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Summarize
1. Collect all the ant farming supplies (e.g. Newbie Pack).
2. Set up ant nests and feeding areas.
3、Provide quality food regularly ( recommend ant-specific feed )
4. Ensure proper temperature and humidity.
5. Minimize disturbances such as vibration, etc. ( The more you ignore the ants, the better the ants grow )
Preparation: What do you need?
First, make sure you have the following essentials:
1. Small colony with queen ants (the more worker ants, the better)
2. Ant Nest
3. Feeding area
4. Specialized feeds
5. Water supply equipment (water tower)
Moving Guide: How to choose and set up an ant nest?
Connect the new nest to the old one and add appropriate amount of drinking water to it, and wait for the ants to move out.
This process usually takes 3 to 7 days, or even more than a month for nail ants. Be patient at this stage and do not pour the ants into the new nest to avoid the ants being scared and stop producing.
(Not every nest of ants that comes to you must be moved, for example, new queen with few worker ants, it is recommended to ask the store at this stage to find out if the ants you bought are necessary to be moved immediately)
Food and Feeding: What to do to make ants eat well?
Ants can eat sugar water and cockroaches, but many people are afraid of feeding live bait. It is recommended to use ant-specific feeds sold in stores, which are usually formulated into liquid form for ants to inhale, and do not overfeed.
Environmental Control: How to ensure ants are comfortable?
Ants are resistant to hunger and will not die even if they do not eat for 10 days. However, if there is a lack of water, the entire nest of ants will die within a day, so water supply equipment (water tower) is very important. Place water towers in the feeding area or use external water towers installed next to the nests, so that the ants can get water at any time, and fill up the nests with water on a regular basis, so as to prevent the nests from being too dry and the ants will not be able to get water in time.
Usually, the water tower needs to be refilled once a month, and the ants' nests need to be refilled once every two to four weeks.
Most of the ants in Taiwan have adapted to the temperature in Taiwan. Most of the ants can be kept at room temperature and do not need to be heated up even during cold spells, but they should not be kept in a roofed space (room temperature over 32 degrees Celsius).
Reduces disturbance and vibration
Ants are very timid, fragile and sensitive and will react to any vibration. It is recommended to place the ants on a table/cabinet that is free from collision, or lay shock absorbing mats/anti-slip mats on the bottom, and minimize sudden changes in light, e.g. turning on a flashlight and shooting directly at the interior of the nest. If the ants are disturbed frequently, the queen ants will cease to give birth to their eggs if they are small, or eat the eggs if they are large, which will be detrimental to the overall husbandry of the ants.
Conclusion
Keeping ants is not only fun, but also a process that requires meticulous care. From choosing the right nest to providing the right amount of food and water, every step is important. After successful breeding, you will see your "Kingdom of Ants" grow bigger and bigger, which is definitely a worthwhile experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How to choose the right ant nest?
Remember the rule of buying small ant nests, not big ones!
A nest that is too big will make the ants feel insecure and stop production. It will also cause the worker ants to lose their ability to keep the nest clean and tidy, resulting in rapid mold growth.A good ant nest should be breathable and water retentive. It is very important to provide stable humidity to the ants. Common types of ant nests are: test tubes, gypsum nests, aerated brick nests.
Judging whether the size of the nest is suitable or not is a matter of experience. It is advisable to ask the advice of the store where you bought the nest.
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How to buy ants in good condition?
If you are a first time keeper, the best way is to buy from an ant store because the ants there are usually already replaced by weak and sickly queen ants. There are a few indicators that can help you judge the condition of the ants when buying:
The number of worker ants and the number of eggs are the most decisive factors. The higher the number of worker ants, the more stable the colony is and the easier it is to keep them, while the higher the number of eggs, the more newborns there will be in a short period of time, which means that the ants will be in better physical condition.
It is worth noting that the presence or absence of wings on the queen and the degree of dirtiness of the nest are usually not the basis for selection.
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How to prevent ants from escaping?
You can use cover and water barrier, but 99% farmers use "Anti-Escape Agent" to prevent ants from escaping. Anti-Escape Agent is a very fine powder, so fine that ants can't grab it and then fall down. You can open the cover of the feeding area after you have coated the inside edge with the Anti-Escape Agent.
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Can ants be kept in the same nest?
Ants born from the same queen = Peaceful coexistence
Ants of the same species but different queen = Fighting
Ants born from different species of ants = FightingBasically, ants cannot be mixed, nor can they nest together or share the same feeding area.
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Do I need to provide artificial light for ants?
Ants do not need light and even feel safe in a dark environment. Therefore, there is no need to provide light source for keeping ants, on the contrary, it is better to avoid exposing the nests to sunlight.
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Do I need to change the ants' nests frequently?
The nests will become moldy during the rearing process because the ants will excrete directly into the nests. However, do not worry, a healthy ant colony has the ability to disinfect the nests by using formic acid, and the worker ants will clean themselves and their companions from time to time, so even though the nests may look dirty, there is no need to change the nests as long as the ants are growing normally.
Nest swapping usually only occurs in a few situations:
1. Too many worker ants and the nest is full.
2. Nests are dirty and cause ants to stop producing or die.
3. The feeder's switching disease is acting up.
