Ant farm with ants. DIY ant farm. Ants in a farm with gel

The first thought that appears in my head when I see these two names is – what exactly should I choose, what are the differences? We will talk about this in more detail in this article.

Gel farm.

First, you need to decide on the purpose of the purchase. So, a gel ant farm is suitable for those who have no experience in raising ants. For example, you don’t yet know whether this hobby will bring you pleasure, and you just want to try and understand whether you like watching the lives of little friends or not.

This approach is ideal with gel farms: only ants without a queen live in them and feed on the gel. There is high humidity inside the farm, which is detrimental to the ants, and therefore they live in such farms for no more than a month.

In gel farms, there is practically no need to care for ants: they already have food and water - this is the same gel. You only need to ventilate the farm once a day by opening the lid.

Also, a gel farm is an ideal gift for restless children. We all know very well that children's hobbies change at the speed of light. Today a child draws and sculpts from plasticine, and tomorrow watercolors and plasticine go to the shelf forever. But if suddenly a child is delighted with the small ant world, then you should definitely buy a formicarium.

Formicarium.

A formicarium is an artificial anthill made of plastic, acrylic and gypsum, with a system of passages and holes for moisture. In such farms, ants can live up to 20 years! This option is ideal for the most curious and observant, regardless of age. And also for those who are sure that they want to take care of insects. Ant life in such a formicarium is as close as possible to life in nature, the colony is constantly growing and developing, distributing food, cleaning, raising larvae and much more...

Such a farm needs to be looked after, but this option will not take you much time: periodically add food (you can buy it in our store), moisten the formicarium with water in special holes every two or three days, and sometimes clean out the husks and debris from the arena .

The ever-boiling life of an anthill will amaze you to the core, and you will definitely fall in love with your little ant friends!

And now to the most important thing. Pros and cons.

Formicarium is an acrylic farm with a passage system.

Pros:

• The long lifespan of a colony is up to 20 years.
• Since colonies with queens live in formicaria, the number of ants is constantly growing.
• An excellent opportunity to study the ant world: nutrition, reproduction, work.
• Keeps you entertained for long hours.
• Makes you fall in love at first sight.

Cons:

• As a rule, acrylic formicariums are more expensive than gel farms.
• It takes a little more time to care for the ants.
• You need to buy food, or look for some of your supplies: seeds, cereals, and so on.
• The colony is constantly growing, which means that in a few years it will be necessary to purchase new modules for subsequent development and growth.

Gel farm.

Pros:

• Quite low and affordable price, in comparison with formicaria.
• The ants begin to dig into the gel - very beautiful passages and tubules are obtained.
• No maintenance is required other than periodic ventilation.
• After the death of a colony, a new one can be settled in the farm. (Shelf life of the gel is 4 years)
• Ideal for children and beginners.

Cons:

• The colony does not grow or develop.
• Short lifespan - about a month.
• High humidity inside.
• Such a farm does not give a complete picture of the ant universe.

The choice is yours!

Formicarium, ants, food and other accessories can be found on our website by placing an order through the basket, or by calling 8-800-200-60-62

As a child, many people liked to look at an anthill and imagine what was happening inside it. Ant farm, created with your own hands, is a unique design that will become a home for ants. By placing these creatures in the created structure, you can satisfy your own curiosity by observing the life of these small insects.

What does an ant farm look like and work like?

There are many types of ant farms, everyone can find something to their taste and capabilities

The farm is an artificial anthill. A structure with many passages, tunnels, and paths for movement, which is most often made of plaster, acrylic and special gel. They can be horizontal and vertical, voluminous and flat.

The main thing is that it is suitable for life, so you must not put it inside. large number soil. Such an environment will allow the ants to feel as if they were in natural conditions, they will create their own passages and holes themselves.

We must not forget that ants need oxygen. They breathe atmospheric air spiracles - openings in the body through which air enters the insect’s body. To make them breathe, you need to make small holes in the structure on the lid, which usually covers the top of the farm.

Main types

A horizontal ant farm is inconvenient because it takes up more space than a vertical one.

These designs come in several types:

• Horizontal. These are “lying” farms in which the main slab is located horizontally, as in natural anthills.
• Vertical. The main slab “does not lie”, but is in a standing position, imitating tiered ant dwellings.
• Complex. It combines several types at once: both nests and an arena are located inside, they are larger in size, reminiscent of an ant town.
• Island. The arena is surrounded by a water moat, there is a farm in the middle, no nets or glass are required. The main thing is to monitor the water level and clean the moat.

