What kind of ants is better to breed for a beginner. Ant farm (formicarium). Test tube with a young uterus

Many of us in childhood dreamed of seeing how an anthill lives inside. Someone out of curiosity even tore up anthills. After all, those insects that we see on the surface make up only 10% of the total number of inhabitants of the ant house. Most of them are hidden from us underground. And in order to get acquainted with the fascinating world of smart and hardworking insects, you can purchase an ant farm.

An ant farm is a home anthill, which is a container filled with a special gel, sand or other filler. In it, you can easily observe everything that happens inside the ant family.

Scientifically, an ant farm is called a “formicarium”. For the Russian market, this product is still quite exotic. But gradually formicaria gain well-deserved popularity.

An ant colony is like an exotic pet. There are no special problems in its content, and watching the inhabitants of the anthill is a very exciting activity. In doing so, you get the opportunity to see the development of the colony from the very beginning.

IN Lately formicaria began to be purchased for offices. Someone to their desktop, because farms are compact and do not take up much space. And someone acquires large farms in the hall or in the chief's office.

Many give ant farms as an original gift. Ants are social insects, so you can watch them for hours, they are constantly doing something and interacting with each other.

Children will simply be delighted with the ant farm! They are interested in what is happening inside the anthill and how these insects develop. They have the opportunity to grow a huge family from a small colony of 20–25 ants. Also, the formicarium allows children to get to know nature better and, at least for a while, be distracted from gadgets. Looking after ants, they learn a lot from the fascinating world of these insects that have been living on our planet for several million years. Yes, and for adults such an observation - the best remedy at least for an hour to disconnect from everyday worries and let the body relax.

Formicary inhabitants

There are a huge number of types of ants, completely different from each other. There is, for example, such an amazing species as the Amazon ants, which rob the anthills of other species and drag the larvae out of there. Subsequently, the captive ants become their slaves and look after the Amazons.

There are leaf cutter ants that live inside the mycelium, which they grow themselves. Their jaws are very well adapted to cut leaves into small pieces and carry them to the mycelium, and then build a dwelling out of it, and also feed on it.

There are real giants in the world of ants, reaching a length of 4 centimeters.

Basically, ants are divided into hunters and gatherers. Hunters need protein food and carbohydrates, they are predators and prey on insects. It is very interesting to observe how, with the help of their antennae, ants pursue prey by smell. In the case when one of the ants finds syrup or fruit, on the way back to the anthill, he marks the road with his abdomen, which allows his brothers to quickly find their way to food. All these curious moments will be perfectly visible to you in the home ant farm.

Ants-gatherers differ from hunters in the peculiarities of their content. They eat mostly what they find. For the most part, these are seeds of plants (poppy, rapeseed, millet). They also will not refuse protein food. They can eat dead insects or the same boiled chicken(if we talk about a home ant farm). They do not hunt insects, they only defend themselves. But these ants have a very interesting internal structure of the anthill. There are food storage chambers (warehouses where they store seeds for a long time), birth rooms, canteens (where they bring seeds, soften them with moisture and eat them), rooms for caring for young animals (in these rooms, ants care for and feed larvae). And all the processes that take place in the ant house can be observed with your own eyes!

As a rule, ants within the same family are divided into castes: scouts, workers, nurse ants, soldiers, and the uterus (queen). Almost every species has scout ants, they make up a small percentage of the total population of the anthill. Their task is to explore unfamiliar territories and look for new sources of food. Workers are the main hard workers of the colony, they build, drag food, sort warehouses, clean the anthill. Soldiers differ from other ants in their larger size, have a large head and powerful jaws. Nurse ants practically do not leave the young, they feed the larvae and the uterus itself.

The uterus is the No. 1 person in the colony. All the inhabitants of the anthill are born from the same uterus, that is, they are all brothers. The task of the uterus is only to give birth to new ants. She doesn't even get her own food. There are some species in the colonies of which several queens can exist.

Each anthill and its inhabitants have their own unique smell, so even ants of the same species, but from different anthills, will be at enmity with each other.

Types of ant farms

Formicarium looks like an aquarium or a showcase, inside of which there is a filler. There are quite a few types of trusses, but the most common ones are vertical display, horizontal, volumetric and combinations thereof.

Horizontal formicarium

Ant farms and fillers differ. Sand and earth, clay and gypsum, aerated concrete and wood, alabaster and cement are used. Each of these materials has its pros and cons. But the most practical, perhaps, is gypsum. In the west, ants are kept mainly in aerated concrete.

Gypsum formicarium

Acrylic ant farms are very popular today. They are light, comfortable, practical and give good review to monitor residents.

acrylic formicarium

For arboreal ant species, there are wooden farms filled with hard varieties wood.

To a lesser extent, combined trusses are common, which combine structures from different materials such as plaster, acrylic and glass or wood and plaster.

A new species on the market are 3D printed formicaria. They are made on the basis of polylactide polymer (PLA) - a completely environmentally friendly material.

