Ever wanted an ant farm? Why not make your own? Read on and give ants an artificial nest and learn how they live and survive!
Creating A Fascinating Ant Farm For The Homestead Kids
Keeping ants as pets is exciting and fun because of its fascinating ability to function as a unit. If you have ever wondered what’s beneath the surface of an anthill, making your own ant colony will be a captivating learning experience. An ant farm is a perfect way to learn about ant colonies and their great contribution to the world we live in. So today, we will give you a list of steps in making your own ant farm.
You Will Need:
- 1-liter plastic bottle
- 2-liter plastic bottle
- Scissors
- Black construction paper
- Tape
- Blu-tack adhesive
- Ants
- Dirt or sand
- Funnel
- Gloves
- Shovel
- Jar
- Paper towels or old nylons
- Rubber band
- Pin or needle
- Cotton balls
- Ant food
RT @FreeEyreLtd: We never stop learning because life on the farm never stops teaching. Happy Sunday everyone. pic.twitter.com/XKBy1O0Ydd
— Homesteading (@HomesteadingUSA) February 13, 2017
How To Make An Ant Farm
Step 1: Cut The Mouth And Necks Off The Two Bottles
Cut the mouths and necks off the two bottles. Use the black construction paper to cover the outside of the smaller bottle and fasten it with tape. Place a blu-tack the base of the covered bottle, and place it inside the bigger bottle.
Step 2: Put Some Soil Into The Space Amidst The Bottles
Put some soil or sand by the funnel into space amidst the bottles. Leave about half an inch before the peak of the 1-liter bottle. Use darker soil for light-colored ants and for black ants use sand, this will provide your ants extra visibility.
Step 3: Choose What Kind Of Ants To Keep
Choose what kind of ants to keep. The perfect source is your backyard. In the event that you can’t discover appropriate ants, order some from a mail-arrange provider.
Step 4: Transferring An Anthill To A Jar
Wear gloves and utilize your shovel when transferring an anthill to the jar, or you can put the jar closer to the anthill making sure that there’s a small slice of fruit inside. Catch 50 to 80 ants, and attempt to catch a queen, because, without one, your ant farm will just last a few months. The queen is bigger and longer than the rest of the ants and will be encompassed by numerous different ants. Wear gloves; ants will sting to safeguard their queen.
Step 5: Put Ants From The Jar Into The Dirt In 2-Liter Bottle
Empty ants from the jar into the dirt in the 2-liter container, and rapidly cover the top with a paper towel or old nylons. Use rubber bands to bind the paper towel in the bottle. Jab air openings in the larger bottle’s cover with a needle or pin, ensuring they are too little for the ants to slither through.
Step 6: Create An Underground Environment
When you’re not watching your ants, wrap the outside of your ant farm with extra piece of dark construction paper and fasten with tape, to create an underground environment. Keep your farm in direct sunlight. Avoid moving your farm, there’s a possibility that the tunnels they started to build will collapse.
Step 7: Feeding Your Ants
Once every day, douse a cotton ball in water, remove the cover, put the cotton on top of the soil and cover the farm again, permitting the ants to have some drinking water. Nourish ants with little bits of bread or fruit soaked in honey or sugar water. A teaspoon of food every other day is sufficient for 20 to 40 ants.
Watch the full video by Howcast to guide you in creating your own ant farm:
One of the best things about making an ant farm is that it only needs materials and tools that would already have at home. Kids and adults alike will surely be fascinated observing the little ants as they go about their daily, busy lives. If you’re looking for a no-cost educational pet, then this project is perfect for you and your little ones!
So, what do you think? Did you enjoy the tutorial on how to create your own ant colony? Let us know below in the comments!
Want to get rid of those annoying mosquitoes? Well, leave them the creatures who have an appetite for them: bats! Build a bat house in your homestead and they’ll serve you right! Pollinate your plants and get rid of mosquitoes, making your homestead more comfortable and safe.
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This post was originally published in November 2016 and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
Featured Image Via AntsCanada
