Leaf Cutting Ant Forum

Andrew can you give more info on the set up you talking about, how old was the set up, how large was it and how was it heated, was there soil in there.
Trying to get my head round what makes it different than any clinical set up where a tank is within a tank.

Complicated subject! I believe that any container within another container and housing some for of active inhabitant would be prone to this phenomena. The key is raising the temperature, even by a part of a dedgree, within the inside container, will generate condensation which in turn dries the air. If there is hydastone or plaster in the bottom and this is wet then it is possible that the humidity is replaced. Also ants carrying in leaves will add to this. My point is not that this will kill the colony every time but rather in situations where there is a problem with a colony and nothing is presenting itself as an obvious cause it is a good idea to keep this at the back of your mind.
This effect is probably very passive and minor but could potentially tip the balance if other parameters are out a bit. I would think that if there is no soil or damp plaster in the nest chamber, this might contribute to a more rapid decline of the colony but not necessarily be solely responsible. Quite often subtle effects can contribute to each other in a setup that is wrongly maintained.