Having shown ingenuity and imagination, you can make a formicarium - a real work of art with your own hands.

With enough experience, you can even create a bio-module, for example, with an aphid colony, which ants will look after, or a module that simulates a corner of the forest, where Formica rufa will build a real dome.

Gel Ant Farm

Separately, it must be said about the gel formicaria. The history of ant gel began with a 2003 NASA experiment to study the behavior of ants in microgravity. Gel nests allow you to study the behavior of insects in a unique closed environment. Thanks to them, we can amazingly observe how ants live, work in a nutrient gel, how they create entire tunnel systems. Some gel farms are equipped with special lighting.

Illuminated Gel Ant Farm

Gel ant farms have one significant plus - you can not only watch everyday life insects, but also to see firsthand how the ants will build their dwelling day after day. In addition, the gel already contains the necessary nutrients and the ants do not have to be fed (if you feed the ants in the gel anthill, they will stop working). There are also disadvantages - the number of ants in such a farm is limited due to the size of the farm. This is usually 20-100 inhabitants (the number of ants that fit in a gel anthill depends on the size of the anthill and ants). The second disadvantage is gel formicaria the humidity is usually high because the gel is based on water and algae. Therefore, preference should be given to those farms that have a dry arena in their design.

Do not place the gel farm in direct sunlight or near heaters. Ants prefer shade. Room temperature is optimal for ants. Usually, at temperatures below 15 C, the ants stop working!

How to care for an ant farm?

An integral part of the formicarium is the arena, where, in essence, the aboveground life of the colony takes place. Here the ants find food (of course, if the owners put it there in a timely manner), water, and a dump is organized here. Under it, the farthest corner of the arena is usually assigned, where the garbage is folded into a neat pile.

Comfortable conditions for the inhabitants of the formicarium

In formicaria, it is necessary to create special conditions, a microclimate that is comfortable for ants. They (conditions) are few. Firstly, you need to maintain the temperature at the level of 22-26 ° C, and secondly, the humidity of the air should be in the region of 70-90%. Ventilation is also required.

Ant feeding

The colony needs two types of food: protein for the larvae and carbohydrates for the adult ants. Forage insects (crickets, mealworms, etc.) are usually used as protein food, which can now be bought at almost any pet store. But if you couldn’t get insects, it doesn’t matter! Ants will be happy to eat veal or chicken meat, egg white, fresh or boiled shrimp. The only thing to be warned about is not to feed the ants with street insects - they can be poisoned by chemicals.

With carbohydrates in general, everything is simple. Even ordinary sugar, which must be diluted with water, will do. You can also give fructose or glucose. With great appetite, ants also eat fresh fruits (grapes, pears, apples, oranges, tangerines). As a rule, they will not refuse marmalade or marshmallows either (but it is still better to refrain from industrial sweets). There are also types of ants that feed mainly on seeds (for example, Messor structor). They are also a bit of a hassle - a pack of canary food is enough for them for a whole year. In general, in the house there is always something to feed small pets.

Remember that "food" should always be fresh and in sufficient quantity - the inhabitants of the formicarium will figure out for themselves how much and when to eat.

And let at the beginning of the path you are not afraid of seeming difficulties, in fact there are not so many of them. After all, an ant colony is a large organism with excellent self-regulation. If you inadvertently forgot to moisten the formicarium, the insects will bring water from the drinker and do it themselves. If it was not possible to feed, they will take on the prepared supplies.

FAQ

1. Why can't you catch ants with your hands?

Small insects are easily damaged. Injured ants soon die.

1. What types of ants are suitable for gel anthills?

Carpenter ant (Camponotus, carpenter ant). This species of ants lives for about 12 months. They are able to build an extensive tunnel network and work for a long time.

American Harvester Ant (Pogonomyrmex Harvester Ant). These ants are the most industrious and can build very complex tunnels.) But they live, alas, only about three months.

1. Why do ants refuse to work?

There are several possible reasons for this:

• Usually ants start working in a day or two. After the experience of moving, they need time to get used to the new environment. Try not to touch the gel anthill, just leave it on the table, then the ants will get used to it faster;
• the ants were injured;
• unfavorable temperature. At temperatures below 15 ° C and above 30 ° C, ants will not work.

1. How long will ants live? What to do with dead ants?

Usually the life of an ant is about 6 months. Life expectancy varies for different types. Be that as it may, if you damage an ant during relocation, it will not live long. Always try to clear the anthill of dead ants. If most of the colony has died, release the survivors and populate new ones. They will carry the remaining dead specimens from the tunnels to the surface.

Where to get ants for the farm?

There are several options for getting ants. Firstly, future pets can be purchased at a pet store or in a bird market, secondly, ordered from specialized online stores, and thirdly, you can search for ants for a home ant farm on Avito or similar free ad sites.

