Ants as pets at home
Petting ants at home is much more difficult than, for example fish, since it is not so common and the information, as well as instruments and tools, are scarce, i.e. one should discover and make everything himself.
- Place for the antfarm: The place, where you should put the antfarm, should be maximally remoted from TVs, PCs, stereos, freezers and any other devices, producing vibrations. Ants MUST NOT be kept in sun. A part of their arena may be put in sun, but it must be certain, that the antfarm does not stay in sun, in any moment.
- Humidity: Water is very important for the ants. They can survive for a week with no food, but die for a single day without water. Depending on the species, ants require different humidity. The larvae need warm and humid, and the puppae dry and warm environment. A moisturizing system should be made when building the antfarm. It can be a ditch in the plaster or Ytong, in which water should be poured, or a wick out of cotton, one of its ends should be put in the soil (for terrarium or classic type), and the other should be moisturized. You can spray water on the antfarm too.
- Temperature: The activness of the ants depends to a high degree from the temperature, the speed of the development of the larvae and puppae, depends on the temperature too. The optimal temperature depends on the species, but it should be about 25°C, only a part of the nest should be heated, so that ants can choose the optimal temperature themselves. To heat the antfarm, you can use a lamp (it should be put in such a way, that the ants are not in the light, it can be blackened with smoke or put at the rear side of the antfarm, you should be careful that the glass/plastic does not get broken/in flames from the heat) or adaptor (when reducing the voltage, warmth is being released), which should be put in such a way, that it keeps the antfarm warm. You can use a special heater too. It is good, that you do not heat your ants during their passive period (October-March) and keep them in a temperature about 10°C, so that you do not break their rhytm of life - it is normal for them to hibernate during this time of the year.
- Food: Not all species of ants are omnivorous. If you do not know, what exactly your ants eat - try - give them dead insects (all kinds and sizes - flies, grasshoppers, fruit flies, cockroaches, wasps, bees, beetles, even ants...), caterpillars, meat, seeds (wheat, sesame, nuts...) for proteins and honey for carbohydrates. You can prepare them ant jelly - a simple recipe for its preparation: mix honey, water, sugar and vitamins and minerals (effervescent) and give them small portions, keep in cold place, since it ferments and gets mouldy fast.