{"title":"Keeper Supplies","description":"\u003cp\u003eEverything for the founding chamber and beyond. Test tubes, feeders, sponges, seed mix, and fluon barrier, packed for keepers by keepers.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"harvester-seed-mix","title":"Harvester Seed Mix","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShipping:\u003c\/strong\u003e UPS\/FedEx 2-Day, $20 flat — free on orders over $120.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA twelve-seed blend built for granivores.\u003c\/strong\u003e Small, clean, easily manageable seeds and grains — sized so that \u003cem\u003ePogonomyrmex\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eVeromessor\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eMessor\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003ePheidole\u003c\/em\u003e workers can mill them without a fight. Variety keeps a colony's diet balanced and keeps the seed chamber working.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat's in the mix\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKentucky Bluegrass Seed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNyjer (Niger) Seed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAmaranth Seed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMillet Seed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eQuinoa Seed — white, red \u0026amp; black\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChia Seed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePoppy Seed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlfalfa Seed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClover Seed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCelery Seed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWildflower Seed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAssorted small grass seeds\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFeeding\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOffer a small pinch in the outworld — scale to colony size. A young claustral colony needs only a few seeds at a time.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKeep seeds \u003cstrong\u003edry\u003c\/strong\u003e. Damp seed molds fast and can sprout inside a granary chamber.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePull uneaten or husked seed during regular outworld cleanouts.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHarvester ants still need protein — pair with feeder insects, especially during brood booms.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 10 g resealable bag.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom their chamber to your door.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Royal Chamber Ants","offers":[{"title":"10 g Bag","offer_id":55487142166833,"sku":"RCA-SEED-HARV-10G","price":5.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0869\/0375\/0961\/files\/P1039649.jpg?v=1785300653"},{"product_id":"pva-sponge-10-count","title":"PVA Sponge — 10 Count","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShipping:\u003c\/strong\u003e UPS\/FedEx 2-Day, $20 flat — free on orders over $120.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClean hydration, no drowning.\u003c\/strong\u003e High-density PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) sponges cut to fit standard test tube setups. Wick water evenly, hold their shape wet or dry, and won't shed fibers into the chamber the way cotton does.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy PVA over cotton\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNon-fibrous — nothing for tarsi or brood to tangle in.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDenser seal. Holds back the water reservoir without leaking through.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRinses and reuses; boil to sterilize between setups.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDoesn't wick mold and grime the way saturated cotton does.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSizes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e16 mm\u003c\/strong\u003e — for 16 mm outer-diameter test tubes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e18 mm\u003c\/strong\u003e — for 18 mm outer-diameter test tubes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeasure your tube's \u003cem\u003eouter\u003c\/em\u003e diameter and match it. A slightly snug sponge is what you want — it should compress in, not slide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSetup\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFill the tube roughly one-third to one-half with water.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWet the sponge, then push it in flush against the water column with clean tweezers.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCheck for air gaps or seepage before introducing the queen.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePack:\u003c\/strong\u003e 10 sponges per bag. Dry good.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom their chamber to your door.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Royal Chamber Ants","offers":[{"title":"16 mm","offer_id":55487156257073,"sku":"RCA-PVA-16MM-10","price":5.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"18 mm","offer_id":55487156289841,"sku":"RCA-PVA-18MM-10","price":5.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0869\/0375\/0961\/files\/P1039654.jpg?v=1785300626"},{"product_id":"test-tube-feeders-3d-printed-5-pack","title":"Test Tube Feeders — 3D Printed, 3 Pack","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShipping:\u003c\/strong\u003e UPS\/FedEx 2-Day, $20 flat — free on orders over $120.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeed the tube without flooding the tube.\u003c\/strong\u003e Our custom 3D-printed feeders slot into a standard test tube setup and end the messiest part of early colony care: getting food in without drops soaking the cotton or workers drowning in nectar.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDetails\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrooved nectar channels\u003c\/strong\u003e — sized so workers drink safely; no open droplets, no drownings.