But the most obvious source of ants is, of course, nature. Ants live in almost any climate in almost all parts of the world, except for the north and south poles. Usually they can be found near the house, in forests, parks. Even large cities do not scare these insects.

How to catch insects?

Consider 2 ways to catch ants:

Bait fishing

Using bait, ants can be caught in just a few hours. Sweetened water in a large bowl attracts most ants well. Periodically collect caught ants in a container.

You will need 2 jars (or cups) with a lid, sweet water (honey, breadcrumbs), a small stick.

1. Find an anthill with suitable ants for you. Ants should be large and black. Red ants may turn out to be "fire ants", which are dangerous predators and can sting you painfully.

2. Take a jar (wide-mouth cup) with a lid, pour sugar into it and add a little water so that the insects do not drown in a thick solution. Spread the solution evenly in a thin layer across the bottom of the jar. Sweet water will attract ants and they will definitely come to explore. To help them feel the bait, dip your finger into the prepared solution and trace a path to the bait from the outside of the cup.

3. Leave a cup of solution open near the anthill for several hours. When you return, there should be some insects in it. Close the cup with a lid. If you put the cup in the same place, then the ants will take less time to find it, because. they leave a special chemical trail to the target.

4. Lure the ants from the cup onto the stick, then shake them off into an empty jar with some water and close the lid quickly. If you need more insects, leave the cup of bait near the anthill again.

5. Leave the ants in the jar for 2-3 days. This is necessary so that the ants are cleared of debris, which will prevent contamination of the gel in the helium anthill. Otherwise, it may get moldy.

6. After 2-3 days, move the ants from the jar to their permanent place of residence - in the helium anthill, again using a wand.

Catching ants one at a time

You will need a jar (container) with a lid, a piece of cardboard or thick paper, a stick.

1. Wait near the anthill, and when an ant appears, carefully take it on paper and shake it into a container.

2. Spray some water into the ant container, but never feed them. leave the ants in the jar for 2-3 days.

3. After 2-3 days, move the ant from the jar to the helium anthill using a stick.

Ant Catching Tips

1. Don't catch ants with your bare hands. You can easily damage these little creatures. Treat ants with care when catching, this will allow them to quickly adapt to new conditions.
2. Children should not catch ants without adult supervision.
3. Before you go to catch ants in a jar, make a few small holes in the lid. Ants need to breathe too!
4. Some species of ants secrete formic acid in self-defense. If placed in a small airtight container, they can easily be poisoned by their own acid. Therefore, use a large container with small air holes.
5. In the same helium anthill, place ants only from the same anthill. Ants from different colonies are at enmity.
6. Most of the ants in the colony are small, and only a few are large. Do not catch only large ants - these are soldiers. Their goal is to protect the anthill, and they will not dig tunnels. They are not even able to find food for themselves, and will die if they are not fed by ants - workers!

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"MK" got acquainted with the smallest pets

When psychologists recommend acquiring a pet to relieve stress, it is a priori understood that this is some kind of “mimic” four-legged dog, a cat, a decorative boar or (we now have such a fad) a raccoon. But no one ever advised to have ... ants at home. But in vain. From the point of view of science, these insects of the order Hymenoptera for us, people, are perhaps the most curious “living material” on Earth, since they are considered our biopolitical counterparts and can teach something not only ordinary breeders, but also the powers that be. For example, politicians.

This is how ants live in formicaria. Photo: Mark Razumov.

On a carpet of ants

Student Mark Razumov has been studying ants for the 6th year. He says that people with a contemplative mindset, who are interested in the structure of society, this hobby is the best fit.

Mark, like many others, had a childhood unsuccessful experience with the breeding of ants, when his grandmother brought him, a seven-year-old, in a three-liter jar a neatly cut top of a forest anthill. Goosebumps, contrary to the efforts of their master, soon one after another went to another world. After weeping, Mark decided that when he grows up, he will first study from here to now what species there are and how to keep them, and only after that he will bring them to his house. And so he did. A few years later, after a thorough "walking" in circles of theoretical knowledge and specialized forums, the young man took up breeding first reaper ants, and then black garden ants.

Now he has about 10 thousand ants of 12 species at home, including such a rare species as camponotus fellah (carpenter ants). Mark ordered them from Israel 2 years ago. A colony of 50 ants and a queen (the standard option for sale) went to him in a large test tube, closed with cotton wool ... in an ordinary parcel, however, first class. All the ants survived two weeks of the journey in good health. They also liked their new homeland, and now the number of this family has exceeded 500. Periodically, pets either from one formicarium (artificial anthill) or from another run away to explore the space, gnawing through the mesh separating them from the outside world.

“Somehow I came, and in my room there was a living “palace” on the floor of one and a half (as I later counted) thousand ants. Operation "return" took me more than five hours, - Mark laughs, remembering that incident.

Worldkeeper Mark Razumov. Photo from personal archive.

