 
Ants really aren't the sort of pet
you can get that attached to but they make a fascinating hobby
for kids to observe as well as being pretty portable and low
maintenance. You don't need to take them for a walk on a rainy
day and owning one can be educational as well as fun, but don't
tell the kids that!! As ants are social insects they display a
whole lot of co-operational behaviours which kids and observe
and learn from. They are also great for kids who are allergic to
cats and dogs and in homes with limited space.
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QUICK
FACTS: |
Life Span - Up
to 60 days for workers
Care - Low Maintenance
Food - Bread
crumbs, other food scraps, water ( a cotton ball
soaked is good)
Housing -
Commercial Ant Farm, small aquarium, large bottle
with lid or cover
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GENERAL
INFO:
 If
you are using one of the traditional-type farms, the most
important thing is moisture. The kits come fully provided with a
sufficient amount of the right grade of sand, but it is
important that it has the right moisture content. One part of
water to eight parts of sand is about right and the important
thing is to keep the moisture content right all the time. Too
much water and the tunnels will collapse, too little water
and you’ve still got collapsing tunnels. If you get it just right,
the ants will be happy and you’ll be happy too. Some kits come
with a gel
In the
wild ants will eat just about anything dropped on the ground. In
an ant farm you need to feed the ants the same sort of food,
keeping in mind that too much food will pollute the farm very
quickly. However,
ants are remarkably clean animals and
they will keep their tunnels and
chambers clean by removing waste to a
disposal area.
Your ants will need water
though, and a few drops on a pea-sized piece of sponge is the
easiest way to supply it. You could also try a solution of honey
or syrup in water, but don’t make it too sticky or unwary ants
could become trapped. With both food and water, it’s important
not to supply too much. Decaying food is the last thing you want
in a closed environment like an ant farm.
SETTING UP THE
ANT FARM:
- Place a small
jar or tube inside the larger glass container. This will
encourage ants to make their tunnels around the inner jar so
you can see their tunnels better.
- Find an ant pile
and shovel up the ants, trying to include some eggs and larvae
and maybe even the queen.
- Fill the jar
to about 10cm from the top. You can put dirt in but its
easier to use the ants' own nest.
- The ants should
not be able to climb the glass but put a lid on with small holes
just in case. Plastic wrap with holes in it would also do.
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PRO & CONS: |
-
 Ants will need to be replenished as the ant farm will
probably not have a queen to replenish it.
-
Try not to move the ant farm to much as this
will disturb the ants from building their tunnels.
If ants are not readily available in your area, you can
mail order them. See your local pet shop.
- Queens have a much larger thorax
than worker ants, and are often surrounded by larvae so keep
an eye out for one when finding your ants.
- Ants can go for a long time without food but being
without water can kill them overnight.
- Ants are related to wasps and like wasps, many species
sting.
- Beware of fire ants, they can be very
dangerous so don't use them in your ant farm. If in
Queensland notify the authorities if you think you have fire
ants.
- The ant farm needs to be placed out of the
sun and where temperatures do not fluctuate dramatically.
The ants can die very quickly if sun hits it.
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