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProtein platform\u003c\/strong\u003e — a dedicated spot for feeder insects, easy to place and easy to pull before leftovers spoil.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTwo sizes:\u003c\/strong\u003e 16mm and 18mm, matched to your tube's outer diameter — same sizing as our \u003ca href=\"\/products\/pva-sponge-10-count\"\u003ePVA sponges\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/test-tubes-10-pack\"\u003etest tubes\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePack:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3 feeders.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRinses clean and reuses; printed in-house by Royal Chamber Ants.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFeed in the feeder, pull what's uneaten in a day or two, and keep the chamber itself spotless — that's the whole trick to a clean founding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom their chamber to your door.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Royal Chamber Ants","offers":[{"title":"16mm","offer_id":55524440637745,"sku":null,"price":4.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"18mm","offer_id":55524440670513,"sku":null,"price":4.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0869\/0375\/0961\/files\/P1039657.jpg?v=1785549357"},{"product_id":"test-tubes-10-pack","title":"Empty Test Tubes — 10 Pack","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShipping:\u003c\/strong\u003e UPS\/FedEx 2-Day, $20 flat — free on orders over $120.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe founding chamber itself.\u003c\/strong\u003e Standard glass test tubes — the hobby's proven home for a founding queen. Fill a third with water, seal it back with a pva sponge or with a cotton ball, and she has a humid, dark chamber that holds her from egg to first workers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDetails\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eChoose your size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 16mm or 18mm outer diameter — matched to our \u003ca href=\"\/products\/pva-sponge-10-count\"\u003ePVA sponges\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/test-tube-feeders-3d-printed-5-pack\"\u003etest tube feeders\u003c\/a\u003e in the same sizes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePack:\u003c\/strong\u003e 10 tubes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUse:\u003c\/strong\u003e founding setups, colony moves, and spare water reservoirs.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe classic setup\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFill roughly one-third to one-half with water.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeal the water back with a tightly packed plug — a \u003ca href=\"\/products\/pva-sponge-10-count\"\u003ePVA sponge\u003c\/a\u003e wicks evenly, won't shed fibers like cotton, and rinses clean for reuse.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCap the entrance loosely with cotton so she can breathe but not escape.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf you heat the tube, heat the dry end only — never the water side.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDark, warm, undisturbed. That's the whole protocol.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom their chamber to your door.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Royal Chamber Ants","offers":[{"title":"16mm","offer_id":55524443062577,"sku":null,"price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"18mm","offer_id":55524443095345,"sku":null,"price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0869\/0375\/0961\/files\/P1039651.jpg?v=1785549520"},{"product_id":"fluon-ptfe-anti-escape-barrier-15-ml","title":"Fluon PTFE Anti-Escape Barrier — 15 mL","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShipping:\u003c\/strong\u003e UPS\/FedEx 2-Day, $20 flat — free on orders over $120.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe wall your ants can't climb.\u003c\/strong\u003e Fluon is a water-based PTFE coating you paint around the rim of an outworld or container. It dries to a microscopically slick film that even the best climbers — Camponotus, Crematogaster, fire ants — cannot grip. The single most reliable escape barrier in the hobby.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDetails\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 15 mL — more than the standard hobby bottle, enough to barrier many setups.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e PTFE aqueous dispersion (PTFE-30). Water-based, low-odor, dries clear.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBest on:\u003c\/strong\u003e smooth, dry surfaces — glass, acrylic, smooth plastic.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to use\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMake sure the rim is clean and dry. Shake the bottle well.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePaint a band 1–2 cm wide around the inside top edge with a small brush or foam applicator.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLet it dry to a chalky-white film (10–20 minutes). Reapply as it wears; refresh every few weeks on active setups.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKeep the coated surface dry — humidity and grease reduce the grip barrier.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSafety:\u003c\/strong\u003e Read the \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/sds-fluon-ptfe\"\u003eSafety Data Sheet\u003c\/a\u003e before use. For external barrier use only; keep away from the colony's water and food.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom their chamber to your door — by Royal Chamber Ants.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Royal Chamber Ants","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55631964012849,"sku":null,"price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0869\/0375\/0961\/files\/rn-image_picker_lib_temp_f514bddc-1aa3-43cb-be96-579a4e740e4c.jpg?v=1786049378"}],"url":"https:\/\/rcants.com\/collections\/keeper-supplies.oembed","provider":"Royal Chamber Ants","version":"1.0","type":"link"}