Keeping an ant farm
Discussion
mungral said:
Enjoying this thread, for a while I thought you must be Michael Ellis...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmKped3yARQ
You mean Nigel Mellish?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmKped3yARQ
I'm not sure I'm doing this right.........
Day one, the industrious little blighters have shifted half a world and built a veritable ant palace.
Day seven they have literally gone to ground. Laziest creatures known to man.
Day eight, I drop a new queen (Rebecca) into the outworld and secure the future of colony for generations to come.
Day eight plus 20 seconds and all 50 workers come charging into the outworld and start to eat her!!! Hmmmmm.
Day one, the industrious little blighters have shifted half a world and built a veritable ant palace.
Day seven they have literally gone to ground. Laziest creatures known to man.
Day eight, I drop a new queen (Rebecca) into the outworld and secure the future of colony for generations to come.
Day eight plus 20 seconds and all 50 workers come charging into the outworld and start to eat her!!! Hmmmmm.
If your colony doesn't have a queen you might as well put them back where you found them I'm afraid as they live to serve her. Did they come from an existing colony?
If you have a new mated queen you are best off sticking her in a test tube until she gives birth to her own workers.
Handy guide here:
https://www.antkeepers.com/keeping-ants/your-colon...
Not much to report on my Lasius flavus colony. They are definitely digging as there is loads of spoil in the outworld, but they are being very secretive and have skilfully hid their tunnels in the centre of the fomicarium where I can't see them, despite my careful application of red cellophane. I spotted an ant right in the centre of the fomicarium in a small opening in the soil. By the way, I have replaced the cellophane with a sheet of acetate now, which is much better both in looks and for viewing.
I haven't seen them much lately either. I don't think they were particularly keen on the protein jelly and they have shown no interest in honey water. I put in a few cellar spider legs in the outworld in conveniently sized pieces and they took all those into the burrow. They took them secretly in the night.
If you have a new mated queen you are best off sticking her in a test tube until she gives birth to her own workers.
Handy guide here:
https://www.antkeepers.com/keeping-ants/your-colon...
Not much to report on my Lasius flavus colony. They are definitely digging as there is loads of spoil in the outworld, but they are being very secretive and have skilfully hid their tunnels in the centre of the fomicarium where I can't see them, despite my careful application of red cellophane. I spotted an ant right in the centre of the fomicarium in a small opening in the soil. By the way, I have replaced the cellophane with a sheet of acetate now, which is much better both in looks and for viewing.
I haven't seen them much lately either. I don't think they were particularly keen on the protein jelly and they have shown no interest in honey water. I put in a few cellar spider legs in the outworld in conveniently sized pieces and they took all those into the burrow. They took them secretly in the night.
Edited by AlexC1981 on Thursday 3rd August 21:01
I made a new outworld on Saturday with a dark base to highlight the ants yellow colour. It came out looking like an alien landscape 
I'm really pleased how it turned out. It looks better than it does in the pictures.
I won't connect it for another week so I can be sure the cement has fully cured.
DSC01648 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr
DSC01642 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr
The process was:
- Drill a hole in the base of £2 acrylic tea caddy from ASDA and insert grommet.
- Stuff hole with kitchen roll covered with a plastic bag to keep the entry hole clear.
- Mix cement, I added some black Quink ink to make it darker that I happened to have spare rather than buying a pigment. Tile grout which is available in many colours would also work. Ideally I would have used some more ink to make it darker. I think a yellow/orange cement would work well for black ants.
- Pour in cement, make some mountains and valleys and ensure a clear path to the entry hole.
- Push fake plants into cement.
- Pour black aquarium sand over the top. Discard loose sand when cement has cured.
The plants and stones were pinched from my aquarium.
For the lid, I used a drill holesaw, some very fine mesh and silicone sealant.
DSC01638 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr
I'm really pleased how it turned out. It looks better than it does in the pictures.I won't connect it for another week so I can be sure the cement has fully cured.
DSC01648 by 1891CxelA, on FlickrDSC01642 by 1891CxelA, on FlickrThe process was:
- Drill a hole in the base of £2 acrylic tea caddy from ASDA and insert grommet.
- Stuff hole with kitchen roll covered with a plastic bag to keep the entry hole clear.
- Mix cement, I added some black Quink ink to make it darker that I happened to have spare rather than buying a pigment. Tile grout which is available in many colours would also work. Ideally I would have used some more ink to make it darker. I think a yellow/orange cement would work well for black ants.
- Pour in cement, make some mountains and valleys and ensure a clear path to the entry hole.
- Push fake plants into cement.
- Pour black aquarium sand over the top. Discard loose sand when cement has cured.
The plants and stones were pinched from my aquarium.
For the lid, I used a drill holesaw, some very fine mesh and silicone sealant.
DSC01638 by 1891CxelA, on FlickrTXG399 said:
This is one of the best threads I've read for ages. I'm looking forward to the next instalment!
I'm also trying to figure out how to explain to my wife that I want an ant farm...
Go for it, but accept you might have to keep the formicarium in the shed! Take a look around when you see flying ants and you might spot a mated queen. I wasn't really looking, but happened upon two Lasius flavus queens yesterday. I didn't particularly intend to start another colony of that species, but I thought it would be interesting to see a colony start from scratch as I missed those first few weeks with the starter colony that I bought.I'm also trying to figure out how to explain to my wife that I want an ant farm...
