Ant Farm - Care and Feeding

by Josh Riverside

Ant farms are artificial ant colonies used as a dwelling for ants.

An ant’s organized social world, with divisions of labor has always fascinated man. Ant farms are built either as a hobby by interested individuals and children or for the purpose of research. In either case they offer exciting revelations into the intriguing and complex life of ants.

Ant farms can be lidded or lidless in different sizes and shapes. In most cases, glass is used on the sides and top for visibility. It is advisable to be careful about the type of ant’s one uses for colonies. An amateur farm maker should avoid the potentially dangerous types like harvesting ants and fire ants.

Ants for a farm can be collected from under dried logs or they can be ordered. The easiest way to attract them is to drop some sweet syrup and wait for the ants to arrive. A farm bustles with activity and lasts longer when it has one or more queen and broods apart from workers.

It is far more difficult to collect a queen and broods unless they are ordered. One should use sand or composite depending upon the color of ants used, for easy viewing. Before putting the ants in the ant farm, the sand should be dampened so that they can make tunnels.

Ants in an ant farm can be fed food particles, sweet sugary syrup like maple or honey and dead insects. Ants do not usually starve to death without food. Water, however, is vital for their survival. The ant farm should be moist and kept away from sun. A cylindrical tube filled with water and sealed with cotton on the top placed in the ant farm is the most ideal source of water.

Care should be taken to ensure that the water doesn’t leak and flood the colony. To prevent the ants from leaving the farm, it can be sealed with glass. The lid can be removed everyday for a short duration to allow for air. If there is no top, smear Vaseline around the top edges to prevent the ants from escaping.