Qbik
QBIK WILD is the ultimate system where natural material configuration meets the existing modular and adaptive capacity.
These ant nests allow you to obtain the best conditions from the founding stage of the colony, with only the queen, through to a fully developed nest with thousands of workers.
This range features finishes made with materials in harmony with the natural environments where ants live in the wild.
The progressive scalability of QBIK avoids colony transfers and allows you to expand your ants’ space according to their needs, without stress and with an easy coupling system.
QBIK is a modular ant nest system that allows you to choose the size from the beginning and expand it as much as you wish.
The QBIK WILD range offers great versatility, especially for species requiring constant high humidity, such as exotic ponerine ants and other species with tropical requirements. This range can easily reach humidity levels close to 100% saturation if required, as you can fully control the amount of moisture inside each module.
There are no limits to QBIK, as its modularity allows you to expand the nest in any direction and as far as your colony needs.
It also includes emergency systems to prevent problems such as flooding or escapes.
Of course, all our QBIK nests are shipped fully assembled, so you can enjoy them without complications as soon as they arrive.
QBIK is a modular system designed so you can expand your ant nest in the easiest possible way, choosing the complete layout of the modules and allowing you to change the distribution whenever you wish.
The variety of sizes and foraging areas allows the system to scale very intuitively, facilitating the growth of your colony.
The connections work through a wheel-gate system that acts as rotating doors, allowing you to open and close them as needed, either to connect modules, block entrances to change the layout, or open more exits toward the foraging area.
The wheel gate provides full visibility when opening and closing compartments, helping to avoid harming the ants.
The robust and resistant design of QBIK allows safe movement. Its square shape also makes better use of the space wherever you place it.
It has a completely flat base with no legs to avoid instability or vibrations that could disturb the ants.
Plaster is a highly versatile material with excellent integration with other materials, thermal insulation and natural humidity regulation, as it can absorb and release water vapour as needed.
This ant nest is designed for small colonies in continuous growth. It has a single central humidity point that supplies moisture to the entire chamber.
This ant nest is designed for medium-sized colonies, ideal for the first stages of colonies during their first year.
Plaster is a highly versatile material with excellent integration with other materials, thermal insulation and natural humidity regulation, as it can absorb and release water vapour as needed.
Ideal for mature colonies over one year old. It has two humidity points that supply the entire gallery module. It is the perfect size for colonies that are already relatively large.
Plaster is a highly versatile material with excellent integration with other materials, thermal insulation and natural humidity regulation, as it can absorb and release water vapour as needed.
The different gallery designs allow you to choose between medium-sized tunnels, intended for nests that are already sizeable and need plenty of space.
Or large galleries so that XXL ants can live comfortably.
At Anthouse we know how important humidity is for your colony. That is why the QBIK system has been designed around the number of humidity zones and their layout, so you can achieve the maximum humidity gradient throughout the galleries whenever your ants require it.
We have created a refillable vertical tube that fits perfectly into the humidity chamber, where two PVA sponges are placed, one wide sponge at the bottom and a thinner one at the top. They are measured with millimetric precision to create surface tension, allowing the sponges to become moist without overflowing. This surface tension is produced because the water saturation in the sponges limits its release, so make sure the tube is straight and firmly fitted.
These sponges are in contact with 4 grids, which are also in contact with the galleries. This allows the ants to drink from them, so the humidity system also works as a drinker.
With the nest assembled, our humidity system allows water outlets to be blocked if less humidity is required. For this purpose, there is a special piece that acts as a cap between the PVA sponges and the nest. This allows you to control humidity.
As an emergency system, the humidity area has a lid under the sponges that allows water to filter out if the surface tension is lost. This can happen due to incorrect tube placement or because you press the dry sponge, something that may occur the first times you handle your QBIK.
Remember that it is important to keep the tubes always straight. If your QBIK is on an inclined surface, the surface tension will be lost, causing leaks through the emergency system.
It is essential that the tubes are filled only with water; any other liquid or nectar will seriously damage the humidity system.
Make sure to refill the tubes without removing the red piece, as they are assembled with specific machinery to ensure the system works correctly.
Like normal QBIK modules, it works with the refillable vertical tube that fits into the humidity chamber, where two PVA sponges create surface tension, allowing it to gradually provide humidity to the QBIK Wild.
The PLASTER and YTONG materials will gradually absorb moisture from the tubes. If you keep refilling them as the level drops, humidity will rise almost to the absorption limit of the material, reaching around 90–100% humidity.
The nest will arrive dry at your home, so it will take approximately one week to absorb humidity. Humidity will gradually increase over the days as you refill the tubes when they empty.
If you want to speed up the process, before using it with your ants, we recommend adding water with a syringe or pipette through a side access.
Qbik Wild Quadra: 15 ml to 20 ml
Qbik Wild Duo: 10 ml to 12.5 ml
Qbik Wild One: 2.5 ml to 5 ml
If your ants have low humidity requirements, skip this step.
We recommend using the hygrometer module for more precise control of humidity parameters.
At Anthouse we know how important humidity is for your colony. That is why the QBIK system has been designed around the number of humidity zones and their layout, so you can achieve the maximum humidity gradient throughout the galleries whenever your ants require it.