Deadly shooting in the series

System administrator Nikolai Yudin is a myrmkeeper (ant breeder) with five years of experience. An unusual zoo-hobby literally fell on his head on one of the Moscow streets during the ant summer. Nikolay, who had planned the uterus of a black garden ant for him, who was also keenly interested in these insects in childhood, did not throw it away, but squeezed it in his fist, deciding to use the chance that fell to him. The ancestor of his first home colony was missing one limb, and she received the appropriate name - Lameleg. A month later, the first generation of ants appeared in the incubator from a 20-mm syringe (a common version of “rooms” for those beginning to form colonies), then the second, the third ... About a year later, Nikolai gave Khromonozhka and her already numerous offspring to the biology room to one from schools. Today, my interlocutor has the experience of breeding completely different species, including very large ants - Asian camponotus singularis. Their queen reaches a length of 2.5 cm, soldiers - 15-20 millimeters.

By the way, one of Yudin's colonies fell victim to the ministers of art. Filmmakers contacted the myrmikeper through an Internet forum and asked him to rent the ants as a “props” for some domestic series. Handing over the 20-liter farm with reaper ants to the producer, the breeder clearly instructed how to care for the insects, but when he got to the film set a month later, he found next to the anthill only a mountain of twisted corpses mixed with pieces of barbecue, rolls and snickers. Insect filmmakers all this time stubbornly tried to feed human sweets. But what is good for a man is death for an ant.

Ant breeder Nikolai Yudin. Photo from personal archive.

Human doppelgangers

Ants are socially advanced insects. Therefore, observing their colonies is both interesting and instructive at the same time.

In the ant world, there are agrarian-oriented states, where 80% of the population are reaper ants involved in the collection and preparation of seeds from cereals; there are, on the contrary, militant tribes, hunters for territories and slaves. Scouts can conditionally be called the creative class of ants. At the same time, democratic systems can be established in some ant families, while totalitarianism and tyranny reign in others. Everything is very variable.

According to the entomologist, doctor of biological sciences, leading researcher at the IPEE RAS Anatoly Zakharov, ants are the biopolitical twins of humans. Among adults in the anthill there is a deep differentiation (separation) of functions. Insects, if we use the concepts we are used to, have many professions: farmers, builders, constructing dwellings, roads, tunnels, hunters, coordinators, orderlies, cleaners, scouts, nannies, watchmen, observers, grooms (lizuns) who clean other ants, honeydew collectors (that is, those who breed aphids and collect the sweet liquid secreted by them - honeydew). The society of insects is similar to the human society, to the extent that noble persons - ant queens - have their own retinue. At the same time, they have a common brood, common food supplies and one roof over their heads for all. During his life, an ant can try several social roles - to be a nanny, a builder, a soldier, a scout, a forager, choosing what he likes the most. The final choice is influenced by psychological predisposition: brave individuals are more likely to become hunters, and calmer and phlegmatic ones, honeydew collectors, for example. And someone will live all his life as a dependent and a drone, lazily watching his fellow tribesmen who are heroes in labor.

Ants even fight just like humans! It became crowded in one territory - a conflict begins. Only we are trying to explain the battle for resources by ideology, religion, geopolitics. By the way, ant wars can be very cruel, when hundreds of thousands or even millions of ants can die in a few hours. But at the same time, there is always an alternative scenario, which is realized if the ants have some time to think after the first collision. In this case, they choose to unite instead of fighting, starting an intensive barter with everything they can: pupae, larvae, females, worker ants, nesting material. As a result, a federation with a common territory, with a common strategy, with a common smell, arises in place of individual nests.

Self-supporting colony

Caring for ants does not involve any particular difficulties, especially if you stop at domestic species like red, garden or forest ( exotic species may be demanding on moisture levels and nutrition). The most unpretentious species and rather large (and the larger the ant, the easier it is to observe its life), which is usually recommended to beginners, are reaper ants. They are not shy to breed for the soul and experienced breeders. For example, at Nikolai Yudin's house, a colony of reapers of five thousand individuals now lives in a 75-liter gypsum anthill.

Ants are very neat creatures and store all the garbage in one corner. They also carry their deceased comrades there. So they will carry out general cleaning themselves, and you will only have to clean one single corner.

Medium-sized colonies will not give you trouble in terms of food. “For some species, the basis of the diet is syrup from water with sugar and grain, for others, predatory, it is meat in the form of marbled cockroaches and flour worms, crickets and fruit flies,” says Mark Razumov. However, giant colonies can be very voracious. One of the breeders in a house near Moscow raised a million forest ants, equipping them with a room of 12 squares for apartments. In addition to various syrups, which had to be diluted in liters, this brotherhood ate a kilogram or two of meat daily. And then the prudent man figured out how to avoid spending: he led out of the room where the ants were kept, a pipe into the nearest forest, fortunately, his country estate was located on the edge of a garden partnership. And the ants, put on complacency, every day began to leave "on the ground" and independently get their own food.

