Y-Connector (10 mm) – Smooth and Natural Branching for Your Ant Setup

Do you want to give your ant colony more foraging opportunities and connect two outworlds or expansion nests to one main nest? With this high-quality Y-shaped connector, you can create a streamlined split in your tubing network. The gradual angle of the Y-shape ensures a smooth pathway that ants can effortlessly navigate!

Maximum Grip Thanks to Smart Ribbed Structure

The Y-connector features a ribbed profile on all three connection points. When you slide the connecting tube over the ends, the material clamps firmly around the ribs. This guarantees a robust, leak-proof connection that even the smallest ants cannot escape from.

Optimal Flow and Natural Behavior

Unlike right-angled splits, the oblique angle of the Y-shape reduces blockages during busy routes, for example, when worker ants massively transport food to the nest. Additionally, it simulates the natural, angled branching that ants dig underground.

Key Benefits at a Glance:

• Smooth Y-Split: Enables a gradual 3-way branching for optimal worker flow.
• Secure Grip: Ribbing ensures the tubing remains tight, clamped, and securely attached.
• Perfect Fit: Designed for tubing with an outer diameter of 10 mm (ultimate combination with our 8/10 mm transparent tubing).
• Escape-Proof: Connects seamlessly for maximum colony safety.

Product Specifications:

• Type: Y-shaped connector / Y-tube connector
• Inner diameter of connector: Slightly less than 10 mm (for a secure, clamped connection)
• Compatibility: Suitable for tubing with 10 mm outer diameter (8/10 mm connecting tubing)
• Application: Creating smooth branches in the tunnel and tubing system of ant farms

Give your ants a streamlined route to their new habitats. Order the Y-connector today!

Seed Tray – Neat and organized feeding in the formicarium

Harvester ants like Messor barbarus and Pheidole are incredibly structured creatures. They love order in the nest and in the outside world. With this **compact Seed Tray**, you can offer seeds, sugars, or other food in a clean and hygienic way. No more loose seeds scattered throughout the arena!

Clean and easy to maintain

By offering seeds on a fixed tray, the workers can clearly see what's on the menu and transport the seeds efficiently to the nest. This also makes cleaning the outworld much easier: you can easily remove the tray to replace any leftover husks or old seeds.

Fits in almost any outworld

Thanks to its very compact size (2.5 x 2 cm), the tray takes up hardly any space. This means it fits effortlessly into almost any outworld or arena, even from size 10x15!

Key benefits at a glance:

• Organized & Tidy: Keeps the outworld tidy and prevents seeds from scattering loosely throughout the arena.
• Clean & Hygienic: Easily removed from the outworld for cleaning or refreshing.
• Compact size: Fits perfectly in arenas from the smallest size.
• Stimulates natural foraging behavior: Ants can easily access the tray and select seeds.

Suitable for offering:

• Grass and bird seeds for Harvester Ants (Messor, Pheidole)
• Dry food, protein powders, and small sugar treats
• Use in arenas and outworlds

Product specifications:

• Length: 2.5 cm
• Width: 2 cm
• Height: 1.5 cm
• Application: Feeding tray / Food dish

Keep the outworld of your ant farm neat and organized.

Special Seed Mix – The ultimate nutrition for your harvester ants

Seed-collecting ant species, such as the popular Harvester Ant (Messor barbarus and other Messor and Pheidole species), have a unique diet. Instead of primarily living on insects and sugars, these ants collect seeds to store in the nest. They chew the seeds finely, mix them with their saliva, and thus create nutritious 'ant bread'. This **specially formulated seed mix** offers the perfect variety and balance your colony needs to grow healthily.

Rich variety of over 50 types of seeds

Variety in the diet stimulates the ants' natural foraging behavior. Our mix consists of a careful selection of over 50 different types of fine grass seeds and bird seeds. Because it contains both very small and slightly larger seeds, both the smaller workers (minors) and the large jaws of the soldiers (majors) can immediately get to work filling the storerooms.

From our own breeding experience: Tested on millions of ants!

