If you are thinking about buying an ant farm, there are a few things that you ought to learn about keeping ants before you set up or at least populate your farm. In fact, even before you buy your ant farm, you should look around for which types of ants you can get hold of and then read up on what sort of colonies those ants build.

Do they build nests above and below ground or only below ground? Most regular ant farms are not designed to handle anthills, although some, shaped like a flat-bottomed egg are constructed to deal with a small anthill.

Once you know what kinds of ants you can have, you can select the variety and acquire the appropriate shaped ant farm. Most novices begin with harvester ants, which will live very happily in a normal ant farm. Your colony may grow to a few thousand members, so the next thing to think about is food for them.

Harvester ants will feed on a lot of different types of food, but it is simpler and more hygienic if you give them sugary, crisp vegetables and fruit. For example, pieces of carrot, celery and apple are very good. They are easily cut up and transported by the ants, they are nutritious and they will not decay or start to smell bad quickly.

You will have to weigh up for yourself how much food to put down, but it is far better to put out fresh food every day, than leave a large lump of something lying in the farm for days on end. If you notice that food is being left, cut back a little.

On the other hand, if the colony is increasing in number and the food is vanishing put a bit more down. Working the amount of food out is part of your job. Mold is a health hazard to ants so be on the look out for it on the food at all times.

Ants will get a lot of the moisture that they need from the food that you provide them, but they do need water as well. Not much admittedly, but you ought to drip two or three drops – literally only two or three drops of water – onto the soil every day. Whatever you do do not put so much water that a puddle forms, even a very small one.

If you want to give your ants a real treat, put a few granules of sugar into half a teaspoon of water and tip that onto the soil. They will love it and it will also give them a shot of energy, just as if you ate a chocolate bar.

Owning an ant farm should be instructive and fun. Watching the ants work together to make a nest and care for their young will teach adults and children alike a lot about how insects live. It will also help remove some of the irrational apprehension that many people have for insects in general, including ants.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on quite a few subjects, but is at present concerned with how to kill fire ants. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Killing Carpenter Ants.