By the way, ants have an excellent memory. “Going out to the site in the spring, the ant remembers the road along which he last walked in the fall; he remembers the places where there were outposts, fodder nests, forks, and is able to distinguish "by sight" up to 40-50 of his comrades, - says Anatoly Zakharov. - Ants communicate using a tactile code, or, in other words, the language of antennas. They tap their antennas on each other, transmitting information, and very informative. They can point you exactly where to go.”

If you suddenly also decided to join the myrmkeepers, then you can either wait for the summer to catch a queen ant during the traditional ant summer, or buy a small ant colony. It will cost about 300 to 1200 rubles. Moreover, on the forums you can always find breeders who attach their ants to good hands is free. True, all these will be pets of domestic bottling. Species that are not typical for Russia, such as leaf cutters, can cost $ 1,000 for a “queen” with a small retinue. A gypsum ant farm will cost you 500-1000 rubles.

BY THE WAY

Ants are one of the most common insects on the planet. Today there are about 12 thousand different species. The weight of an ant can vary (depending on the species) from 1 to 1500 milligrams, length from 1 to 45 millimeters.

In nature, the queen ant lives 20-25 years, and the worker ant lives up to 4-7 years. The colonists do not offend the injured, injured individuals who have lost the ability to walk long distances and continue to feed them. And the ant itself can change profession. For example, become a nanny or do grooming.

Dear readers!

Before embarking on the issue of keeping ants at home, it is important to learn more about the characteristics of such insects.

They live in their own "caste" society, therefore they are of interest not as individuals, but as representatives of a social structure.

Ants belong to the order Hymenoptera, their closest relatives are bees.

All ants are exclusively social insects, live in colonies and act like a large single organism.

Thanks to this, their evolutionary development has gone far ahead (compared to other insects), which allowed them to spread widely on our planet and have a dominant position among their fellows.

Ant colonies evolved through the formation of various highly specialized individuals within the same species. For example, soldier ants are larger and have proportionally large heads with powerful jaws.

In some species of ants, the soldiers have such large jaws that they cannot feed on their own! Worker ants are smaller individuals without obvious morphological changes, but with different specializations.

Some get and look for food, others equip an anthill, nurse (feed and grow larvae) future ants. There are also cook ants or individual barrel ants with a large abdomen, they play the role of storage tanks for food.

The uterus is the main ant in their entire society. This is the largest individual of the species, the main function is the laying of eggs, the reproduction of ants.

It is the ant queen that monitors the ratio of individuals.

How many soldiers and workers there will be, she decides. When males will appear for mating and more queens will scatter and form new colonies, depends on her decision.

Many ants are engaged in their own animal husbandry: they grow aphids, protect their herds from predatory insects, and distill them to more succulent parts of plants.

Ants also have their own greenhouses, some species cultivate a fungus, which they choose the most suitable conditions in an anthill and, if necessary, transferred to new places.

Most species of ants live in colonies on a permanent territory, creating large dwellings on and under the ground, there are also vagrant species. Ants are omnivorous, eat animal and vegetable food, often play an important sanitary role in the natural ecosystem.

At home, you can keep many types of ants. If the goal is to recreate a full-fledged durable colony, then it is better to use tropical species.

Small flat helium anthills are often on sale, they are perfect for keeping a small group of any kind of ants. You can eat gel in such anthills, the ants will eat through the winding passages in it until they swallow it all.

If you set yourself a more serious goal (to model a viable colony), then first of all you need to acquire an ant queen, it will give rise to the future ants.

Now interesting ready-made versions of anthills (formicariums) made of glass, gypsum and plastic are often offered for sale.

You can create an anthill yourself.

Before you start keeping ants, you should acquire fodder insects in advance or find out the possibilities for their uninterrupted acquisition, since they are the main diet of ants.

Crickets and cockroaches are suitable, which do not have to be alive, frozen ones are also quite suitable. Ants can also be fed with fresh fruits and boiled vegetables. Ants need to put food in small portions, as they are consumed.

In no case should the food be stale, this will lead to the appearance of mold (and other undesirable organisms) and the damping of the anthill.

Ants sometimes need to be sprayed a little, it is advisable to have a drinker with a small level (no more than 1 mm) of water so that it does not dry out. You can use the foam rubber or cotton wool placed in the drinker.

If you treat the content of ants responsibly, then, undoubtedly, a home anthill (a carefully thought-out formicarium) will be not only an excellent visual aid for beginner entomologists, but also a decoration for any room.

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zverushca.ru

Who hasn't watched insects, especially ants, as a child? But keeping them at home is not for every animal lover. Many are frightened by their numbers and not knowing the conditions of life. For example, in one nest, and this is one large "family", of an ordinary black garden ant, there can be up to 10,000 individuals. But lately it has become quite a fascinating activity to observe their daily life. Many of the biology course probably remember that ants feed on dead arthropods, plant seeds, nectar, and also breed and graze aphids and spend all day arranging their homes. That's basically it. But those who decide to breed these insects will soon discover a truly amazing "world", a whole state with its own hierarchy, laws and regulations. And the construction of the kingdom begins with one female. And it is also better to start breeding ants at home from this very “future queen”.

