Formacidae farms make great insect hobbies. This article discusses types of aquariums, where to by them and where to purchase ants for the colony.

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ANTS

...COMMON BLACK ANT, Worker

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........................Worker FIRE ANTS R..........Worker WEAVER ANT......... ..................Worker CARPENTER ANT

. close-up image of fire ant . close-up image carpenter ant

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RESOURCE CENTER

PREHISTORIC ANTS

Prehistoric Formicidae of the Late Jurassic and Mid-Cretaceous Periods

VIDEOS

Social Organization & Complex Formicidae Colony Behavior Videos

The intricacy of a subterranean Formicidae nest & the complexity of the social organization within the colony.

Workers farming aphids.

The symbiotic relationships Formicidae have with other species / soldiers protecting their farmed crops of other species.

Community cooperation - worker using its own body as a bridge for other workers.

The complex social behaviors and self-sacrifice of ants within their community.

Hobby Videos

Ant Farms

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SCIENCE

Myrmecology: The Study of Formicidae

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Formicidae Anatomy

The Colony

Colony Castes: Divisions of Labor

The Reproductive Queen

The Male The Worker

Environmental Contributions of Formicidae

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HOBBIES

Ant Farms

ANT CONTROL

MORE RESOURCES

Insect Hobbies

ANT FARMS behaviors
by Dr. Carolyn Pararas-Carayannis

obbies

Children love to have pets. An often unthought of and very affordable type of pet is a collection of ants. This is commonly referred to as an ant farm. Although ants are very tiny insects, they work together in a large family group called a colony.

Ant colonies studied as superorganisms are very interesting. A superorganism is a conglomerate of eusocial individuals (in this case, the ant) that are unable to survive on their own. However when each ant specializes in a specific task for the good of the colony, and all the ants function together as a unit, or "superorganism", the community becomes enabled and flourishes. insect hobbies

One thing people are often curious about is what ants do under the ground, since most of their nests are subterranean (underground) and most of their work is done there. With an ant farm you can see. You can see how they dig tunnels and hollow out chambers, where they store their food, how they take care of their larvae and eggs, how they groom the queen and how they keep the chambers clean. You can see how each ant socializes with other ants in the colony and how they behave and work together for the good of the colony. In any type of ant colony, no matter the species, numerous activities take place all of the time. No wonder many teachers share this educational experience with their students by keeping ant farms in their classrooms! Insect hobbies Ants

When you purchase an ant farm you get all of the items you need to set it up for one very low price. Ant farms come in many sizes. You can have a small aquarium for a small colony or a large aquarium for a large colony. Most ant farms today are filled with a colored gel which you could see through for easy viewing. Additionally, this gel is nutrient rich and provides your ants with a continuous source of food and moisture. hobbies

There is a lot of information online about the various types of ant farms offered. Take some time to read about them so you can be sure to invest in something that will be easy to set up and fun to look at. In general, your aquarium should give you a good view of the activities which take place within the ant colony.

As for the ants, well - you can decide what types of ants to colonize and whether you want to buy them from your local pet store, purchase them from online or just go out and collect them yourself!

An ant farm makes a perfect gift for any child at least five years of age. Having an ant farm is fun, educational, and it can teach a child all about responsibility. You can get aquariums (and ants) at just about any pet shop and from many online retailers. Ant Farms make great insect ho

ANT FARM VIDEOS

Directions: Copy & paste entire channel video code, beginning with the "v"(see below), into u-tube search box. To locate u-tube search box, place cursor over the last icon to the right at the bottom of the player. Small box will open, then click the first icon just above.

Video address: v=ZGIZ-zUvotM

TID BITS Ants, Gardening, Insects, Philosophy and more!

The Flying Ant
by Dr. Carolyn Pararas-Carayannis
Many people do not believe there are any such things as flying ants - but there are. Except for a few species, all males and sexually mature, ready-to-mate queens have have wings. During certain times of the year, most often in the summer following a few sequential days of rain, these winged reproductive individuals emerge from different mature colonies underground and swarm to mate. Often called the "nuptial flight", all read more...

Garden Planting and Transplanting Tips
by Dr. Carolyn Pararas-Carayannis
The best time to plant or transplant plants in your garden is early spring, when new leaf buds begin to swell on the stems, just prior to the leaves maturing. During this time plants are still semi-dormant and the trauma of moving them is much less. If it is late spring and leaves are mature it is recommended that planting and/or transplanting is deferred until the fall, when the cooler temperatures and shorter time of daylight trigger a decrease in physiological processes .... read more...

INFORMATIVE ARTICLES

The Fire Ant
by Dr. Carolyn Pararas-Carayannis
Fire ants are aggressive, stinging ants. Although they are quite tiny and vary in size from 2mm - 6mm, their bites pack quite a punch. If they are on you they will sting you, and it is going to hurt. Fires are small and range in size from 2mm - 6mm. They are copper-brown in appearance with abdomens that look slightly darker. They live in large colonies, often one can see their mounds read more...

INSECT DEFINITIONS

Ant Fungus

Trophallixis

Arthropoda Ecdysis (Molting)

Complete Metamorphosis

Compound Eyes

Exoskeleton

Formicidaes' Nuptial Flight

Mandibles

Insect Pheromones

Biological Taxonomic Hierarchy & Systematics

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