Ant Farms: A Classic Educational Toy

Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and along with the related wasps and bees, they belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,500 species are classified with upper estimates of about 22,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist.

Ants form colonies that range in size from a few dozen predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals. These larger colonies consist mostly of sterile wingless females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Nearly all ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". The colonies are sometimes described as superorganisms because the ants appear to operate as a unified entity, collectively working together to support the colony.

Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. The only places lacking indigenous ants are Antarctica and certain remote or inhospitable islands. Ants thrive in most ecosystems, and may form 15-25% of the terrestrial animal biomass.Their success has been attributed to their social organisation and their ability to modify habitats, tap resources, and defend themselves. Their long co-evolution with other species has led to mimetic, commensal, parasitic, and mutualistic relationships.

Ant societies have division of labour, communication between individuals, and an ability to solve complex problems. These parallels with human societies have long been an inspiration and subject of study.

Many human cultures make use of ants in cuisine, medication and rituals. Some species are valued in their role as biological pest control agents. However, their ability to exploit resources brings ants into conflict with humans, as they can damage crops and invade buildings. Some species, such as the red imported fire ant, are regarded as invasive species, since they have established themselves in new areas where they have been accidentally introduced.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant

It is clear that having an ant farm is a great way to experience a creature that very few people take the time to get to know. However, having an ant farm also has its precautions. There are several steps that you must take in order to ensure that you keep your ant farm under control. If you were to ignore these safety measures that you may quickly find your ant farm becoming your entire home. By following these simple steps, you will safeguard your home from any escaping ants, thus saving much time and money on trying to get rid of ants.

If you have ever had an ant infestation, is it easy to see how frustrating it is to try to get rid of all the ants. It always seems that right when you think you have killed all of the ants within your home, and entire new colony is found. Many people are afraid that if they have an ant farm, they will experience some type of infestation due to escaping ants. And while this is a threat, there are measures you can take to keep your ants from escaping, thus allowing you to have a worry-free ant farm. The first step you must take in creating a safe ant farm is choosing one that comes with great safety features. There are hundreds of different types of ant farms that you can choose form, however, very few of these ant farms provide you with adequate amounts of protection from any type of ant escapes.

The best type of ant farm to choose is one that has very small holes allowing air to come in, but not allowing anything else to go out. Of course, the size of these air holes will mean nothing if you obtain a smaller species of ants. This is where the second step comes into play. Make sure that you always buy ants that are on the larger side. The best ants to purchase for your ant farm are Carpenter or Harvest Ants, these ants are large enough to not be able to fit through the air holes of your ant farm. However, many people already have an ant farm and the top of the farm is exposed, allowing the ants to freely roam out if they were to discover the top of the sand or soil.

If you are the owner of a traditional ant farm, one that has an open top, than there are several steps you can take to safeguard your ant farm. The first, is make sure you rub vegetable oil or petroleum jelly on the sides of the ant farm. Just in case any of the ants try to escape the surface would be too slick for them to cross. However, there have been cases of ants literally building bridges over the slick surface, allowing them to cross without any problems. Thus, it is a necessity that you surround your ant farm with some type of moat. By placing your ant farm in a shallow thing of water, you will protect your ants from escaping.

Even if they do climb out of the top of the ant farm, they will not be able to cross water, thus, they will have to stay in the farm. These are just several steps that you can take in order to keep your ant farm full of ants, and your house empty of them.