Keeping an ant farm

[AlexC1981]

Hi All,

I've always wanted to set up an ant farm since I was a child, but never got around to it. Following the recent death of my dwarf puffer fish (tank heater thermostat failed after 13 months of use and overheated the water) there is a large empty looking space on my table.

I am going to order a small starter colony of yellow meadow ants (queen + 20 workers) since it is a UK species and I can release them into the wild if I decide this is a bad idea.

I have ordered an Ant World formicarium https://www.interplayuk.com/my-living-world/ant-wo...

It has not arrived yet, but for a cheap kids starter set it appears to be quite decent. I can expand it by creating my own modules joined on with plastic tubing. I like this traditional vertical layout because the you can see the tunnels the ants dig and there are no pre-built tunnels for them. Yellow meadow ants are apparently great tunnellers too.

I can't see this being a popular topic as the last time it was mentioned on PH was 2011 and the thread received no replies.

Anyone else got ants in their home? (intentionally)!

[AlexC1981]

stuartmmcfc said:

On second thoughts I remember when she knocked one over and there were ants everywhere in her bedroom

Well that certainly wouldn't be boring

Yes, I'll get some pics up when it's set up.

I've done a bit of reading on them over the last week and I'm going for yellow meadow ants (Lasius Flavus) for a few reasons:

1) They are smaller and slower moving compared to our normal black ants (Lasius Niger), so should be easier for a total noob to deal with in a small set up.
2) They are good tunnellers which should work well in the traditional vertical style formicarium I'm getting.
3) I think the colour makes them more interesting.
4) They don't bite or sting.

The outworld (foraging and rubbish disposal area) that comes with the set is tiny, but I can make or buy a better one. I have bought a box of Ferrero Rocher (the oblong shaped box that comes with 16 chocs), which seems a good size for a starter outworld. I plan to cut a square out of the lid and glue over it with some very very fine stainless steel mesh so I get good air circulation. I have read that a hot glue gun is the best and safest glue for this purpose.

Also ordered some red cellophane since ants can't see red light. I will use this to cover the sides of the burrowing area to encourage them to dig. I read that Lasius Flavus, don't really forage much on the surface, so I might cover the tube to the outworld with red cellophane too, otherwise they might not go down it?

Instead of using the yellow sand that comes with the Ant World farm I am going to fill it with a mix of dark potting compost and black aquarium sand. Hopefully this will give a good contrast against the yellow colour of the ants. I have checked the soil I have and there is no mention of pesticides or additives on the bag. I was going to bake it in the oven first to kill off any nasties that could be lurking in it.

Edited by AlexC1981 on Wednesday 12th July 22:32

Edited by AlexC1981 on Wednesday 12th July 22:33

[AlexC1981]

My formicarium has arrived and this is what you get for you get for your £17.94 delivered. I forgot to include the lid and the stickers this photo. The book is pretty decent. Covers the basics of feeding, catching, different ant types, substrate etc. and is written so it is accessible for children.

I decided to wash the components first in case there was any machine oil or something left inside.

DSC01575 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr

This is the inside panel the stickers go on. I decided not to use this bit as I thought it looked a bit rubbish. It helps with the rigidity and spacing between the panels, but I decided it probably wasn't necessary. I used a small amount of superglue (applied where the ants wouldn't come into contact with it) as reassurance that it wouldn't come apart. It probably was not needed, but I did not want to risk an escape. I only used a few tiny dabs so I would be able to pull it apart without damaging it one day.

DSC01576 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr

Since yellow meadow ants are subterranean ants and forage underground I decided to overfill it so the ants could access the foraging area without going above ground.

Instead of using the yellow sand that came in the kit, I mixed 2 parts sieved potting soil to 1 part black aquarium sand. This should hold moisture better and show up the yellow/orange ants clearer. The soil/sand was washed and baked in the oven for an hour to kill off any nasties or stuff that could go mouldy. I shook and tapped the tank on the floor with each spoonful of substrate I added add to ensure it was well packed in.

DSC01582 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr

I added in about 5ml of water across the top. I think I'll add a bit more later when it has had a chance to travel down. If I make it too wet the ants will not enter it, but if it is too dry the tunnels could collapse.

