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Here's a quick and easy guide to starting an ant farm, compliments of The Frequently Asked Questions page at The Ant Farm. 1. Buy or build an ant farm. Insect Lore offers the classic Uncle Milton line. Check the PsiWeb site for instructions on how to build your own (clear tennis ball containers work well). 2. Get hold of an ant colony. You can order one, but ordering ants is just plain silly. Your best bet is to put some sugar water in a jar and wait for the ants to arrive. 3. Capture a queen. Queens have a much larger thorax than worker ants, and are often surrounded
by larvae. Most colonies won't last more than a couple of months without one. Kidnapping a queen is dirty business -- it generally involves lots of digging and ant bites. Other options include checking under rotting logs and waiting for "nuptial flights" during the spring and summer. 3. Feed your ants. Most ants will eat sugar, honey, or maple syrup mixed with water. You may also want to add powdered multivitamin/mineral tablets into the mix. Small portions of freshly killed insects are another option. 4. Care for your ants. As this ant-rearing how-to explains, ants can go a while without food, but can be wiped out overnight without water. Your ant farm should be damp, and out of the sun. If you have more questions (which
we're sure you do), search the rest of The Ant Farm's FAQ, then try the site's Message Board. For some instant ant gratification, be sure to drop by AntCam.com.
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