We have created a refillable vertical tube that fits perfectly into the humidity chamber, where two PVA sponges are placed, one wide sponge at the bottom and a thinner one at the top. They are measured with millimetric precision to create surface tension, allowing the sponges to become moist without overflowing. This surface tension is produced because the water saturation in the sponges limits its release, so make sure the tube is straight and firmly fitted.
These sponges are in contact with 4 grids, which are also in contact with the galleries. This allows the ants to drink from them, so the humidity system also works as a drinker.
With the nest assembled, our humidity system allows water outlets to be blocked if less humidity is required. For this purpose, there is a special piece that acts as a cap between the PVA sponges and the nest. This allows you to control humidity.
As an emergency system, the humidity area has a lid under the sponges that allows water to filter out if the surface tension is lost. This can happen due to incorrect tube placement or because you press the dry sponge, something that may occur the first times you handle your QBIK.
Remember that it is important to keep the tubes always straight. If your QBIK is on an inclined surface, the surface tension will be lost, causing leaks through the emergency system.
It is essential that the tubes are filled only with water; any other liquid or nectar will seriously damage the humidity system.
Make sure to refill the tubes without removing the red piece, as they are assembled with specific machinery to ensure the system works correctly.
Like normal QBIK modules, it works with the refillable vertical tube that fits into the humidity chamber, where two PVA sponges create surface tension, allowing it to gradually provide humidity to the QBIK Wild.
The PLASTER and YTONG materials will gradually absorb moisture from the tubes. If you keep refilling them as the level drops, humidity will rise almost to the absorption limit of the material, reaching around 90–100% humidity.
The nest will arrive dry at your home, so it will take approximately one week to absorb humidity. Humidity will gradually increase over the days as you refill the tubes when they empty.
If you want to speed up the process, before using it with your ants, we recommend adding water with a syringe or pipette through a side access.
Qbik Wild Quadra: 15 ml to 20 ml
Qbik Wild Duo: 10 ml to 12.5 ml
Qbik Wild One: 2.5 ml to 5 ml
If your ants have low humidity requirements, skip this step.
We recommend using the hygrometer module for more precise control of humidity parameters.
Milimétricamente diseñado para evitar cualquier tipo de escape, incluso de las hormigas más pequeñas.
Asegúrate de bloquear siempre las norias con las piezas T, ya que a veces un pequeño movimiento al desplazarlo puede moverlas parcialmente.
Cuenta con una pieza especial en forma de aro, diseñada para situarse entre los módulos al conectarlos y evitar los escapes al 100%.
Si quieres asegurar totalmente los módulos no dudes en utilizar los tornillos. Con ellos fijarás los módulos pudiendo mover tu hormiguero sin miedo a que se separen.
Para nosotros es una prioridad que las hormigas se vean perfectamente, evitando los puntos ciegos donde las hormigas puedan esconderse.
Las galerías del sistema QBIK son totalmente blancas para que puedas ver a tu colonia incluso con la tapa roja.
Estas tapas rojas vienen incluidas con la compra de tu módulo completo QBIK. Además nos aseguramos de que tengas el hormiguero montado y listo para usar cuando te llegue.
Es tremendamente importante no meter hormigas que sean capaces de roer materiales en los modelos de Qbik Wild Ytong, como por ejemplo género Messor, Crematogaster o Tetraponera ya que pueden dañar el material.
Si usas cable calefactado o manta térmica en periodos fríos, hazlo siempre en zonas laterales para evitar la condensación y reducir el riesgo de muerte de las hormigas por exceso de calor. En ningún caso poner directamente fuentes de calor directamente sobre los módulos Qbik.
Especies exóticas ponerinas necesitan colémbolos para evitar ácaros, los cuales pueden rondar por los módulos desde la sala de forrajeo sin dañarlo.
Can I keep any ant species in a Qbik Wild?
You can keep almost any type of species in Qbik Wild, but you should consider the following:
- In Ytong we do not recommend species such as Crematogaster, Tetraponera or Messor, as they can be very destructive with the material if they do not have enough space.
- Giant species such as Dinomyrmex, Paraponera or large Myrmecia are not recommended, as they do not fit comfortably through the Qbik connections. A terrarium is recommended.
Can I place my queen directly into a QBIK?
Yes, Qbik Wild One is specially designed for queens. Its reduced space will make her feel extremely comfortable.
Are there other colours?
The Qbik colours are part of its identity; for now we only manufacture this combination.
My ants do not want to enter the galleries. What should I do?
Sometimes, if the humidity in the gallery area is too high, ants will prefer to stay in the foraging area. This happens frequently with Camponotus during the early stages. Leave the galleries with very little or no humidity and they will move in without issue.
The water tube empties quickly, and water even comes out underneath. What is happening?
If water comes out underneath, it is because the Qbik emergency system is specially designed to do this; otherwise, the galleries would flood and kill the ants.
The tube is probably not positioned correctly, or the PVA sponges may have shifted and are preventing surface tension. Align them and the problem will be solved.
The wheel gates are a little stiff. Is that normal?
Yes, sometimes some wheels are slightly stiff at first. Qbik is made with millimetric precision, so a small piece of filament may make it stiff initially. Turn it repeatedly and it will quickly become smoother.