Consider the breeding of our pets on the example of a black garden ant.

They live in our latitudes. Everyone has seen these little black insects. Their sizes hardly exceed 3-4 mm. They dig their burrows in the ground. At the same time preferring open areas. Above the entrance rises a small mound of glued pieces of "waste" land. They feed on dead invertebrates, plant nectar and aphids. All ants are sterile females that are the offspring of one queen. Among them there are two castes - workers and soldiers. On average, an ant lives 2-3 years. Uterus - up to 25 years! Ants record.

This type of ant is well suited for keeping in the home. Especially for a beginner. Does not require the creation of special climatic conditions. First you need a test tube, water, cotton wool and formicaria (this is the place for your future "family"), but more on that below. Now you need to catch a fertilized female. In black garden ants, mating takes place in May, the first half of June. You will distinguish a fertilized female by a larger size and a slightly flattened middle segment of the body, on which there will be traces of bitten off wings. And you can find it, sometimes in the most unusual places. This female must be placed in the same test tube. But first you need to pour up to 1/4 of water into it and plug this “water compartment” with cotton wool. Now that's it - it's better to leave the queen alone now.

Until the first working individuals appear, food is not needed. And then, when the female lays several eggs, she should be fed with protein-containing food - these can be the corpses of small insects, worms, better bloodworms. The first generation of worker ants also need to be fed carbohydrates (honey, syrup). Since the appearance of the second "batch" of working insects, your impromptu lullaby must be moved to a specially equipped place for keeping ants - a formicarium. For beginners, a 60 liter aquarium is best. It should be 1/2 filled with "soil" (alabaster is best suited for this purpose). From above, the formicarium should be tightly closed, but at the same time well ventilated. In it, you yourself make labyrinth moves so that some of them are visible in the section, and it is convenient to observe the family of ants, because for this the construction of the entire empire is started.

Next, you need to allocate a place for feeding. Of course, it is better to cut a small hole on one of the walls and connect it to another small aquarium (10 liters is enough). This will be the arena where the feeder should be placed. Remember that the "food" should always be fresh and in sufficient quantity - the ants themselves will figure out how much food they need. As for maintaining the temperature regime, special heating is not required for the ants of our strip. What to feed? There are all generations and castes in the colony. That's why you need a varied diet. A constant combination of protein and carbohydrate components. Honey is good, but remember that it quickly crystallizes and deteriorates, you can use sugar syrup, which should be constantly replaced with fresh one. Larvae of cockroaches, crickets, insects themselves, small invertebrates.

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zverushca.ru

Ants at home » Where to start

Stage I - getting to know

Stage II - thinking

Stage III - preparation

The plan is simple:

1. decide on the type of ants you want
2. consider where you will keep the incubator with the queen (darkness, calmness, temperature ~27°С)

The less you disturb the uterus at first, the higher the chance of a successful start of the colony. It is better to foresee such a place in advance.

3. get tweezers, a magnifying glass, a couple of test tubes, a thermometer

You will need these tools very much. The best tweezers are medical surgical. The tweezers should be chosen so long that it is 5-7 cm longer than the test tube, and at the same time, it is narrow enough to enter it. Very convenient thermometer - flat liquid crystal. Black paper with numbers and windows. Its accuracy is enough.

4. try making an incubator

This is, so to speak, "training before the fight." You may be very unexpectedly lucky, and you will find a uterus. And you ONCE - and already know how to make an incubator! :)

You can always count on our consultations - ask questions, and you will definitely get an answer.

A colony is a functional formation consisting of maternal and daughter families that maintain regular kinship relationships.

Myrmecology is the science that studies ants, part of entomology. Myrmecologists are scientists who study ants.

Insect is a class of invertebrates such as arthropods. The body is divided into head, thorax and abdomen, 3 pairs of legs, most have wings. Breathe through trachea. Development, as a rule, with metamorphosis egg, larva, nymph (or pupa), adult insect. The largest and most diverse group of animals on earth.

The family is the main form of existence of social insects. Consists of reproductive (females, males) and functionally asexual individuals (workers).

Cockroaches are a group of insects. Length 4 mm 9.5 cm. Approx. 3600 species, mainly in the tropics and subtropics. In a number of species, the wings are shortened or absent. Some (Prussian, black cockroach, etc.) live in human dwellings. The relic forest cockroach living in the south of Primorye is protected.

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Ants at home » Where to start

We will try to smoothly bring you up to date and roughly outline everything that you have to do in connection with this.

Most likely you will learn a lot of new and amazing things about ants. You will be surprised how little people really know about ants and how many different prejudices and misconceptions exist regarding these wonderful hard workers.

