Ant Farm Universe Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to Ant Farm Universe’s collection of frequently asked questions.

Here you will find a comprehensive selection of the questions Ant Farm Universe has received from our customers. Ant Farm Universe has researched the answers and presents them here for your review and use. Our experts have consulted with the insect habitat manufacturers, dictionaries, encyclopedias and other recognized resources in developing the answers listed below. We hope you will benefit from our efforts whether you are seeking to purchase an ant farm, insect habitat, or are simply looking to increase your knowledge and understanding.

In order to facilitate your ease of use, AntFarmU.com has formatted the information in two distinct styles. Immediately below you will find an alphabetized index of the questions. Simply read down the list until you find the question you are interested in answering. Select the question and your browser will take you directly to the answer. When you are finished reading the answer you can select the "Return to Index" link that will bring you back to the start of the index.

The second method of exploring the Ant Farm Universe questions and answers is to browse the question and answer section itself. The questions are organized according to how frequently they are asked by Ant Farm Universe customers. By simply reading the questions with their accompanying answers, you will likely find the answer to your current question. (You may even find answers to some questions you didn’t even know you had.)

Finally, if you find that we have not yet answered the question that is troubling you, please take a few moments to drop us an e-mail. The Ant Farm Universe staff will research the question to the best of their ability and will add both the question and the answer to this list.

Indexed Questions

1. Can I purchase replacement gel for my ant habitat?
   
2. Can I reuse my gel filled ant habitat?
   
3. How can I get a Queen ant for my ant colony?
   
4. How can I get a replacement Owner's Manual?
   
5. How do I order ants for my AntWorks Ant Habitat?
   
6. How do I order ants for my Uncle Milton Ant Farm?
   
7. How do I order caterpillars for my Green Earth Butterfly Kit?
   
8. How do I order Praying Mantis eggs for my Green Earth Praying Mantis Kit?
   
9. How long will my ants live after I purchase them?
   
10. My ants seem reluctant to dig tunnels in my Gel Habitat. What can I do to encourage them?
    
11. Should I buy a "Gel" or "Sand" filled Ant Habitat?
    
12. What do my ants eat?
    
13. What kind of ants can I buy for my Ant Farm or Habitat?
    


Frequently Asked Questions

Should I buy a "Gel" or "Sand" filled Ant Habitat?
There are advantages and disadvantages to both the Gel and Sand filled Ant Habitats. Decide which of the following advantages are most important to you and it will be fairly easy to pick the Ant Habitat that is best for you and your particular needs.

1) Gel Habitats are almost entirely maintenance free. The Gel provides both food and water for your ants, so all you really need to do is cleanup the habitat from time to time. Dead ants and waste should be removed to minimize the chance of disease in your ant colony. Sand filled Ant Habitats require more work as you must feed and water your ants in addition to cleaning up after them.

2) Your ants will adapt more quickly and easily to Sand filled Ant Habitats than they will to Gel filled Ant Habitats. This is because Sand filled Ant Habitats more closely resemble your ant's natural habitat. As a result, your ants will begin to tunnel much more quickly in a sand filled habitat than they will in the unfamiliar Gel filled Ant Habitat.

3) The Gel is translucent so you can easily see the entire 3-dimensional tunnel structures that your ants develop. However, since the Gel is translucent rather than transparent, you will not be able to see your ants anymore easily in a Gel filled Habitat than in a Sand filled Habitat. The only way you will be able to see your subterranean ants clearly in either type of Habitat will be when they construct their tunnels directly against the transparent wall of the Habitat.

4) Since the Gel is translucent, the Gel Habitats are typically thicker than the depth of Sand filled Habitats. This gives your ants more area in which to tunnel before coming into contact with the restriction imposed by the sides of the Habit. This provides more area to spread out in and allows your ants to build larger rooms. This additional depth also results in less of your ant's tunnels being directly observable against the sides of the Habitat.

5) Your ants will be able to tunnel more quickly and easily through Sand than through Gel. As a result, your ants will be able to generate more elaborate tunnels in far less time. If you are the impatient sort, a Sand filled Habitat could be your best option. The down side is that the tunnels made in Sand are far more fragile and subject to shock damage than tunnels that are constructed in Gel. Although you would not want to shake any Ant Habitat, the Gel filled Habitats are much more forgiving of the small bumps that may result from close proximity to inquisitive children.


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How do I order ants for my Uncle Milton Ant Farm?
Your Uncle Milton Ant Farm will come with an "Ant Order Form" that you can use to order your ants. Simply fill in the order form, and enclose your check to cover the shipping and handling charge. Send the order form and your payment to Uncle Milton at the following address.

Uncle Milton Industries, Inc.
PO Box 4311
Thousand Oaks, CA 91359-1311

Or call 1-(888)-742-2484 (within the US only) or 1-(818)-707-0224 to place an order.

Depending on the weather, your ants will arrive in approximately 2 to 6 weeks.
Note: Uncle Milton will only ship ants within the continental limits of the USA and Canada.
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How do I order ants for my AntWorks Ant Habitat?
Your AntWorks Ant Habitat will come with an informative owner's manual. Inside your owner's manual are three Ant Order Forms. You can order your ants from your choice of the vendors. Simply fill in the order form, and enclose your check to cover the shipping and handling charge. Send the order form and your payment to your choice of the following vendors of live ants.

Guy Rock
HC 65 Box 148
Austin, NV 89310

Or e-mail suzannerock@rocknreptile.com for customer support or to place an order.

Or...


Life Studies
490 S. 400 W.
Hurricane, UT 84737

Or call 1-(877)-864-2207 (within the US only) or 1-(435)-635-3244 to place an order.

