Animal lovers today have the opportunity to keep at home not only dogs, cats, parrots and fish, but also very small representatives of the fauna - ants. To watch their interesting life and development allows the original device - a gel anthill.
What it is?
The ant farm is a glass aquarium that is filled with a unique gel developed by NASA scientists. It was created with the aim of studying the behavior of ants in outer space. This product is absolutely harmless to health, being both a habitat and a source of nutrition for insects . The basis of this gel is algae. Ants build tunnels out of it, which are perfectly visible from different angles, and this allows you to observe everything that is happening inside.
The transparent gel nest resembles a regular aquarium with fish. Only it is not required to clean, change water and feed the inhabitants living in it. It closes with a lid, this eliminates the possibility for ants to get out.
Where to get ants?
There are several ways to get future pets. The easiest is to independently catch ants in the nearest forest. But this can only be done in the warm season. In addition, ruining anthills is categorically not recommended. Nowadays, there are more reasonable ways to find residents in your gel anthill. At any time of the year, ants can be purchased at your local pet store or on the market. There are a number of specialized online stores selling such goods with home delivery, and there are also classified sites where sellers offer insects to choose from at the most suitable price.
Feeding and care
Ants will live longer if you follow some basic rules. Although the inhabitants of this peculiar dwelling are fed with gel, it is still not bad sometimes to feed them by throwing a caterpillar, bug or just a piece of meat into the anthill. It is imperative that you periodically ventilate the aquarium by opening the lid briefly and providing an air flow. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that insects do not run away.
The gel should always be in abundance. Do not allow overpopulation in the aquarium. Too many insects in a confined space will significantly reduce their lifespan. It is recommended to populate only one species of ants in order to avoid the destruction of some by others. The transparent gel nest should not be placed in a place lit by the sun. Ants better tolerate coolness and some shade. Under favorable conditions, their life expectancy will be 3-4 months.
Breeding ants
This process in captivity looks completely different than in natural conditions. In nature, in summer, ants observe years when winged females and females fly out of the anthill. During this period, fertilization occurs, after which the male dies, and the female looks for a place for the nest, where a new colony will subsequently form. She lays eggs there, after some time from which working ants appear. They begin to build a home and care for the offspring.
The gel nest eliminates the possibility of summer insects. But if you are lucky enough to find a female who has already passed this period in her life and is able to lay eggs, then it will be possible to observe the whole process of the birth of a new generation of ants. First, the eggs turn into larvae. Insects take care of them, feed them, transfer them from one place to another. After some time, the larvae become pupae, which are later opened by adult ants, and a new inhabitant of the anthill appears. This entire period takes about a month and a half.
If it was not possible to get a fertilized female, then you can try to find eggs or larvae of ants.
What are gel anthills?
Aquariums differ in many ways. They come in various sizes, configurations and designs. There are ant farms with backlighting. It allows you to see well even the smallest inhabitants of the aquarium.
For those who are just starting to observe insects and plan to get them no more than 5 pieces, the transparent gel “Anthony” anthill is most suitable. Up to twenty ants can live in a larger farm called Standard. Thanks to the built-in illumination, the Dream model looks more comfortable, which allows observing ants even at night. The main elements that make up the gel anthill (photo below) are the aquarium made of plexiglass and the gel for filling. Some kits have a magnifying glass and shelves with which you can adjust the tunnels.
Benefits of Gel Anthill
Such an original aquarium looks very stylish and is able to decorate any interior. It attracts the eye and causes real admiration.
The gel mass, used as a filler, serves ants at the same time as building material and food, because it is made from edible algae. At the same time, the shelf life of the gel is quite large - 4 years.
Due to the fact that the ants are constantly laying new tunnels and passages, the gel anthill changes its appearance every day.
This is a wonderful and original gift for both the child and those who are not indifferent to nature.
Even very busy people can have such a farm at home, who, due to lack of time, cannot afford to keep any pets in the apartment. Neither special care nor feeding requires the ants inhabiting the gel anthill. Owner reviews confirm that this aquarium can serve for many years, if necessary, it can always be filled with new gel and inhabitants.