How To Make An Ant Farm
Posted By: Stacyh; Category: Pets; November 26, 2008
Author StacyH;
Making an ant farm is a fairly simple and fun project and a great learning experience for kids.
1
Find a large jar or a large glass container. If using a round bowl you may want to put another closed jar inside to keep the ants creating tunnels around the outside where they can be seen.
2
Use a piece of nylon or muslin cloth to cover the top tightly. If you use a large jar with a tight lid, you may make a few small holes in the top as long as you are sure the holes are smaller than the ants or that the dirt level will be low enough to prevent the ants from getting out.
Make the holes toward the middle of the lid.
3
Dig up an ant bed, but make sure not to dig up fire ants. Large black ants might be best.
4
Look for an ant larger than the others, possibly with wings, down near the bottom center of the mound. This is the queen and she is a crucial part of a surviving ant colony.
5
Capture the queen along with as many eggs and workers as you can get. You may want to use gloves or something as a scoop to avoid getting bitten.
6
Transer the ants and an adequate amount of dirt into your ant farm container. Don't bury the ants under the dirt.
7
Provide a sprinkle of sugar and/or a few drops of honey everyday for food. Provide a little moisture also. Soak a bit of bread in water or just water the farm a little bit every few days. Don't soak too much of the dirt, ants aren't water creatures.
8
Keep the ants in a dark place or cover the jar or bowl with dark paper when you are not observing them so they think they are underground. They won't tunnel near the sides if it's not dark.
Only registered users can add comments