Ant farms can also be divided according to the material from which they are made. Plaster, acrylic, gel and even wood are used.

The most common designs are made of plaster and acrylic: they are easy to make and do not require frequent repairs. Wooden ones have faded into the background due to the fact that they quickly become unusable: the wood begins to rot, becomes less durable, and falls apart.

How to make a gel farm with your own hands

Gel farm is one of the simplest types

A farm with gel filler is very easy to maintain, and the material itself is a source of moisture for ants. This design is similar to an aquarium, but inside there is not water, but a blue or green, which is completely safe for insects. This is not only a living environment, but also food.

To create such a design you will need:

• glass aquarium or jar;
• special gel;
• ants.

You can also order a special gel for an ant farm on the Internet, where a wide variety of colors and compositions are available.

Creating such an anthill is extremely simple: just place the gel in a glass container and populate the anthill with inhabitants.

The gel is created on the basis of water and algae, so the ants feed on it without needing feeding. You can buy it ready-made at a pet store, or create it yourself. To do this, water and algae are mixed, which are pre-crushed. The mixture should dry and thicken.

This is one of the most simple ways create an anthill:

1. Prepare a glass container (aquarium, jar), wash it and wipe it dry.
2. Then pour the gel into the container. The gel level should be more than half so that the inhabitants of the farm do not feel crowded.
3. You can let ants in there - they will dig passages and tunnels themselves.

All that remains is to periodically ventilate the structure and add gel as needed.

From plaster

To make a gypsum ant farm with your own hands, you will have to spend more time, because... you need to wait for the material to harden

Required tools and materials

To create a gypsum farm, you will need:

• capacity;
• gypsum mortar;
• water;
• cocktail straw;
• pencil;
• drill;
• stationery knife.

Step-by-step manufacturing instructions

1. The first step is to prepare a container for diluting gypsum.
2. Mix water and plaster until the consistency of thick sour cream.
3. Next, you need to leave it to harden for 5-7 days.
4. Carefully remove the dried mass from the container.
5. Use a pencil to draw future moves and exits.
6. You can use a utility knife to drill small paths.
7. Place finished design in an aquarium or jar of a suitable size.
8. Make holes in the lid to allow air to enter.
9. In order to moisten the ants' habitat and feed them, insert cocktail straws.

Acrylic

For an acrylic farm, the most difficult thing is to form passages and holes for ants

Required tools and materials

• pencil:
• sheet of paper;
• acrylic;
• polycarbonate;
• plastic rivets;
• cocktail tubes.

Step-by-step manufacturing instructions

1. Develop a project for a future farm. To do this, on a sheet of paper you need to draw with a pencil the future structure, the approximate location of the tunnels, and the dimensions of the structure.
2. Take acrylic and follow the example on paper to make small holes, the so-called passages.
3. When the structure is ready, fasten it to the walls and polycarbonate lid using plastic rivets.
4. Before settling the farm, it is necessary to insert cocktail tubes into the structure so that air, water and food flow through them.

Other manufacturing options

Ant lovers often create clay farms. Such designs are created easily and quickly. Clay does not harm insects and easily takes any shape.

The most budget option is a foam truss. The material lends itself easily to the design of tunnels and passages. But it is short-lived and less convenient for ants.

Colonization of ants

To find ants, just go outside and find a small anthill

It is very important to remember that you cannot immediately introduce a large number of non-insects into a new home.

Under no circumstances should you put ants from different colonies in one place - there will be a war! In addition, they will gradually begin to multiply and there may not be enough space.

How to care for an ant farm

It should be remembered that the farm is periodically filled with soil and sand so that the insects feel as if they were in natural conditions. It is important to add some water and food.

The glass is wiped, and the farm itself is ventilated. Ants need shade, so it is better to keep their home away from light and avoid direct sunlight.

Creating an ant farm is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. Just read the instructions and list necessary tools and materials that are readily available and inexpensive.

People are used to having familiar animals, such as cats, fish, and dogs. An ant farm is an unusual, interesting and affordable entertainment that helps you relax. To observe the life of ants, you can buy a ready-made farm or make one yourself.

