Observe the work of ants in a terrarium is a privilege that anyone can enjoy using the tools, materials and care. These arthropods have a body divided into three sections, which varies in size depending on the species and color, but usually all be of earth tones.
Knowing the ants
Unlike other insects, ants live in colonies socialized with one or more queens who are responsible for reproduction, and many workers, who work for the proper functioning of the mound.
The workers are all female: usually seen on the surface looking for food or doing maintenance of the colony, such as feeding and caring for ant larvae. The males have wings, only serve to fertilize the queens, winged too, and once the mating usually do not live much longer. Meanwhile, the larvae appear white worms.
Typically, the ants feed on dead insects that are in addition to vegetables, seeds and nectar. These insects are also able to communicate, being able to give warning signals to the colony to the most imminent threats or indicate where they find food.
How to get
To our ant farm will have to capture some specimens in the field. Of course, not easy. Under rocks or rotting wood, we can find nests, where we will pick up the queen and her offspring quickly, before they hide. We'll take a paddle to insects and leave in a jar that has Vaseline on the opening to prevent ants from escaping. Once captured, we only have to enter them in their new terrarium.
If the queen we have not caught the wings fall off again after a few hours, we will take another, because we are only worth a mated queen, and they shed their wings only when they have mated successfully. With the first rains of spring we can find in the field winged queen ants go abroad to play.
We also have to capture some males, which have smaller than the queens and also have wings. It's just a matter of practice appropriately recognize members of the 'Royal Family' of these insects.
Building the farm
To make a terrarium will need two sheets of glass or acrylic, large, same size, which will be separated by 1 cm. With four strips of wood we will cover the terrarium, close off the holes of 1 cm. we have left between the plates. For this we use strong glue or silicone.
On the sides are two holes. The first will serve initially for the ants carry the cage, then it will be useful to connect the nest to another, or to feed the insects. The second hole is connected to a container of water, which will provide moisture to the colony. We will cover the water pipe with cotton to keep the liquid out too fast, but we have to periodically renew the cotton as it can be a source of pathogenic bacteria.
To fill the terrarium, it is best to use the land from which the ant will live in our neighborhood, but any substrate, except the rich in organic matter, is usually suitable. Will remove organic debris and stones, and earth esterilizaremos putting in a microwave oven a few minutes at full power and then letting it cool in the freezer for ten minutes. Repeat the operation twice, wetting the soil before putting it in the microwave.
Maintenance of farm
The cage will have to be in some dark, especially breeding areas, which must be in complete darkness. The primary care are to maintain moisture and prevent rotting food that we used for the nutrition of the colony.
To find out what they eat ants we have in the terrarium can be tested with food, or observe them in their natural habitat. Although most are omnivorous, also need to eat only seeds, smaller dead insects or nectar-secreting certain insect larvae.
It is very easy to feed seed-eating ants, as with the birdseed given to domestic birds is enough to feed them properly. Finally, it is important not to overdo it when feeding invertebrates such as fungi can occur in the colony.
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