Seminar on How to Build an Ant Farm
Ants are known for their annoying habit of building huge dirt mounds in lawns and creeping into kitchen cabinets, but their complex underground habitats often go unseen and unappreciated. Colonies of ants construct complex tunnels under these dirt hills where they establish rooms for larvae, food and the queen ant. Building your own ant farm can be a great way to see into these complicated homes without the danger of invading already established anthills.
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Things You'll Need
- Mason jar
- Sieve
- Soil
- Bowl
- Screw
- Hammer
- Packing tape
- Aluminum foil
- Cork
- Ants
Instructions
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1
Hold the sieve over the bowl and pour in the dirt. Shake the sieve to remove larger chunks of soil or rock. Pour the sifted soil into the mason jar so that the jar is 3/4 of the way full.
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2
Use a metal screw and hammer to punch six to eight small air holes in the lid of the mason jar. Make sure that the holes are not big enough for the ants to escape. In the center of the lid, punch one hole large enough to snugly fit the cork. This hole will be used to provide easy access for feeding and watering the ants.
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3
Unscrew the lid of the jar and carefully place the ants inside. Screw the lid back onto the jar and use packing tape to seal around the edges where the lid and the jar meet.
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4
Wrap the jar in aluminum foil so that the interior of the ant farm is dark. This will make the ants think that they're underground and they'll begin tunneling.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep the ant farm in a dry, warm place out of direct sunlight.
Feed the ants every few days by sprinkling sugar and a few drops of water into the cork hole.
Be sure to secure the cork tightly so that the ants cannot escape.
Take note of what kind of ants you keep in your ant farm; some ants, such as fire ants, can cause painful bites.
Children attempting this project should be monitored and assisted by an adult.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
