If you are thinking about buying an ant farm, there are a few things that you ought to learn about keeping ants before you set up or at least populate your farm. In fact, even before you buy your ant farm, you should look around for which types of ants you can get hold of and then read up on what sort of colonies those ants build.
Do they build nests above and below ground or only below ground? Most regular ant farms are not designed to cope with anthills, although some, shaped like a flat-bottomed egg are built to deal with a slight anthill.
Once you know what kinds of ants you can have, you can select the variety and buy the correct shaped ant farm. Most novices begin with harvester ants, which will live quite happily in a standard ant farm. Your colony may grow to several thousand members, so the next thing to think about is fodder for them.
Harvester ants will eat a range of different kinds of food, but it is easier and cleaner if you feed them sweet, crunchy vegetables and fruit. For example, bits of carrot, celery and apple are very good. They are readily cut up and transported by the ants, they are nutritious and they will not rot down or begin to smell bad quickly.
You will have to weigh up for yourself how much food to put down, but it is far better to put out fresh food every day, than leave a large lump of something lying in the farm for days on end. If you notice that food is being left, cut back a little.
On the other hand, if the colony is growing in number and the food is vanishing put a little more down. Working the amount of food out is part of your job. Mold is a health hazard to ants so be on the look out for it on the food at all times.
Ants will get a lot of the moisture that they need from the food that you provide them, but they do require water as well. Not much to be sure, but you ought to drip two or three drops - literally only two or three drops of water - onto the ground every day. Whatever you do do not tip so much water that a puddle forms, even a very small one.
If you want to give your ants a real treat, put a few granules of sugar into half a teaspoon of water and tip that onto the soil. They will love it and it will also give them a boost of energy, just as if you ate a Mars bar.
Owning an ant farm should be educational and enjoyable. Watching the ants work together to make a nest and rear their young will teach adults and children alike a lot about how insects live. It will also help remove some of the illogical fear that many people have for insects in general, including ants.
Do they build nests above and below ground or only below ground? Most regular ant farms are not designed to cope with anthills, although some, shaped like a flat-bottomed egg are built to deal with a slight anthill.
Once you know what kinds of ants you can have, you can select the variety and buy the correct shaped ant farm. Most novices begin with harvester ants, which will live quite happily in a standard ant farm. Your colony may grow to several thousand members, so the next thing to think about is fodder for them.
Harvester ants will eat a range of different kinds of food, but it is easier and cleaner if you feed them sweet, crunchy vegetables and fruit. For example, bits of carrot, celery and apple are very good. They are readily cut up and transported by the ants, they are nutritious and they will not rot down or begin to smell bad quickly.
You will have to weigh up for yourself how much food to put down, but it is far better to put out fresh food every day, than leave a large lump of something lying in the farm for days on end. If you notice that food is being left, cut back a little.
On the other hand, if the colony is growing in number and the food is vanishing put a little more down. Working the amount of food out is part of your job. Mold is a health hazard to ants so be on the look out for it on the food at all times.
Ants will get a lot of the moisture that they need from the food that you provide them, but they do require water as well. Not much to be sure, but you ought to drip two or three drops - literally only two or three drops of water - onto the ground every day. Whatever you do do not tip so much water that a puddle forms, even a very small one.
If you want to give your ants a real treat, put a few granules of sugar into half a teaspoon of water and tip that onto the soil. They will love it and it will also give them a boost of energy, just as if you ate a Mars bar.
Owning an ant farm should be educational and enjoyable. Watching the ants work together to make a nest and rear their young will teach adults and children alike a lot about how insects live. It will also help remove some of the illogical fear that many people have for insects in general, including ants.
About the Author:
Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on many topics, but is at present concerned with how to kill fire ants. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Killing Carpenter Ants.
0 comments:
Post a Comment