Size guide
Buy the next room, not the final one.
The path
Tube, then Scout, then Founder, then Homestead. Each step follows the last. You do not pick the final size on day one.
Tube
The founding stage is the test tube. Water comes from the test tube and cotton, $6. See founding.
Scout
The Scout, $24, takes the tube once the first workers are out. It is the first nest. See the beginner page.
Founder, then Homestead
When the Scout fills, move to the Founder, $42. When the Founder fills, the Homestead, $64, is the larger nest.
The moving guide shows each crossing.
Frontier when they forage
Add an outworld when workers need a foraging area. The Frontier S, $34, pairs with the Founder and the Frontier L, $52, with the Homestead. See outworlds.
Four Corners for four colonies
Buy the Four Corners, $96, only if you have four colonies. It is not a bigger nest for one.
Too big is a problem
A nest that is too big is hard to keep damp and hard to feed. A small colony in a large space has damp spots it cannot defend and food it cannot find.
The watering guide shows how much work damp is. Buy the next room, not the final one. See every size on the formicarium page, or by species.