Harvester Ant Farm!

[Antlover84]

So since I missed mating season for all species in my area, I decided to order some ants online for an old ant farm I had sitting in my basement. They arrived today, and I got them all set up in their hill! They seem to be scouting the place right now, and just getting a lay of the land before they begin tunneling through the sand. I'm super excited to see how this turns out!!! I will continue to post daily updates on the ant hill here, until all activity stops, or the workers all die . Nevertheless, can't wait to watch them build their colony!

-Antlover84

[larynx]

So since I missed mating season for all species in my area, I decided to order some ants online for an old ant farm I had sitting in my basement. They arrived today, and I got them all set up in their hill! They seem to be scouting the place right now, and just getting a lay of the land before they begin tunneling through the sand. I'm super excited to see how this turns out!!! I will continue to post daily updates on the ant hill here, until all activity stops, or the workers all die . Nevertheless, can't wait to watch them build their colony!

-Antlover84

These farms are a great way to start out in keeping. The ants for these are specifically raised for this reason. (study) good luck with them and have fun. this will give you a major head start once you have found a queen.

[idahoantgirl]

to be perfectly honest, I don't think ants are capable of emotions. They don't understand that they are doomed to die without a queen to make more ants. they just are programmed by Jesus Christ to work and dig tunnels. I think that it can be very intriguing to be able to see the tunnels that they want to build. Of course, I personally don't think that it measures up to ant keeping with a queen, but when you have the urge to keep ants, you don't want to wait all winter before finding a queen.

[idahoantgirl]

So since I missed mating season for all species in my area, I decided to order some ants online for an old ant farm I had sitting in my basement. They arrived today, and I got them all set up in their hill! They seem to be scouting the place right now, and just getting a lay of the land before they begin tunneling through the sand. I'm super excited to see how this turns out!!! I will continue to post daily updates on the ant hill here, until all activity stops, or the workers all die . Nevertheless, can't wait to watch them build their colony!

-Antlover84

These farms are a great way to start out in keeping. The ants for these are specifically raised for this reason. (study) good luck with them and have fun. this will give you a major head start once you have found a queen.

Still... Getting ants that r queenless is torture

I really don't think that the ants realize that they don't have a queen.

[larynx]

I really don't think that the ants realize that they don't have a queen.

Me either.

[larynx]

So since I missed mating season for all species in my area, I decided to order some ants online for an old ant farm I had sitting in my basement. They arrived today, and I got them all set up in their hill! They seem to be scouting the place right now, and just getting a lay of the land before they begin tunneling through the sand. I'm super excited to see how this turns out!!! I will continue to post daily updates on the ant hill here, until all activity stops, or the workers all die . Nevertheless, can't wait to watch them build their colony!

-Antlover84

These farms are a great way to start out in keeping. The ants for these are specifically raised for this reason. (study) good luck with them and have fun. this will give you a major head start once you have found a queen.

Still... Getting ants that r queenless is torture

They are raised for this purpose though.
Torture would be putting them in an improper set up, or not feeding them, not watering them, or burning them with a magnifying glass. They die off at the same rate, with or without a queen. I have had queenless, and queened colonies of the same species, and they acted no different.
I do understand where you are coming from, i just think "torture" is a little extreme of a word for this situation.

[Antlover84]

Day 2 Ensues with tons of progress!!

I'm pleased to report that the ants have taken well to their new home, and have been working like, well, ants! They already have tunnels flanking each side of the ant hill, and have now completed a tunnel from the bottom of the hill to the top of it for easier travel. I fed them some of the food that came with the ants, but watering them in this hill setup is a challenge. I open the snap top (Which causes earthquakes for them) and tried pouring some water out of a small measuring cup down the side of the hill. It destroyed some of the dirt barrier they were making , and the water made a thin stream down the hill leaving a few droplets and some condensation. Does anyone know how to water these ants better?

This is my ant hill:
https://www.amazon.com/Ant-Farm-Viewing ... B000065AEY
I have an older but incredibly similar version of this farm, supplied with the ants they recommend, from the people they recommend.

Any help as to watering these ants would be great!

[Antlover84]

I've been super busy, so making this post fell off my to-do list for a while!
Over days 4, 5, and 6, the ants have continued to expand the tunnels, and continued to build the dirt perimeter around the entrance to the point of having it contact the top hatch of the ant hill! I managed to knock down the top of the lip so I could open the top without any ants escaping or dying. I then dropped a moist cotton ball and small slice of banana in the outside area. Now all the ants are happy and healthy, om-nom-nomming on banana and digging tunnels!

[Antlover84]

UPDATE: Apparently the seeds I have been feeding them alongside their banana really like the ant hill, because they have SPROUTED! I have 4 unknown germinating seeds at the bottom of my ant hill now, and I will keep a close eye on them in the future. Maybe my ants will eat the stalks!

[Antlover84]

I missed day 3 in the last explanation, just wanted to confirm that's a typo.

Day 7 is finally here!! One week of my little ant colony! I think it's fitting that the most startling development happened on their on week anniversary. What is this startling development you ask? It is that my ants have begun to harvest the tips of the germinating plants! How fitting that they are harvester ants! Further study is required to figure out wether they are eating the stalks, but several bits of stalk are clearly littering the entrance of the ant hill! This is so cool!!!