Mud Farm

If you involve a child in the process of making a farm, it will be easier and much more fun. For this you need:

• Buy a glass container. Double-glazed windows are also suitable for viewing tunnel digging from both sides.
• Prepare a bucket of sand (slightly damp) or soil for plants. The latter contains a large amount of organic matter, while the soil has less weight.
• Line the floor with polyethylene, then install a container filled with soil. The contents must be shaken off so that there are no empty spaces. The container should be filled almost to the top.
• Find an anthill on the street. They can mainly be found near roads and in vegetable gardens.
• Using a scoop, scoop up the ants and the queen and place them in a container.
• Place a cracker and a piece of cotton wool soaked in water. With its help, pets will drink. Then close the container and seal the joints with tape so that the ants cannot get out.

Gel farm

You can use gel or jelly as an anthill filler. To do this you need:

• 3 sachets of gelatin (15 g), 2 cups hot water. Stir the gelatin until dissolved, then add the same amount of water.
• Place the resulting mixture in a container and then in the refrigerator.
• After a few hours at room temperature, let new residents in.

You need to keep an eye on your child, because his curiosity can lead to insects crawling around the room.

Truss with gypsum block

The insects themselves will also like this farm, because it is comfortable for their life. You will need:

• A plaster block that needs to be built into a container.
• To avoid clogging of the chambers, it is necessary to make an entrance at the bottom.
• To prevent insects from running away, you need to treat glass surface baby powder.
• Filler – soil for the aquarium. Insects play with it, dragging grains of sand and pebbles around the chambers.
• Place a test tube with water in the arena for an additional source of moisture.

Main conditions when creating a farm

• The container should not have sharp corners to avoid injury.
• Ecologically pure material container that excludes harmful impurities.
• Take care of the ventilation system to allow air to enter inside.
• Equip the farm with a temperature regulator.
• There should be plenty of space for insects to move.
• You can make the filler yourself or buy it in stores. Remember that the habitat must be nutritious.

If the farm has a gel filler, then it needs to be changed very rarely. Wash and dry the container thoroughly beforehand. If the filler is sand or soil, then you need to periodically add food and water. In addition to crackers, you can feed grains and sweet syrups. To prevent insects from getting stuck in the syrup, it is better to spread it over the walls of the surface. Before setting up ants, you need to study the literature on proper care.

Conditions for insects

• The ants that will live in the farm must be taken from the same anthill. Because when meeting a stranger, ants can accidentally kill each other.
• The farm should be located in a dark and cool place.
• The number of ants should not be large.
• Insects do not like sudden changes in lighting, and bright light for them is a signal that they are outside the anthill.
• Gel farms do not need to feed the ants, because the gel is food and water.
• Open water bowls can trap insects, which can drown in them. Ideal option is a damp cotton ball that needs to be changed every three days.

A person wants to know more about the life of hierarchical insects, for example, bees, wasps, termites and ants. This interest can arise at any age. Understanding the process of creating a farm is quite easy. Well, if you decide to release your pets into the wild, you should do it in the spring or summer.

If you've ever looked at an anthill and wondered what goes on inside, creating your own ant farm will satisfy your curiosity and provide an incomparable experience in studying the life of ants. By releasing ants into your farm, you will witness how tunnels and paths are built, and how important these little creatures begin to scurry back and forth, as if they are performing some kind of task. Read step 1 and you will learn how to build an ant farm using simple materials at hand.

Steps

Part 1

Preparing materials and searching for ants

Take two jars with lids. You will need a large jar and a smaller jar that will fit inside. The soil and ants will be located in the space between the large and small jar. The small jar is needed to leave space in the middle. This way, the ant colony will be able to build tunnels and lay eggs at the top edge, and the whole process will be clearly visible. If you skip this step, the ants will follow their natural instinct and burrow deep into the middle of the jar.

• Airtight containers are perfect for this project. different sizes. This way, you will have more options when choosing the size of your farm.
• The jars must be free of cracks, patterns, etc. A simple, clean jar is best for observing ants.
• If you want a flat ant farm, go to your local pet store and buy a narrow aquarium. You can also order an aquarium for your farm online.

1. Prepare a mixture of soil and sand. Ants need to live in a moist environment that will allow them to dig and dig tunnels. If you want to collect ants in your yard or nearby area, it is best to use the same soil so that they live in their usual habitat. Dig up enough soil to fill the space in the jar. Use a fork or your own fingers to loosen the soil. Now mix 2 parts earth with 1 part sand. If the soil is initially sandy, less sand should be added.