You can, of course, just catch a couple of dozen worker ants from a nearby anthill in a jar and observe their behavior, how they do something together. This is not a full-fledged keeping of ants - the ants will die pretty quickly. We will not consider such options for "content" (but we believe that it can be useful for educational purposes. For example, in order to tell a child about the diversity of nature, about complex organization, even such small boogers as ants).

Our goal is to talk about the maintenance of a full-fledged, developing colony of ants at home.

Stage I - getting to know

These wonderful books will tell you about ants in a simple and fascinating way, how they work, how and where they live. We have arranged these books in order of increasing severity of presentation. The first two books are designed for a young reader, but, nevertheless, they have a lot of useful information and for adult amateur myrmecologists.

Stage II - thinking

We do not advocate keeping ants in captivity - this is a serious step that requires responsibility and patience. Ants are highly organized social insects. Basically, they don't care about you. The purpose of their life is the prosperity of their family. Therefore, do not expect that they will do what you want, rather everything will be the opposite.

Plus, the most interesting things will happen in your colony not earlier than in 6-9 months. At first, all you will see is a uterus sitting in a test tube, and slowly developing larvae / pupae. Not everyone can withstand this, the most difficult and tedious stage - the stage of colony development, from one queen to at least 50 workers.

Think thrice! Ants are not the easiest pets. Plus, it's so exotic that you will most likely be considered a great original (weirdo:).

Also, you will have to deal with accompanying insects: flies, cockroaches, crickets, etc. - These are not the most pleasant insects to keep. Not everyone can afford to keep, also forage crops - and without these sources of live protein, one cannot get a prosperous colony.

But, if you, nevertheless, are ready to go to certain inconveniences - keeping ants will give you and your family unforgettable impressions from the most interesting observation of the life of ants. And how you will rejoice at the first-born - words can not convey !!! Your personal civilization on the table!

Stage III - preparation

The plan is simple:

1. search all available pet stores for equipment and food

If you do not live in the capital, then the maximum of what you will find useful: dried gammarus and mixtures of seeds. Ask for equipment for terrariums - aquarium equipment is most often not suitable. Visit the "bird" markets as well - there you can meet amateurs who breed and sell fodder insects. Arrange with them about the "supply" of live food.

2. decide where you will take the queen ant (buy/catch)

If you decide to buy a uterus, then know that abroad will not help us! There are only isolated cases of successful purchase of ants in European stores. Most often, ants are acquired “by hand” from other amateur myrmecologists who were lucky to catch them (or rather, just pick them up) during the flight. We strongly do not recommend digging / breaking up anthills - the chances of catching a queen in this way are scanty, and irreparable damage will be done to the anthill.

Ants are colonial animals with a strict colony organization that varies by species. The colony usually consists of one or more egg-laying individuals - queens - and workers. In some species, workers can be divided into castes - small, medium, large workers and soldiers. Such polymorphism of workers is typical, for example, for reapers.

The life cycle of ants begins with the egg laid by the queen. It has a spherical shape; usually the eggs are glued together to form a "package" and carried in this form by the workers. A few days later, a larva hatches from the egg. By themselves, the reaper larvae are not able to move independently, feed, and have a cone-shaped shape with a curved top. Working individuals feed the larvae. In the case of harvester ants, the main food is flour obtained by grinding plant seeds. As the larva grows, it increases significantly in size and, depending on the conditions, pupates in 1-2 months. Reaper pupae do not have cocoons, so it is possible to trace how metamorphosis occurs into a full-fledged ant. At the last stage of development, the pupae darken and begin to move.

One of the most important factors for the successful keeping of animals (particularly ants) at home is the quality of the first individuals. Because ants have an R breeding strategy ( a large number of offspring, lack of care), in the population very often there are non-viable or few viable individuals. This fact is due to the need to adapt to new conditions. environment and some other evolutionary aspects. When getting new colonies from fertilized queens, 3 out of 10 of them will not be able to produce eggs, despite guaranteed fertilization. Some of those who did lay eggs will not be able to hatch the first workers due to a lack of stored nutrients. This is very important point, since reapers are highly stressed and in inexperienced hands very often eat laid eggs.

We recommend keeping a small colony of ants in a glass incubator, which supports optimal level humidity.
We recommend moving the ant colony to the anthill after reaching at least 30 workers. If you transplant a failed colony into an anthill, the probability of extinction is very high. Reapers can be kept in various homemade anthills (formicaria): plaster, gel, acrylic, wooden and others. The most important thing for an anthill is the ability to maintain moisture and prevent infection. In the case of gypsum formicaria, water is absorbed directly into the gypsum ingot, on which mold and bacteria can begin to grow. We recommend using the Boime Crimea anthill specially designed for reaper ants. It consists of a base with a system of passages that exactly repeats the main features of the natural habitat of reaper ants. The humidification system is provided by a pool (tray) with a hydroscopic substrate, separated from the base by a steel mesh with a mesh of 0.2 ml. Such a system does not allow the ants to leave the anthill, but provides the necessary level of humidity for the animals.