I might keep them over winter and then release them in the summer. We'll see how it goes.
I read that Lasius flavus will set up a colony with multiple queens sometimes, so I have popped both queens in a tube together. They were found about 2m apart so they should be from the same colony, though there are quite a number of Lasius flavus colonies nearby.
Did the the test tube setup. Water one end blocked with cotton wool, ants in the middle and another cotton wool ball blocking the entrance. I have wrapped it in red cellophane so I can observe them without disturbing them.
Getting two lively queens into a test tube is very tricky as one crawls out while you are trying to get the other one in! Eventually I had to stick a funnel in the top of the tube and tip them both down the funnel whilst shaking it so they dropped down. They seem to be ok. One is definitely livelier than the other and really wanted to get out. They both seem to have settled at the back of the tube now near the water and are still both alive 24 hours later.
DSC01654 by 1891CxelA, on FlickrIn other news I have connected the new outworld to my established colony now. I am not sure if this was the right thing to do. As the colony is so small, the distance along the tube might be too far for them to travel from the queen. At this early stage the nanitics are shy. I have cellophaned the tube to make them feel less exposed, but if they have not gathered any food by tomorrow I will have to cut the tube down and set it up on a stand so it is the right level.
DSC01655 by 1891CxelA, on FlickrEdited by AlexC1981 on Sunday 13th August 10:54
Calm down, it's only been three days 
Not much to report on at the moment as they seem to have gone to ground. I'm pretty sure they have taken food, though I haven't seen them come down the tube. I haven't seen any patrolling the soil surface for a couple of days either, so I am a little worried. I wonder if the smell of burnt wood where I cut the hole through the lid is keeping them away.
I've added a small spider to the outworld this evening and taken a photo, so I can check if anything has changed by tomorrow evening.
DSC01661 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr
I can see why clear formicariums without substrate seem to be more popular amongst ant keepers. You can see exactly what is going on at all times. I took delivery of one of these types yesterday and it appears to be very well made. It's a small formicarium and outworld in one compact unit and it is expandable by using the two ports at the bottom to connect new containers. I might put my two new queens in it when they are ready.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/11-5CM-9-5CM-8-5CM...
Not much to report on at the moment as they seem to have gone to ground. I'm pretty sure they have taken food, though I haven't seen them come down the tube. I haven't seen any patrolling the soil surface for a couple of days either, so I am a little worried. I wonder if the smell of burnt wood where I cut the hole through the lid is keeping them away.
I've added a small spider to the outworld this evening and taken a photo, so I can check if anything has changed by tomorrow evening.
DSC01661 by 1891CxelA, on FlickrI can see why clear formicariums without substrate seem to be more popular amongst ant keepers. You can see exactly what is going on at all times. I took delivery of one of these types yesterday and it appears to be very well made. It's a small formicarium and outworld in one compact unit and it is expandable by using the two ports at the bottom to connect new containers. I might put my two new queens in it when they are ready.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/11-5CM-9-5CM-8-5CM...
Edited by AlexC1981 on Wednesday 16th August 22:37
Not much to report. Tunnel build has been slow, or at least what I can see has been.
I got back from a weeks holiday last week and interestingly there was a bundle of eggs or larvae on top of the soil, however shortly after I spotted them they disappeared. I don't know if this was a coincidence or perhaps they saw the movement and thought they should hide the eggs. Or perhaps it is linked to me putting the heating on as the week I was away it was quite cold here.
Darkened side.
I saw a few ants scurrying along the passage when I first removed the acetate. Shame I can't see exactly what is going on in there as I am sure they have built a lot more than I can see.
DSC02254 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr
Opposite side (exposed to light side)
DSC02255 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr
More interesting news on the queens I caught six weeks ago. Lots of eggs and larvae.
DSC02252 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr
DSC02245 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr
I got back from a weeks holiday last week and interestingly there was a bundle of eggs or larvae on top of the soil, however shortly after I spotted them they disappeared. I don't know if this was a coincidence or perhaps they saw the movement and thought they should hide the eggs. Or perhaps it is linked to me putting the heating on as the week I was away it was quite cold here.
Darkened side.
I saw a few ants scurrying along the passage when I first removed the acetate. Shame I can't see exactly what is going on in there as I am sure they have built a lot more than I can see.
DSC02254 by 1891CxelA, on FlickrOpposite side (exposed to light side)
DSC02255 by 1891CxelA, on FlickrMore interesting news on the queens I caught six weeks ago. Lots of eggs and larvae.
DSC02252 by 1891CxelA, on FlickrDSC02245 by 1891CxelA, on FlickrThanks for asking, but I'm afraid they all died.
Nothing dramatic, just slowly petered out. If I was to guess the cause I would say I probably relied on the beetle jelly too much rather than fresh food. Maybe I didn't keep the soil damp enough and then used too much and drowned the queen. It's hard to say.
I did enjoy getting it set up and writing this thread, but I don't think I will start another colony. If I ever do, I'd probably be better off with regular black garden ants as they are supposed to be easier to look after.
Nothing dramatic, just slowly petered out. If I was to guess the cause I would say I probably relied on the beetle jelly too much rather than fresh food. Maybe I didn't keep the soil damp enough and then used too much and drowned the queen. It's hard to say.
I did enjoy getting it set up and writing this thread, but I don't think I will start another colony. If I ever do, I'd probably be better off with regular black garden ants as they are supposed to be easier to look after.
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