The AntsCanada Ant Forum's

Hi all,

I remember having a small ant farm as a kid, and I've wanted to do a large version that in my house for years. I have a few questions about the build before I start. Thanks in advance for the help!

I'm thinking the around 900(h)x600(w)mm, as thats a typical material size. It looks like I can buy a Pheidole queen locally (Melbourne, Australia) so I would likely go with that, but happy to try something else.

How far down/out are ants likely to dig?
How fast do they dig down?
Will one queen be enough to raise a colony that will expand down?
Do queens die and need to be replaced, or do they create a new one?
How thick (between two sheets) should the farm be? I was thinking about 20-30mm?
Are the following materials safe: Acrylic sheet, dressed hardwood, treated pine, Melamine MDF, silicone caulk? Acrylic on one side, white mdf on the other.
Can I bury food/items for them to eventually find as the go down? Any ideas there?
How high should I fill the tank, and with what?

Thanks!

1. They will dig most likely as far as the bottom when they are big enough.
2. It depends on how many workers they have. If it's one it will be slow, 2- 3 a little bit faster, etc.
3. One queen is enough, but if they can support multiple queens i'd recommend that. But wait until the first one has a few workers.
4. they will most likely live for 5 years and up. If it dies then you will need to *try* and introduce them. The may die because of the workers.
5. 20-30 mm should be fine.
6. I'm not sure if they are safe.
7. Don't bury food items, feed them when they're hungry
8. Probably 3/4 the way up. Sand? Soil? Anything, just be sure to boil or bake it if you get it from outside.
Also don't do this if it's just the queen only introduce her when she has workers.

Pheidole is Polygynous, but yeah for most species definitely.