I plan to introduce them by putting them in the outworld first which will be joined to the main tank with a plastic tube. To encourage them into the main tank I will keep the outworld and tube in the light until they have moved in. I have made a starter tunnel for them with a BBQ skewer.

DSC01587 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr

I have stuck red cellophane onto one side of the tank. The plan is the ants will tunnel against the dark side (ants can't see red light) so I will get a good view of the tunnels. Once they have built some tunnels and settled into their nest I will probably remove the cellophane as it does spoil the look of it a bit. Maybe I could get some acrylic instead.

If I had gone for normal black ants I would not have needed to faff with cellophane because they are not as light adverse at yellow meadow ants.

DSC01590 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr

It comes with two of these covers that I can use to make it darker. To the right is the outworld that comes with the Ant World formicarium and to the left it a Ferrero Rocher box which I will use to make a larger outworld if the colony grows successfully.

DSC01592 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr

Edited by AlexC1981 on Saturday 15th July 14:06

[AlexC1981]

This is what they look like by the way. I won't take delivery of them until the middle of next week.

Queen with workers pictured. The workers are kind of cute...

[AlexC1981]

Nightmare, glad to hear someone else is doing this! It would be good to see photos of the set up you have. Are you new to this too?

I received my ants from AntsMynala today. I have counted 15 workers + queen and 7 (I think) little things that I am not sure if they are eggs, larva or pupa.

Continuing with the photos:

Thought I better join the starter tunnel I made with one to the surface since there are no air holes in my outworld and I didn't want them to suffocate.

DSC01594 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr

Inside my parcel!

DSC01595 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr

The downside of my outworld is I can't fit the test tube in it. Ants not budging and obviously I cant leave them like this. I had wiped some watered down honey along the plastic tube and the opening to the formicarium to coerce them into it.

DSC01597 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr

Got them out by flicking the test tube and gently swooping them with a small paint brush. I hope I didn't cause any harm. Smallest ants I've ever seen. The first generation from a new queen are smaller than normal.

DSC01599 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr

I encouraged the queen into the tube where you can see her above. I would have left her in the outworld, but she was trying to escape while I was getting the rest out. I thought she would probably sit tight once in there and I was right about that.

Since the above photo the queen has been joined by two workers. The other ants don't seem to know she is up there. They have gathered the larva into two piles and a there is a group of ants motionless by each pile.

Not sure what to do now. I think I will leave them alone for a while as they have had a stressful time. If they haven't found the queen by tomorrow, perhaps I should nudge her back into the outworld.

[AlexC1981]

Still there in the morning. No ants appear to have absconded! When I got home this evening the queen had moved to the edge of the tube overlooking the outworld. 10 minutes later and I am relieved to say she has rejoined her progeny in the outworld.

This isn't ideal because I will be disturbing her when I feed them each time. I suppose they will move into the formicarium when their numbers are greater. I am not sure if I should leave a bright light pointed at the outworld to make them move into the formicarium. I might do that on Saturday if there have been no changes.

Also considering naming the queen Rachel.

These ants are incredibly docile. They just sit around all day. I was looking at some quite large (probably 3 times the size of mine) black ants today that were crawling over my car and they were so much more lively in comparison. I get quite a number of ants on my car when it is at work because sap drips on it from the tree above. As Lasius flavus are so small and docile I am wondering if the Ant World is too big for them at the moment. Perhaps some sort of mini set up would have been better until the colony grows.

[AlexC1981]

Mr GrimNasty said:

If you put your ear very close, can you hear the Pink Panther theme tune?

Alas I do! I placed a small cotton wool ball that had been dipped in some raw whisked egg in the outworld last night. I think a worker got stuck in it where it had pooled a little and seems to be dead. It's hard to tell if it is an ant and not just detritus because it is tiny and looks squashed up. Perhaps it has been nibbled by the other workers.

Lesson learnt. Make the cotton wool balls much smaller and less wet. I think I will make them more disc shaped so there is no chance for an ant to get underneath any part of it.

My L. flavus don't seem to want to travel far from their queen at all. They are mainly huddling at the moment with only a couple foraging close by. I think it will be a long time before they are numerous enough and comfortable enough to dig some nest tunnels in the formicarium and use the outworld for foraging and dumping as intended.

I did some research into the big speedy ants that were on my car the other day. I think they are Formica fusca. They would make for a lively colony I think.

