WaKooshi Venus Nest Review

Hi guys! I hope you’re doing well!

Today I’m going to make a little review of this cool ant nest made by the company WaKooshi!

Let’s see if it’s any good!

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General Info

This one is the WaKooshi Venus Nest. It’s a really cool-looking test tube-based ant nest, very different from the other nests you can find on the market.

It consists of 3 medium-sized test tubes, kept together by an acrylic structure. As you can see, the concept behind the nest is fairly straightforward.

It combines the effectiveness of the test tube setup with the expandability of a modular nest, adding also the convenience of a small outworld.

This combo creates the perfect ant keeping starter nest, suitable for almost every ant species.

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The Test Tubes

The test tube setup is the starting point of every ant keeping journey, and it’s probably the easiest and most effective way for creating a comfortable space for a newly mated queen.

This setup creates an environment very similar to the one they experience in nature.

In the wild, after mating with a male, the queen starts searching for a small and quiet space, probably in the soil, where she can start to lay eggs. This tiny space is called the “claustral chamber”.

With the test tube setup, the ant keeper tries to recreate the same conditions of a claustral chamber, providing the queen with the right temperature, humidity, and light levels.

This particular setup will also give you the chance to see inside the chamber, considering it is made up of glass or plastics, and it will also be able to hold a water reservoir.

If you wanna find out more on how to build a test tube setup, I would suggest you check out this easy tutorial! It covers all you have to do in order to create the best possible environment for your queen!

The 3 test tubes are attached to the main structure by a clicking mechanism, which makes the assembly and cleaning process very easy.

As you can see the test tube entrances are made in 3 different sizes. This clever feature is made for housing different species of ants of different sizes.

Having 3 different entrance types would allow the queen or the colony to choose whichever test tube better suits their needs, and whichever entrance gives them a better sense of safety.

To make it simple, the smaller the nest entrance, the more the queen and the colony feel safe and the faster the colony will grow!

If your colony already needs more than 3 test tubes of space, this other product could be a better option for you! This other nest is made by the same company, and it can hold up to 5 test tubes! 2 full test tubes of nesting space more than the Venus!

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The Outworld

This nest also includes a little outworld, which facilitates by a lot the process of feeding your colony.

As you probably already know, one of the hardest tasks when you have a medium to a large colony in a classic test tube setup, is the feeding process. Every single time you try to feed them, you end up having some escapees.

Having an external outworld makes your life 1000 times easier, as it drastically reduces the chance of losing your beloved ants. The outworld of this nest measures 5.5×6 centimeters, and has a cool round-shaped lid to close the top section.

This lid is very easy to remove. Just turn it a bit until the little block on the lid is aligned with the cut in the acrylic, and then lift it up. It comes out with no problem!

The top part of the outworld is large enough to enable you to apply the escape prevention oil, very useful if you have a large colony with lots of ants wandering around in the outworld.

The outworld is fully demountable. The top transparent acrylic lid and the bottom white acrylic floor are both detachable from the main structure. This is a handy feature, and it facilitates by a lot the cleaning process of the outworld.

You can block the test tube entrances with a small cotton ball, and then proceed to clean the outworld without the risk of having escapees.

If you think that this outworld is a little bit too small, in this other article I compare this nest with another one made by the same company: the Mercury nest! This other 3D-printed nest has a larger and more spacious outworld, making the feeding and cleaning process a lot easier!

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Heat Cable And Expandability

As you can see, with this nest you have the option of using a heat cable. When you buy the nest these two ports are sealed. To open them you just need to break the pre-cut little doors, possibly with the help of a small clamp.

Once the ports are open, you can pass the heat cable under the test tubes. This will help a lot with the development of the brood, as it speeds up with higher temperatures.

This nest is also expandable. Using this little port placed at the extremity of the outworld you can connect another nest or a bigger outworld, giving your ants more space to inhabit.

This feature is also very useful if your colony has grown to a point where the current nest is too small for them, and you wanna move them into a nest with a lot more living space.

To do that, you just have to connect the new nest to the auxiliary port, cover the new nest in order to create a more comfortable space, and put a bright light on the test tubes. The ants will do the rest.

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Rating

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I hope you have found this guide helpful!

If you’re planning to buy some other ant nests, I would suggest you check out this other review! It’s a really cool ant nest made by the same company!

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