   • If you want to find ants far from home, the ground is no longer suitable. You can buy sand and fertilized soil from the gardening department and mix them together.
   • If you order special ants from a farm, they must come with the correct habitat mixture.
   • Your mixture should be moistened, but not soaking wet. If it is too dry, the ants will dry out, and if it is too wet, they will drown.

2. Find an anthill. There are many types of ants, but mostly they all live in the ground. Look for an anthill in your yard. You will recognize it as a volcano-shaped bump with a tiny hole at the top.

   • You can also follow the ants to find the anthill. If you see a bunch of ants, follow them.
   • Explore the anthill and make sure you are not dealing with biting ants. If you don't want to take risks, order ants online.

3. Collect the ants. Once you have found the ant colony, bring a jar with holes punched in the top (not the jar you need for the farm) and a large spoon, place the ants in the jar. 20-25 ants is a sufficient number to start with. Here's what to remember:

   • The ants may not breed until you place a queen ant on the farm. She is the one who lays all the eggs. A cluster of worker ants on the surface is most likely sterile. Therefore, if you want to see the process of laying eggs, you will need a queen. In this case, you will most likely have to destroy the natural colony.
   • If you are interested in researching the reproductive cycle, it is better to order ants along with the queen from a specialized farm. This way, you don’t have to dig deep into the anthill to find the right ant.
   • If you set up a farm without a queen, the ants will likely die within 3-4 weeks, which is their natural lifespan.

Part 2

Construction of a farm

Part 3

Farm care

1. Feed the ants and moisten the soil. Every few days, throw pieces of fruit, a few drops of honey or jam into the jar - ants love sugar! Don't overdo it. Ants usually get the moisture they need from their food, but if you see the soil becoming dry, soak a piece of cotton wool and place it on top of the jars for a few days.

   • Do not give ants meat or any other cooked food! Otherwise, your farm will attract other insects.
   • Do not pour water into the jar. If it gets too wet, the ants may drown.

2. Close the jar unless you are watching ants. Ants dig tunnels at night, in the dark. To recreate natural environment habitat, cover the jar with a black scarf or cardboard. If you forget to do this, the ants will be under constant stress and lose activity. They also tend to be in the center of the jar most of the time rather than near the glass.

   Don't shake the jar. Ants are fragile creatures and rough handling can cause them to die from tunnel collapse. Handle your ant farm with care.

   Store the truss in a warm room. Put her in a room with constant temperature. Do not place the can under straight lines sun rays, the glass of the jar may heat up and the ants will burn.

• Once you get the ants, distract them with sugar and water to reduce the aggression while you search for the queen. Don't overdo it!
• Red ants are usually very aggressive, while black ants are generally more passive.
• For greater effect, you can also plant grass seeds on top. Water the grass carefully to avoid drowning the ants.
• Don't knock over the jar in the house!
• A cardboard toilet paper tube makes an excellent pipe.
• If you are going away for a long time, it would be a good idea if you leave someone to look after the ants so that they do not die from desiccation or starvation.
• Don't touch the queen, otherwise the rest of the ants will bite you.
• Ants require the same care as cats or dogs. Pay attention to them!

Warnings

• You can feed the ant dead insects if you are sure they are not poisonous.
• Never mix two colonies with each other, they may start fighting to the death. Therefore, if you catch ants yourself, make sure that they are from the same anthill.
• Do not cover the farm; the ants may suffocate. If you must cover them, use toilet paper, wrap it with an elastic band around the neck of the jar and make holes using a pin or earring.
• Beware of bites. If you have the opportunity to use gloves, great! To treat bites, use anti-bite cream. Ask a pharmacist for help.
• All ants bite, some less often than others. If you keep red ants, remember that they bite and can sting severely. Be careful. Use gloves.
• Avoid ant species that are aggressive towards people and whose bites can be painful or dangerous.

Ants are social insects, very attached to their home. And indeed, with the exception of nomadic wandering ants, they all have a nest-anthill, where the queen lives, the larvae develop, and sometimes food supplies are stored. Ants always return to the nest, carry prey there and can defend the house even at the cost of their lives. That's why proper arrangement home anthill (formicaria) is the highest priority and the most important task in myrmekeepership.