This mix is not just any birdseed or grass seed mix from the store. We have composed this combination ourselves and have been using exactly this mix for years for all our own breeding colonies — from tiny colonies with a few dozen workers to gigantic supercolonies of over 10,000 ants. So we know from our own experience with millions of ants: **this is the nutrition that works!**

Economical in use

For a new colony (up to approximately 30 workers), one package of this seed mix is more than sufficient for at least a full year of feeding.

Key benefits at a glance:

• 50+ Types of seeds: Rich variety of fine grass and bird seeds for an optimal diet.
• Proven quality: Exactly the mix that Mierenboerderij uses for all its own breeding colonies.
• Stimulates natural behavior: Perfect for creating seed stores and making ant bread.
• Long shelf life: Provides a new colony with enough food for at least 1 year.
• Suitable for all sizes of workers: Contains both very fine seeds and sturdier seeds.

Suitable for feeding:

• All Messor species (such as Messor barbarus, Messor structor, Messor capitatus)
• All Pheidole species (such as Pheidole pallidula)
• Other seed-collecting ant species

Product specifications:

• Composition: Own blend of >50 types of grass and bird seeds
• Type of food: Dry food / Seeds
• Suitable for: Harvester ants and seed collectors

Give your harvester ants the nutrition that our own breeding colonies have been thriving on for years. Order this proven seed mix today!

Pocket Microscope 30x Magnification (Nick Baker) – The wonderful world in pocket size!

Do you want to view nature so closely that a simple ant transforms into a giant monster? With this super handy Pocket Microscope, you get a fully-fledged optical instrument that fits effortlessly in your pocket or backpack. Much simpler and more flexible to use than a traditional, heavy desk microscope!

30x Optical Magnification & Automatic LED Illumination

Thanks to its high-quality precision optics, this compact microscope magnifies everything you encounter a whopping 30 times. As soon as you unfold the microscope, the bright LED illumination automatically switches on. This perfectly illuminates the object in front of the lens — ideal for studying plant structures, insects, textiles, minerals, or even for solving secret 'crimes'!

Usable indoors and outdoors (No slide required!)

The great advantage of this outdoor microscope is that objects do not necessarily have to be mounted on a specimen slide. Do you see a special moss or a crawling beetle on a tree trunk? Place the microscope directly over it and view it in sharp detail on the spot! Do you prefer to work at home at your desk? The set comes with example slides and blank slides to make your own samples.

With an extensive inspirational booklet by Nick Baker

The included 16-page full-colour instruction booklet is written by the famous British naturalist Nick Baker. It is packed with useful tips on how to get the best sharpness and gives fascinating suggestions of everyday objects that hide an astonishing secret under the lens.

Key advantages at a glance:

• 30x Optical Magnification: Crystal clear view of tiny details.
• Automatic LED Illumination: Illuminates the object immediately upon unfolding.
• Pocket-sized & Lightweight: Take your microscope anywhere on an adventure.
• Includes Specimen Kit: Example slides and materials for your own specimens.
• Inspiring Booklet (16 pages): Packed with tips and facts by naturalist Nick Baker.

Product specifications:

• Product: Pocket Microscope
• Magnification: 30x (precision optics)
• Illumination: Built-in automatic LED lamp
• Package contents: Pocket microscope, example specimen slides, blank slides, cover slips, 16-page full-colour instruction booklet
• Application: Educational nature research indoors and outdoors

Go on a journey of discovery in your own backyard. Order the 30x pocket microscope today!

Sand Loam Combination (200 grams) – The ideal base for a sturdy ant nest

Ants are true master builders, but they need the right material to dig a safe nest. Ordinary sand quickly collapses when it dries. Our specially developed **Sand Loam Combination** contains exactly the right ratio of fine sand and loam (clay). This ensures that the excavated tunnels and chambers retain their shape and strength, just like in nature!

Beautiful natural look and fine texture

The substrate has a very fine texture and a beautiful warm red/yellow color scheme. This immediately gives the ant habitat or terrarium a natural and atmospheric look.

