My Ant Farm (Nature at work) *56k warning*

**Nick F** · 07-04-2005, 04:00 PM

I took advantage of those offer codes from IWantOneOfThose.com (can't find affilate link) and brought myself an AntFarm.

*Mods I hope that this thread is okay if not I dont mind posting it at another location, all images are hosted on my webspace.

Thought I would setup a thread so you can see them perform their magic over the next month. I recieved the ant farm but had to send of for the ants. I recieved the ants 5 days later and here are the results so far.

This thread will be updated with any major changes as they happen.

The basic ant farm before introduction.

Welcome to your new home for the next month or so.

Apartently typical behaviour until they get used to their new surroundings.

Yeah, they have started to tunnel using the holes I made for them, all those little bits are what they have brought out.

I guess it makes sense to keep all your eggs in one basket.

I think I may have found a Queen larvae, look how big it is compared to the others. Its the only one in there this size. The ants have major trouble trying to move it.

The ants seem to have set up this as their temp home, they are crammed in here and have moved all the eggs into here.

Here is the tunnel progress after about 15 hours of activity.They have managed to dig quite a distance.

Updates to follow, including live webcam

**Allen** · 07-04-2005, 04:05 PM

They look kewl! Much better using that gel you can see through rather than real earth!

How much did that lot cost you though? And how can you send ants in the post??

**Swafe** · 07-04-2005, 04:07 PM

Do they eat the gel? Or will they starve unless you feed them

**Allen** · 07-04-2005, 04:07 PM

I'm pretty sure the gel is edible for them.

**Nick F** · 07-04-2005, 04:09 PM

The gel provides them with all the water and food they need,

you can get the ant farm at the following link

http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/ANTQUA.htm

oh and it comes with a coupon that you send off and pay £3.50 for some ants, 5 days later they dop through your door in a plastic pot

Saves the hassle of collecting them.

**TiG** · 07-04-2005, 04:23 PM

Is the gel flammable when you get bored

TiG

**Apex** · 07-04-2005, 04:23 PM

Looks funky

**Nick F** · 07-04-2005, 04:23 PM

Originally Posted by TiG

Is the gel flammable when you get bored

TiG

Now thats just pure evil

**Auran** · 07-04-2005, 04:37 PM

Originally Posted by TiG

Is the gel flammable when you get bored

TiG

Even more fun would be to buy several of them and then lace the gel with different types of mind altering chemicals to see how it affects their burrowing habits. In the interests of science of course

**Allen** · 07-04-2005, 04:38 PM

I love the comments made on that item, some are hilarious. Down the bottom is one where he was so saddened by one of his "boys" dying, that he cremated him in a box of matches, then put the ashes in a "ciggy" and smoked him. :rofl:

:edit: And how is the gel re-usable? Do you just mash it down again, or put more ants into it leaving the original tunnels made by the last ants?

**XA04** · 07-04-2005, 04:40 PM

hehe, cool. keep us updated

**Nick F** · 07-04-2005, 04:40 PM

hmm only five of my ants are actually working, the rest are being lazy gits and sleeping in the corner. A quick shake up should fix that

**Swafe** · 07-04-2005, 04:43 PM

I wonder what would happen if the gel providing them with beer, instead of water

**Andy** · 07-04-2005, 04:45 PM

Cool thread! Keep us updated, interested to see how long they last for...

**Allen** · 07-04-2005, 04:50 PM

They should last for 6 months. Would be great if you could find a queenie, then you might have a farm that last for even longer!

**iMc** · 07-04-2005, 04:53 PM

I had one of these, lasted for about 4months then they had all died.

good fun to watch when your bored.

**Nick F** · 07-04-2005, 04:59 PM

I have been hooked on this thing since this morning, you get a magnifying glass so it helps. There are even little baby ants in the larve SP? stage. I will update the photos with any changes they make.

**poindextermatic** · 07-04-2005, 05:01 PM

Yes you would certainly need a queen,

Cool thread btw - I love ants! I used to collect them when I was a kidda, built an ant farm from wood / glass soil....

I would love one of these!!

Keep us posted man! I want to see all there rooms...

Can u buy a queen?

**Tomahawk** · 07-04-2005, 05:05 PM

Cool thread and Ant farm!.. Lol., excellent idea to show us the stages of "Ant Life" !.. This should make for an interesting thread, and should be cool to see the Ant works develop as time goes on!

**Allen** · 07-04-2005, 05:05 PM

Originally Posted by Famished

There are even little baby ants in the larve SP? stage.

Larvae, or Larva as singular.

I really, really want one now!

**Nick F** · 07-04-2005, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by poindextermatic

Can u buy a queen?

You can't buy a queen but ah well. The ants have put all the eggs together into a pile and are now sitting on them while 10 or so ants are digging the tunnels. This ant farm is ment to be based on some NASA technology as the tunnels dont fall down on themselves.

oh and for a useless fact there are ment to be 1,666,666 ants to every 1 human . Madness!

**Allen** · 07-04-2005, 05:18 PM

Originally Posted by Famished

You can't buy a queen but ah well. The ants have put all the eggs together into a pile and are now sitting on them while 10 or so ants are digging the tunnels.

If you don't have a queen, then where did the larvae come from?? Through the post?

**Nick F** · 07-04-2005, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by Allen

If you don't have a queen, then where did the larvae come from?? Through the post?

yeah, there are about 7/8 larvae in there all being protected by the other ants.

**ajbrun** · 07-04-2005, 07:10 PM

If they eat the gel, I guess you'd run out eventually. Do you just buy more and stick that in? It's like big brother, but better - what more could you want?

**Nick F** · 07-04-2005, 07:12 PM

You cant buy more gel, you would just have to buy another antfarm but at £20 they are fantastic value.

I hope you like the new photo, I wonder how long its gonna be unitl they hatch.

**Swafe** · 07-04-2005, 07:18 PM

If theres no queen to reproduce, sooner or later the ants will all come to their bitter end, cant you get queen lavae ? Then your sorted

**Stewart** · 07-04-2005, 07:23 PM

Yeah, needs a Queen, to keep the thing going. That would be boss, ninja gaiden, gangsta pimp (really good).

**Nick F** · 07-04-2005, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by Vaul

Yeah, needs a Queen, to keep the thing going. That would be boss, ninja gaiden, gangsta pimp (really good).

Maybe but then I would run out of gel and the poor sods would die a horrible death after turning on themselves

**Stewart** · 07-04-2005, 07:26 PM

Well, put in what ants eat every now and again, little ant sausage rolls and whatever. Or a nice murray mint.

**Nick F** · 07-04-2005, 07:28 PM

Dont ants like sugar or is that just bees and wasps? Actually that is a good idea once the tunnels have started to take shape I will introduce a leaf or two and see what happens.

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