Most often, the initial home of a small colony of ants is an incubator tube with a simple device. For a young ant colony, no other conditions are needed, because it is preserved in a test tube. humid air(water seeps through a sponge or cotton wool), so necessary for the development of eggs and larvae.

Will the ants want to drink after you feed them? And this will not be a problem, they will drink the same water that humidifies the air in the test tube. Thus, an incubator tube is perfect place in order for the ant colony to successfully begin its development.

If the ant family is developing steadily, then it becomes difficult to put food in the incubator, because curious ants tend to run out at any opportunity to explore the world around us, and the most daring, courageous and aggressive will regard your intrusion as a threat to the nest, so they will attack. Naturally, in such conditions, we are no longer talking about quiet feeding, and it comes through expanding the living space by connecting the arena.

The arena is a structure that plays the role of space outside the anthill. Here your pets can forage for food, take out trash and explore various elements decor that you will place there. In this case, giving food becomes much easier - you can simply place a feeder with syrup in the arena, throw insects or sprinkle seeds if you have a granivorous species of ants.

Ant farms with ants

Types of ant farms

There are many designs of formicariums. So let's figure out what they are.

1. The first stage of classifying formicaria is by placement in space. Based on this feature, a distinction is made between horizontal and vertical ant farms.

A) Horizontal The formicarium, as the name suggests, lies horizontally.

The cover glass in it is located directly above the cameras, ideally opening their view. The disadvantage of such structures is, first of all, the space they take up. Another unpleasant aspect associated with these formicaria: with strong and excessive moisture, as well as with a sharp temperature change, the viewing glass will fog up. Condensation due to strong humidity and temperature differences can occur in any structure, but it is most common in horizontal trusses. Also, in such formicariums it is impossible to create a good humidity gradient, because moisture, as a rule, is distributed evenly between all chambers.

b) Vertical formicarium is the most economical in terms of space taken up, as it stands on its narrow edge, so on the rack you can place next to not only the ant farm itself, but also the arena for it (often the nesting module is already built into the arena and forms a single whole with it) .

This formicarium follows a humidity gradient, making it ideal for the genera Messor and Cataglyphis. One of the disadvantages is that the glass may become dirty during long-term use, since ants will also often move on it.

1. Formicaria can also be classified according to the type of material from which they are collected. Due to their natural plasticity, ants can adapt many different options for their nests. different materials, this is the reason for the choice of a variety of “fillers” when creating home ant farms.

A) Plaster formicaria are one of the most common types. Moreover, such designs are so easy to manufacture that even a child can make a formicarium from plaster. This is why gypsum formicaria are most often homemade designs, not factory ones. Having special tools, you can turn a plaster blank into a real work of art. Gypsum absorbs and distributes moisture well, so trusses made from this material are preferable for use by ants. tropical forest(e.g. subfamilies Ponerinae).

Plaster - brittle material, so do not let the formicarium fall, because the slab in it may crack. The negative point of gypsum trusses is that when long-term use they look unpresentable, losing their original purity.

b) Sand formicarium - the most simple design, which is a narrow container into which a mixture of sand and clay is poured. The passages and chambers dug by ants in such a farm look natural.

V) Wooden The formicarium is created from various hardwoods. Such farms look very beautiful, but can only be used to keep true arboreal ants: Camponotus truncatus, Camponotus fallax, Temnothorax unifasciatus, Dolichoderus quadripunctatus and some others.

In addition to natural materials, artificial ones can also be used to make formicaria.

G) Acrylic formicarium - quite popular in modern worldkeeping. This design is created from thin sheets of acrylic, between which, thanks to the capillary effect, moisture passes when moistened. These trusses weigh very little and are very convenient to move. Transparent acrylic does not make it difficult to observe the life of your pets. Most often, manufacturers produce farms with rectangular chambers, but we also provide housing for ants in which the configuration of the chambers is close to natural. Therefore, we can safely say that at this stage development of myrmekeeping, acrylic ant farms successfully compete with gypsum ones.

So, you already have an idea about the most common types of formicaria. In addition to them, there are often combined farms (gypsum + acrylic, gypsum + wood, etc.), used depending on the needs of a particular type of ant. Knowing the preferences of your pets, choosing a home for them will now not be such a difficult task.