Ant farm supplies

What supplies do you need to make an ant farm?

Materials

• A knife that can cut plastic, such as a utility knife
• Clear packing tape
• Dry dirt, suitable from the ant collection site (approximately 3 cups before sifting)
• For scoring and cutting plastic, use a straightedge.
• For soil, sieve
• Marker to indicate the position of the exit/entry point
• Sifted dirt container (about 12 cups after sifting)
• Spoon
• To cover the sides of the farm, use two sheets of black construction paper or aluminum foil.
• Two standard-width transparent plastic CD cases
• Using an eyedropper (for watering soil)

Instructions in Detail

1. empty CD cases

Both CD cases' inside plastic components should be removed. One piece of inside plastic will function as the farm's base, although only a portion of the other piece will be required to close the farm's top. Put both parts aside for the time being.

2. Make passage holes between the top and bottom of the farm.

Place the two empty CD cases so that the one that will house the upper section of the ant farm is level on top of and parallel to the one that will contain the lower soil component of the farm, with its front side of the top case pointing upwards to make it easier to open and shut. CD cases have two small slots on the upper and bottom borders, and you'll utilize one of those cuts on top of the lower mud CD to create an ant entrance point.

Mark the spot on the bottom of the upper CD case where you'll use a utility knife or other sharp blade to cut a tiny, circular hole. If you shave too rapidly, the plastic may shatter, so take your time and don't exert far too much force.

3. Build a shelter for the ant farm.

Ants enjoy gloomy environments. Create a long rectangle out of two sheets of construction paper taped together lengthwise or a sheet of aluminum foil that's about the same length as one CD cover and wide even to cover all around the whole lower case with many inches of excess.

4. Fill the lower CD case with earth and seal the perforations.

Before filling the bottom CD case with soil, all tiny holes must be taped shut. Seal and secure the bottom edge and the end opposing the hinge with long strands of adhesive tape, but keep the half-inch space along the case's column exposed so you may add soil thru it. Seal the top edge of the entrance hole with a thin piece of temporary tape.

Sift dried dirt to eliminate clumps and debris before putting it on the farm. You'll need around a 12 cups of sifted dirt.

Using a spoon, spoon dirt into the CD case via the half-inch gap along the spine, stopping to tap the CD case to settle and compress the soil. Fill the container as much as feasible with dirt.

Remove any dust from the outside of the container and close the open edge along the column with a long piece of adhesive tape.

5. Set up the farm

One of the square bits of plastic from the interior of one of the CD cases may be found here. Attach the CD case filled with dirt to the base piece with a strip of packing tape around one bottom edge.

Make sure the entry/exit hole is facing upwards on the top edge. The ant farm will stay erect thanks to some careful tape. Attach the second strip of packing tape along the second side of the CD case's bottom edge by laying the CD case filled with dirt flat on its side.

The CD case filled with dirt should be able to stand on its own after the second side is attached.

Remove the piece of tape that was covering the entrance hole as a temporary measure.

Connect the upper CD case to the soil-filled bottom CD case. To begin, run a strip of tape down one of the sides of the CD filled with dirt, leaving about half of the tape sticking up over the top of the CD.

Fold the tape down and adjust the upper CD case so that the entry/exit hole matches the bottom CD case's hole. Allow the tape to stick to the upper CD case after the CD cases are correctly lined up.

Then, tilt the top CD case back and apply a second piece of tape to the opposite side of the lower CD case, securing the upper CD case in place.

Double-check that the hole in the upper CD case matches the hole in the bottom CD case.

6. Cover all holes in the upper CD cover with tape.

Look for the second plastic component that made up the CD case's inside. This item will close the half-inch hole on the top of the farm's spine. Cut the inside plastic piece parallel to and 1.5 inches away from the edge of the CD case that is normally nearest to the hinge.

7. Fill the farm with water and ants.

A. Pour roughly 2 teaspoons of water into the ant farm's entrance hole using an eyedropper or similar instrument. This water will permeate into the ant farm's other areas, providing enough moisture for the ants.

 Ants are cold-blooded, therefore when they become chilly, they slow down. Before dumping the ants into the formicarium, put them in the refrigerator for approximately 10 minutes to slow them down. This will make moving the ants into their new habitat easier and safer. A plastic funnel might also be handy for getting the ants into a tight space.

Give your ants just a few droplets of water every day to improve their health. Don't moisten their soil to the point where water collects on top and they suffocate, but please give them 2 or 3 drops per day. Mix a pinch of sugar in a spoonful of water and offer it to your ants every other day to give them an extra burst of energy and a nice treat they'll enjoy. - If you own a gel ant formicarium, you won't need to give your ants any water.

Ants are voracious eaters who will consume practically anything. Oatmeal or other dried grains in little pieces work nicely. The ants in your ant colony will not consume much food. Every 3 days or so, you just need to give them 2 or 3 little pinches of food. We sell Ant Food packets for $1.65 each. - You will not need to feed the ants if you have a gel at home.

High temperatures might cause your ants' lives to be cut short. At temperatures of 60 to 70 degrees, ants will survive longer in a cold area. Keep the ants away from direct sunshine, since this will raise the temperature within the ant