[AlexC1981]

Since my small L. flavus are nesting in the bare plastic outworld rather than the sand/soil vertical formicarium they have access to, I thought I should devise a better solution for humidity and water supply rather than just popping in moist cotton wool balls and risk them drying out, or drowning if I make them too wet.

I made this little thing this morning. Plastic tube filled with water and bunged with cotton wool, which will stay nice and moist, but will not drip. Glued to some plastic to stop it rolling.

Pictured with a handled food tray I made from a suntan lotion cap. The edges of the tray were roughened with sandpaper to ensure it would be easy to climb on.

Instead of using the little base I considered gluing two tubes together to make it roll resistant and get twice the capacity, however my dopey ants would probably get stuck between the tubes!

DSC01614 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr

[AlexC1981]

I was in the bathroom this morning, looked up and gasped at the horrific sight of a false widow spider in the corner on the wall.

I usually put spiders outside that I find in my home, but false widows are an invasive species and they can give a nasty bite, so I always flush them away to be on the safe side. Now I have a fledgling ant colony, I can do something less wasteful with them.

I have read that freezing or boiling will kill it humanly and the boiling would be instant. I have also read that both options will kill any mites that could be present.

I suppose if I freeze it first it will stay fresher for longer once in the outworld than a cooked spider would. Would the ants prefer it cooked as it would be softer? Freezing is less hassle for me and I think it might be more humane than boiling as the cold should send it to sleep before killing it. I do have a fear that once it thaws out it will wake up and kill the ants.

Anyway, in the end I froze it for three hours, then microwaved for 10 seconds to defrost it (and to doubly make sure it was dead). Thankfully it did not explode in the microwave.

I considered a brush of sugar water, but thought it might be better to keep protein and sugar separate so not to cause any confusion.

It doesn't half look menacing next to my little ants. They are very interested in it and they seem to be nibbling it face first! This is the most active I've seen them and I could imagine them hi-fiving when they pass each other

I wonder how long I can leave the spider in there before it spoils? There must be enough food on it to last my 15 ants for weeks.

Photo in spoilers for the arachnophobics amongst us.

DSC01616 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr

By the way, I have ordered beetle jelly (protein jelly made for raising beetles) and plain brown rice protein powder, so I hope to feed them that in future as large dead insects and particularly spiders freak me out just a bit.

Edited by AlexC1981 on Saturday 22 July 14:48

[AlexC1981]

Thanks for the encouragement, I'm glad people are enjoying it. I thought I would keep on writing it as a sort of blog to help others who are also new to this. I've also joined an ant forum which has been pretty helpful as the people on there clearly know their stuff and it was them who asked me to keep a blog on their forum. Most of what I'm writing here is going on their forum too.

http://world-of-myrmecology.freeforums.net/

On to today's ant-tastic adventure. The ants have been chewing on the spider for over a day now, without seeming to make any impact on it at all. I believe they are only nanitics (small and weak first ants from a new queen) so I thought I had better help them out.

I put my childish horror aside and with a sip of a strong cup of tea for mental strength I gingerly snipped a few spider legs off. One leg got stuck on my scissors much to my disgust. I poised myself ready for the big cut across the cephalothorax, desperately hoping no spider juice would squirt in my face. I had to stand there while one little bugger of an ant would not get out the way for ages.

My efforts were rewarded when a leg was dragged back to the queen who got her face in the open juicy end of it with apparent gusto.

Looking forward to the protein jelly pots arriving.

[AlexC1981]

Nightmare said:

I think I have an account of that forum too! Yeah Alex, also new to this......my wife is of the opinion that fk all will happen with them this year too - and she's probably right!

I have nothing to report though as I just pinched a new queen from the garden on flying ant day and she has vanished.......apparently it will be several weeks before her first batch of teeny ants is made - so doubt I'll have anything to report until then. If at all as it's entirely possible she will just die and wasn't even mated.

Couple of shoddy pics but it's a v nice glass setup.

Can't see the pics? Did she have her wings on still? Queens remove their wings after they have mated, so if she's still winged, chances are she hasn't mated. According to Myrm's website you should get eggs hatching in 8-10 weeks if she decides to lay immediately, but she might wait until next spring. Perhaps it depends on if she hibernates over winter. I'm not sure if I'm going to put mine into hibernation, I guess I'll cross that bridge when it comes.