Unlike gypsum and other home-made anthills, Boime Crimea has the ability to replace the substrate, which will allow you to prevent molds and bacteria from overgrowing the anthill, which can cause the death of animals. Never place the terrarium in direct sunlight, as this can cause the death of pets. Optimum temperature for reapers 25-28C; at room temperature they will also be able to live, but development will be slower. The arena is also important for ants. The arena is a closed space in which animals throw out garbage; it is also in the arena that food should be placed and a drinking bowl should be placed.

Feeding

There are several types of food for ants: carbohydrate - sweet fruits, syrup (low sugar concentration); protein - cockroaches, crickets, flour worm, zoophobas, Drosophila, gammarus, etc.; Pollen is a source of vitamins and microelements, it can be added to the drinker. Due to the inconvenience that comes with feeding live food, we have developed a unique combination food for reapers.

While the ants live in the incubator, the main food for them is grains, it is possible to add combined feed 1-2 times a week. Reaper ants make grain reserves both in the incubator and the anthill, so they feed them as they eat the grains (about 1 time in 2-3 months). They prefer: millet, wheat, oats and other grains.

Ant breeding

Once a year, winged individuals emerge from large ant colonies. These are ant queens and males; in many species, mating occurs in the air. After that, the females descend to the ground, drop their wings and establish a new ant nest, and the males die.

Perhaps you have ever heard of those daredevils who dared to keep ants in the house as pets. Keeping an ant colony is quite interesting and fun, since the ability of a whole horde of ants to function as a single organism cannot but amaze.

What should you know about ants?

Ants belong to the taxonomic group Hymenoptera, just like bees and wasps. All types of ants live in colonies; single individuals simply do not exist. Inside the colony, all roles are strictly assigned: the queen lays eggs, workers take care of the larvae, collect food and build an anthill. All worker ants are females, they differ in their functionality, that is, each individual performs a strictly defined task.

Also, in the society of ants, castes are distinguished that specialize in something special: protecting the colony, obtaining food, etc. One of these castes are the soldiers, who look larger than other individuals and have large jaws in order to bite intruders.

Once a year, the colony elects new queens and kings. These ants are different from normal workers as they are able to mate and lay eggs.

In total, there are 22,000 various kinds ants, they can be seen on all continents except Antarctica.

Ants as pets

House ants can be kept in a simple glass tube until the colony is large enough to be relocated to a real anthill. In a glass test tube, it is necessary to place a cotton swab dipped in sweet water. The test tube must be closed with another cotton wool so that the ants do not escape. This type of housing may look unattractive, but it is still suitable for keeping small colonies with a maximum number of workers of 25 ants.

But nothing compares to the convenience for these insects with an anthill: here the ants will feel comfortable, and the owner will be able to watch them. A purchased anthill or formicarium consists of a nest and an outer shell. The nest is usually made of plaster or concrete, equipped with tunnels covered with glass slate. The glass is covered with something to create darkness for the nest, but at any moment a person can look inside. The outer shell is an area where you can leave food for the ants, and here they will throw garbage. The entire anthill is protected from potential insect shoots.

Food for house ants

The type of food depends on the specific type of ant you want to keep. In general, ants feed on dead or even live insects and a mixture of water and sugar (or water and honey). Some species consume seeds, such as the harvester ant species Messor. It is also quite possible to feed insects with fruits, meat, pollen and syrup.

You can make sweet water for ants by mixing 7 parts water with 1 part sugar or honey. Pour the resulting liquid into the soda cap, put it on the public part of the anthill. Change the water every 2-3 days, don't let it run out.

The following insects are suitable for feeding ants: living or just dead fruit flies, small crickets, flies, moths, aphids. The proteins obtained from these insects play an important role in the life of your house ant column.

Humidity and temperature for formicaria

Optimum air humidity depends on each specific type of ant: some require dry nests, while others require humidity. Ants themselves know best what is best for them, so you must provide them with free access to various areas of humidity.

The temperature for formicaria should be 20-28 degrees during the day, and not lower than 15 degrees at night. You can carry out additional heating of the anthill using a special lamp. The nest must be kept in the dark at all times.

Buying ants or shelter from the natural environment?

You can buy an ant colony or queen, or you can collect them in the wild. In both cases, you will have to choose between hosting one queen or a queen already with several workers. If you buy a queen without a "retinue", you cannot be 100% sure that she is fertilized. If not, she will never be able to form her own colony, so it is very important to buy a queen already with eggs or a few workers.

If you want to shelter ants from natural environment, you can easily find the queen and take only her. IN summer time The ant colonies will produce new queens and will therefore be fairly easy to find. When you see them without wings, they are probably fertilized.

You can also dig up a whole anthill to find the queen, but this way you will destroy it completely. The anthill cannot function as before after the removal of the uterus. In addition, in some countries, anthills are protected by law from human encroachment.