Ants are popular insects for their industrious habits. And, just like bees, worker ants work as a group for the good of the colony and the queen. It is common to see them working to increase their nest or gather food, as ants are present all over the world.
In this sense, observing them can be a fascinating activity for insect lovers. If you are also one of them, you have probably wondered how to make a homemade anthill, right? Then keep reading, on our site we explain everything you need about this process:
Home anthill: the container
The first thing you should do is get a suitable container to start your anthill. Some people use simple plastic kitchen containers, but the best thing to do, for reasons of hygiene, size and maintenance, is to use glass containers
We can purchase glass containers that are intended for other functions, such as a glass, a tupperware or an aquarium for fish. However, the best thing to do to ensure the survival of the colony and the creation of spaces is to buy a glass anthill at a physical or online pet store. In the market we will find very varied and creative options. In the event that you use recycled glass jars or containers, make sure they are clean, without labels or inscriptions.
But in addition to the anthill itself you will need a foraging area, that is, a second space that you must connect to the home anthill. In this space the ants will carry out the function of searching for food, in addition to eliminating waste and exercising, essential for their well-being.
Types of anthills
There are many types of anthills, both commercial and homemade. We can find some of earth, where you start without holes In these the ants will have to dig themselves and it can be a very interesting option for all those curious people who want to see the process as natural as possible. In other cases, we can opt for anthills with prefabricated spaces, where we will probably be able to observe the process better but in a more artificial way.
The materials for commercial anthills (and homemade, since we can also make them at home) with spaces already created prior to the introduction of the ants are:
- Gel
- Cast
- Cork
- Acrylic
- Plastic
- Etc.
How to make a homemade anthill?
In this video from the Aquariums 4k channel they teach you how to make a homemade anthill with its respective foraging area in an economical and simple way:
Home anthill: the substrate
If you have decided on an anthill with soil, you are probably wondering what kind of substrate to use. You should know that the soil can be easily obtained from your garden, you just have to make sure that it is moist soil with the presence of some small stones. Of course, watch the amount of humidity, since it should not be soaked, but neither tamped nor completely dry. Similarly, check that the soil does not contain animal remains, so you will avoid the formation of fungi due to rotting.
It is advisable to examine it carefully to remove any organic (food, dead animals) and inorganic (pieces of plastic, glass, cigarette butts, among others) remains. Ideally, the substrate of your homemade anthill should be free of these elements, as well as other live insects that could attack the ants.
In case you don't have adequate soil in your garden, you can buy soil and sand in a nursery or greenhouse, just make sure that the land is not fertilized or composted. Once you have selected the soil, mix two parts of it with one part of sand and pour into the anthill, either the flat aquarium or the recycled jars. Make sure that the soil does not stick to the windows (if this happens, it means that it is very wet and you will have to remove it to dry) and that it is not very compact, remember that the ants must be able tomove easily
Home anthill: oxygen
Before you introduce the ants, you need to find a method to keep them inside the nest, otherwise they will escape. Completely closing the aquarium or the containers you are using is impossible, since you would prevent oxygen from entering and the ants would die.
We recommend following these steps to build a homemade anthill:
- Leave 3 centimeters free of soil before the edge of the container, so it will be more difficult for the ants to get there.
- Cover the edge with mineral oil, taking care not to let it slip onto the ground.
- Cover the edge with a napkin, attach it to the aquarium walls from the outside and make holes using a pin or needle. The holes should be small to prevent ants from getting out.
- In the lid of the homemade anthill, make larger holes to allow air to enter. Since the napkin will be between the nest and the lid, the ants will not be able to access these holes.
- Place the lid of the anthill on top of the napkin with holes.
This way your ants will get enough oxygen without escaping from their colony.
How to make an ant farm?
Your anthill is almost ready, now where to look for its new tenants? Many people mistakenly choose to use some ants from their garden, however, these insects reproduce under a strict hierarchical system, so very few will survive weeks in a new anthill if they don't have a queen. After this time, they will die at the end of their life cycle and there will be none left in the colony.
Where to get a queen? Here is the real problem. The queens almost never leave the interior of the anthill, they remain in the deepest and darkest place having young and organizing the functioning of the colony. They can only be seen outside during the nuptial flight, that is, the mating period. Some people might think of destroying the anthill or capturing the queen during the nuptial flight, however, the existing anthill would perish in a short time, so we do not recommend this option under any circumstances
In these cases, it is best to go to a store and buy an ant kit for a home colony. These have been bred without destroying the home of other insects and include the queen ant and various workers. However, in the next video we will see how to identify queen ants and how to start an ant colony.
How to introduce the ants in the anthill?
Getting the ants to their new home is very simple. They are generally sold in test tubes, which include water, a cotton separator, seeds and a small colony consisting of the queen, workers and one or two ants soldier. All you have to do is open the funnel and leave it on top of the foraging area
The ants themselves will take the initiative and start digging or looking for a safe area for the queen to take refuge. It is important that during this process we lower the lighting in the room, since the queen ant has preference for dark areas You can also place a black cardboard on the outside from the anthill, which you can also remove when you feel curious without causing harm to the ants. Remember that you must cover the upper area, to prevent them from escaping.
Ant care at home
Once the homemade anthill is built, pay attention to the care of the ants:
Ant Feeding
The feeding of the ants will depend on the size of the anthill, the number of insects it contains and the type of ants. Thus, there are ants honeydew, others that feed on different insects,fruits or seeds We will leave the ideal food for the species in the zone foraging In any case, do not exceed the amount of food or it will rot. Avoid offering cooked food or meat for the same reason.
Water
Ants get most of their hydration from food. However, it may be convenient to reinforce it to prevent them from dehydrating and dying You should not water the land, as you run the risk of drowning the ant farm. The ideal way to offer them the vital liquid is to soak a cotton ball in water and renew it every few days.
Hygiene
You should regularly clean the foraging area, never the inside of the anthill. You will observe that in this outer space the ants discard useless food, dirt or the corpses of their deceased companions. You can use a cotton swab to do this.
Where to place the homemade anthill?
Ant colonies are built underground, so they prefer a dark environment to carry out their work. You should not place the anthill near a window or a lamp, it prefers a space in the house with little lighting, otherwise, you should cover the crystals with cardboard.
In the same way, the ideal is that you choose a space in the house that can be the permanent home of the ants, since it is not recommended to move the anthill or manipulate it In case you need to do this, you must be very careful to prevent the soil from shifting and crushing the ants.
With these simple tips, your ant colony at home will be thriving in no time. Insured!
