spacers come with ventilation holes exposed, and nests with small spacers are assembled with the holes excluded. Versatility Arboreal nests may be configured to stand upright with the foraging area or allowed to hang off the side of a shelf for an immersive viewing experience. What’s in the box 1× Assembled Arboreal Nest 1× Wood Insert 1× Acrylic Insert 1× Hex Wrench • Foraging Area Attachment Screws • Heating Cable Clips 1× Syringe with Blunt-Tip Needle 1× Instruction Card Recommended Accessories Foraging Area The nest attaches to it, and that’s where your ants forage. Required Liquid Feeder or Test Tube Your ants need fresh drinking water in the foraging area. Required Heating Cable Some species grow faster with supplemental heat. Optional
Foraging Areas
Scratch-Resistant Acrylic Frosted Barrier Rim Ventilated Magnetic Lid AntDock Port Connections Four Size Choices TrapJaw’s Foraging Areas Everything your colony does outside the nest happens here. Made in-house from premium acrylic, each foraging area attaches to a TJL nest or works as an outworld for a test tube setup. Available in four sizes (or contact us for a custom order): Durable Cast Acrylic Every panel is cut from premium cast acrylic, so the view stays clear through years of feeding, cleaning and rearranging. Unlike extruded or injection-molded models available elsewhere, our foraging areas are designed to maintain their aesthetic and functional value for years to come. They are scratch-resistant and clearer than glass! Sizes and ports Every size shares the same rim, lid and port hardware. Small (6"L x 4"W x 4"H) 1 AntDock Port Medium (8"L x 6"W x 4"H) 2 AntDock Ports Large (10"L x 8"W x 5"H) 4 AntDock Ports Extra Tall (10"L x 8"W x 10"H) 4 AntDock Ports Frosted Barrier Rim An acrylic rim runs around the top of the foraging area, giving a Fluon or oil barrier an upside-down, super smooth surface for superior escape prevention. Taking lessons learned from our work as museum exhibit designers, we’ve implemented frosted acrylic to obscure the barrier to improve display aesthetics without affecting use. Ventilated Magnetic Lid A rigid lid attaches with magnets and provides ventilation through our flexible stainless steel mesh vents. These vents can be removed to increase airflow, as long as an effective escape barrier has been applied. Ports & Connections Each foraging area comes equipped with one to four ports depending on size, with 3/8" and 1/2" AntDock connectors included for use with vinyl tubing. Run tubing out to a nest or a second foraging area, place a standard 16x150mm test tube straight into the foraging area, or close a port off entirely with an AntDock blocker. Nest pairing We generally recommend pairing a nest with its same-sized foraging area. Substratum Sand Ant Nest Ships with a Medium Foraging Area Small (2"x4") & Medium (4"x6") Arboreal Nests Compatible with all TJL Foraging Areas Large (8"x8") Arboreal Nests Compatible with Medium and Large Foraging Areas What’s in the box 1× Foraging Area 1× Ventilated Magnetic Lid 1× Hex Wrench • 3/8" & 1/2" AntDock Ports • AntDock Blockers Recommended accessories Fluon Escape Barrier Optional The frosted rim is made for it! Liquid Feeder or Test Tube Optional Your ants need fresh drinking water in the foraging area. Vinyl Tubing Optional Connects the foraging area to a nest or to another foraging area.
Pogonomyrmex occidentalis
Western Harvester Ants Pogonomyrmex occidentalis is an iconic mound-building harvester of the Great Plains and Intermountain West, ranging from the western Dakotas and Nebraska south through Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico and west into Utah, Nevada, and east-central California, holding to higher-elevation grassland, sagebrush, and pinyon-juniper clearings rather than true desert. Colonies raise a conical mound up to 135 cm across and shingle it with gravel carried in from the surrounding surface, substituting freely where gravel is scarce: gypsum, selenite, lignite, petrified wood, snail shells, and, in North Dakota, the teeth of small extinct mammals (Wheeler and Wheeler 1963).
From the Colony Lab Notebook
Latest care tips, species spotlights, research, and community updates.
How To Find And Catch A Queen Ant After A Nuptial Flight
When queen ants fly, where they land, how to blacklight for them, what to bring, and how to get your queen home safely to a test tube.
Best PVA Test Tube Sponge For Ants? 5 Setups Tested
Results from testing TJL sponges against cotton and three other test tube sponges.
New Discovery: Fungus-Farmers Can Be Reared In TJL Sponges
Why we founded 50+ Trachymyrmex septentrionalis (Northern Fungus-farming Ant) queens with TJL sponges this year, and why it's now our preferred method for founding them.
Learn About Ant-Keeping
Become an expert ant-keeper with our hand-crafted guides and educational articles.
Trying to care for your colony?
Our Care Advisor will walk you through everything you need to know.