I suppose the difficulty with your setup is knowing how much moisture she needs. Most people put a new queen in a test tube initially with half the tube filled with water and blocked off with cotton wool and the opening also blocked with cotton wool. She should be fine in there with no food, living off the energy stored in her defunct wing muscles. Apparently it's best not to feed Lasius niger queens at this stage.

I haven't noticed any flying ants round my way yet, but I have to confess, I am half tempted to grab one if I see one. However, I don't want to be known as that guy with all the ants

amancalledrob said:

AlexC1981 said:

I've also joined an ant forum which has been pretty helpful

Stick to people forums. Just because you're farming them doesn't mean you can understand what they say

There probably is a way to interpret their body language and actions. I just need to stare at them a bit longer and I'll get it!

[AlexC1981]

CoolHands said:

I'm enjoying it. But will the ants ever move...

Take a look at this!

DSC01620 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr

I noticed this dirt in the tube last night, so obviously there has been some burrowing or soil movement of some kind going on.

I came home tonight and had peek in the outworld, just in time to see the queen climbing up into the tube and she's now disappeared into the formicarium.

10 minutes later the workers took all the eggs and larvae in with her. A spiders leg has also just disappeared, so presumably they've taken it with them to snack on. I hope they dump it back in the outworld when they have finished with it.

I've removed the extra red cellophane I draped over the top now, so now only one side of the formicarium is covered with cellophane. Hopefully they will dig against that side to get away from the lighter uncovered side and I will be able to see the tunnels.

[AlexC1981]

That looks like a really nice set you have there! Now mine have moved out of the starter outworld, I'm going to make them a better one this weekend.

As you can see, they have been busy. I am not sure if they are attempting to cover the sides of the tube or if this is just debris from digging, or a bit of both.

DSC01625 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr

I have only seen the occasional ant this evening when she brings out more soil. They took the remaining spiders legs into their burrow yesterday, so they are stocked up on food. I had to remove the rest of the spider today as there was some mould growing. I have replaced it with some protein jelly. I didn't add in any honey water this time.

[AlexC1981]

I'll have to get down to London Zoo to see the leafcutter ants there sometime. There was a massive colony at Butterfly World in St Albans a few years back, but they chewed through an electricity cable and exterminated themselves

Rewe said:

You have inspired me! I've just set one up as well. It was going to go in my office but my daughter won't let it leave the house now

Great! I hope you can get some photos up and let us know what ants you've got etc. I'd recommend getting some red acetate to block the light off rather than cellophane. It's more rigid and cuts better, so you can make it look smarter than with crinkly cellophane. This comes at a cost of being a bit harder to see through.

Mr GrimNasty said:

I had a peculiar thing on my Blackcurrant bushes this year, not only were the ants farming the aphidsl, but they had actually carried mud up to the shoot tips and built little nests there.

Having read the newspaper articles today, I'm now wondering if I have some of these invading Argentinian ants!

Get a snap, let's see if we can identify them!

My Lasius flavus have made it to the surface and have been spotted patrolling the soil at the top of the formicarium this evening. I was concerned they were going to block up the entrance to the outworld entirely, but an ant has been coming out every few minutes to have some of the protein jelly. So that's good news too. They've made a little access ramp for themselves at the base of the entry hole to the outworld now. It looks like they have done it on purpose.....

I'm looking forward to when I have a better outworld as it's awkward to see what's going on when the lid is on.

I've got this coming in the post so I'll be able to get a close view and photos:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2MP-USB-Digital-Microsco...

[AlexC1981]

Hmm, what are they up to now? They are bringing out more and more soil and they've stuck it on the end of their water supply tube. Maybe they are building a dam in case the water comes rushing out

DSC01634 by 1891CxelA, on Flickr

[AlexC1981]

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.

Edited by AlexC1981 on Thursday 3rd August 21:01

[AlexC1981]

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

[AlexC1981]

TXG399 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 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 Flickr

In 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 Flickr

Edited by AlexC1981 on Sunday 13th August 10:54

[AlexC1981]

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...

Edited by AlexC1981 on Wednesday 16th August 22:37

[AlexC1981]

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