Important for use: Moisten for firmness

Because the sand-loam mix is very finely packed, it is essential to **lightly moisten** the substrate after filling the ant farm. The loam then binds with the sand. Let the mixture dry thoroughly until it forms a firm structure. Only then can you safely place or connect the ants!

Filling advice for an ant farm: Fill a sand ant farm with a maximum of 2/3 of this sand-loam combination. This leaves the ants enough free space to dig sand upwards, build up, and determine their own nest layout!

How much do you need?

• Town House: approx. 250 grams needed (order 2 bags of 200g for sufficient supply)
• Urban Villa: approx. 500 grams needed (order 3 bags of 200g for sufficient supply)

Calculate the volume of your ant farm yourself:

Calculate the volume of the nest section in centimeters:
Length x Width x Height = Volume in cm³
Example calculation: With 1000 grams of sand-loam, you fill approximately 600 cm³. Divide your total volume in cm³ by 600 to see how many kilograms of sand-loam you need.

Key benefits at a glance:

• Collapse-free tunnels: Loam ensures a rock-solid bond after moistening.
• Manually mixed: Optimal ratio specifically tailored for digging ant species.
• Natural appearance: Fine texture with a beautiful red-yellow color scheme.
• Multifunctional: Also perfect as a decorative or functional base in terrariums.

Product specifications:

• Content: 200 grams per package
• Composition: Manually mixed fine sand and loam (clay)
• Color: Red / Yellow mixture
• Application: Digging substrate for ant farms and terrariums

Let your ants safely build their own tunnel system or use it as a beautiful, decorative ground cover.

Zebra Mantis - Omomantis zebrata

The praying mantis's stage is from L3 to L7

Information

Omomantis zebrata is a species of praying mantis belonging to the family Mantidae. The common name “Zebra Mantis” comes from the striking zebra-like stripes covering its body. When disturbed, this praying mantis often displays its remarkable flying abilities, with flights of up to 50 meters! Omomantis zebrata is originally from tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Islands.

Although small, they have a great voracity for insects; a spectacular species!

Appearance

Their bodies are adorned with a unique striped pattern of bright, striking colors such as yellow, pink, blue, and green, with a black border along the outer edge of each color.

They are relatively small in size; their bodies grow to be anywhere between 5 and 7 centimeters, with females growing one centimeter larger than males.

Their front legs are noticeably longer than their hind legs and are equipped with spines that they use to catch their prey.

Their heads are triangular and have a pair of large eyes at the front, allowing them to see in many directions and detect small movements in the air.

Behavior

Omomantis zebrata is generally a peaceful creature and shows no aggression towards humans or other animals. They are considered quite docile, and you can often see them admiring their surroundings with their quick eyes.

Omomantis zebrata can also be considered shy, as they tend to hide or retreat when they are afraid of danger. They are also quite active in the morning and evening and may show some curious behavior during this time.

Despite being small, they are quite brave and will not hesitate to come out and explore their habitat if they feel safe and comfortable. Furthermore, they are also excellent climbers and may even try to climb on your shoulder and hands if they are given food.

Food

The Zebra Praying Mantis primarily feeds on other small insects in its natural habitat. They tend to hide during the day and become more active at night to hunt prey more effectively.

Omomantis zebrata occasionally feeds on small flowers with nectar and pollen, but usually feeds on their normal insect diet. Due to their small size, they cannot tackle prey much larger than themselves.

In their natural habitat, the Zebra Praying Mantis also eats any nutritious plants or decaying vegetation they encounter, so this should also be considered when providing food for them in captivity.

Environmental Requirements

The ideal temperature is around 24 °C, but room temperature is also fine. At night, it can be slightly cooler than during the day, but at least 18 °C.
This species does not have high humidity requirements, but it is important to spray with water every day or every other day. A guideline humidity is about 40 to 65%. Being too humid for too long is the number one cause of death for this species.
As with all praying mantis species, this species needs an enclosure that is at least 3x the length of the animal in height, and at least 2x the length of the animal in width. For an adult animal, this means at least 27 cm in height and 18 cm in width. A good size for a terrarium would be 20 x 20 x 35, so there is also room for artificial plants and many perches.