Or...


Edmund Scientific
Attn: Live Orders
60 Pearce Ave.
Tonawanda, NY 14150

Or order online at www.scientificsonline.com/alive or call 1-800-728-6999.

Or...


Science Kit, LLC
Attn: Live Orders
PO Box 5003
Tonawanda, NY 14150-5003

Or order online at www.sciencekit.com/alive or call 1-800-828-7777.

Depending on the weather, your ants will arrive in approximately 2 to 6 weeks.
Note: Guy Rock, Life Studies and Edmund Scientific will only ship ants within the continental limits of the USA and Canada.
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How do I order caterpillars for my Green Earth Butterfly Kit?
Your Green Earth Butterfly Kit will come with a coupon or order form that you can use to order caterpillars. Simply fill in the order form, and enclose your check to cover the cost of the caterpillars, shipping, and handling charges. Send the order form and your payment to the vendor of your choice to purchase live caterpillars. Please note that caterpillars are available on a seasonal basis and may not be available at certain times of the year. To check availability please contact the vendor directly.

Butterfly Store
PO Box 920
Seabeck, WA 98380

Or fax your order form to 800-955-1497.
This vendor sells Painted Lady caterpillars and ships only within the Continental United States.

Or...


Edmund Scientific
Attn: Live Orders
60 Pearce Ave.
Tonawanda, NY 14150

Or order online at www.scientificsonline.com/alive or call 1-800-728-6999.
This vendor sells Painted Lady caterpillars.

Depending on the weather, your caterpillars will arrive in approximately 2 to 6 weeks.
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How do I order Praying Mantis eggs for my Green Earth Praying Mantis Kit?
Your Green Earth Praying Mantis Kit will come with a coupon or order form that you can use to order Praying Mantis eggs. Simply fill in the order form, and enclose your check to cover the cost of the Praying Mantis egg cases, shipping, and handling charges. Please note that Praying Mantis egg cases are available on a seasonal basis, (typically January through July) and may not be available at certain times of the year. To check availability please contact the vendor directly.

Planet Natural
1612 Gold Avenue
Bozeman, MT 597150

Or fax your order form to 406-5875-0223 or order online at www.planetnatural.com/site/praying-mantis-egg-cases.html.

Or...


Edmund Scientific
Attn: Live Orders
60 Pearce Ave.
Tonawanda, NY 14150

Or order online at www.scientificsonline.com/alive or call 1-800-728-6999.

Depending on the weather, your Praying Mantis egg cases will arrive in approximately 4 to 6 weeks.
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What kind of ants can I buy for my Ant Farm or Habitat?
When you order ants for your Ant Habitat, the ants you will receive will be the Harvester Ant species. Their red bodies and large size make them ideal for easy viewing in an Ant Habitat. All of your ants will be worker ants, and in case you didn't already know, worker ants are all females.
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How can I get a Queen ant for my ant colony?
In order to prevent the introduction of non-native or invasive species into new locations, US law prohibits the shipping of Queen Ants across State lines. This means that the only way to secure a Queen is from a native colony. This can be accomplished without disrupting an established colony by waiting for the "Nuptial Flight" and capturing a fertile "Princess" to found your new colony. If you prefer, it is possible to capture a Queen from an established colony. Please recognize, in most cases, capturing a Queen from an established colony will result in the destruction of the colony.
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How long will my ants live after I purchase them?
Due to the many variables involved in this question, it can only be answered in generalities. Some of the factors that will determine the longevity of your ants include the following.

• The life span of adult ants varies from species to species. Some adult ants live only a few weeks while others can actually live for several years. Obviously the normal lifespan of your species is a major factor in how long your ants will live.

• A second factor is how well you care for your ants. If you feed them properly and ensure that their habitat is kept clean, it will help to extend their lives to the maximum extent possible.

• Finally, recognize that the ants that forage above ground, and are therefore the most easily collected specimens, are among the older members of the colony. Thus collection of these foraging workers will result in your ants being closer to the end of their life cycle.

With all of these factors being considered, don't be too surprised if you have some of your ants expire within the first few weeks or even days. With Harvester ants you should however be able to enjoy your colony for as much as two to three months before all of your workers expire.
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My ants seem reluctant to dig tunnels in my Gel Habitat. What can I do to encourage them?
Gel habitats are a completely foreign environment for your ants. As a result, one of your biggest challenges will be to help them to get acclimatized. Here are a few things you can do to help the process along.

• First, you need to create a break in the otherwise smooth surface of the gel. By creating a starter hole for your ants to work with they will more quickly get the idea that they can indeed tunnel in this new environment. The starter hole should be from 1/8 to 3/16 inch in diameter and 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches in depth. This size hole will provide access while still being small enough that your ants will recognize it as a "tunnel" that they can expand on.

• Depending on the number of ants in your habitat, you should create 1 to 4 starter holes. The goal is to give your ants something to occupy their efforts without leaving starter holes that are not being worked. If you notice your ants are trying to dig into the Gel in the corners of your habitat, you probably don't have enough starter holes.

• Because of the translucent nature of the Gel, covering the sides of your Habitat to block the light and encourage tunneling is inadequate. The best way to "dim the lights" and encourage tunneling activity is to put an opaque cover completely surrounding your Habitat. A properly sized cardboard box works well.

• Finally, be patient! It will take some time for your ants to get comfortable in their new environment. Not only is the Gel totally unlike their normal environment, but the way it passes light seems to confuse their instincts as well.


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Can I purchase replacement gel for my ant habitat?
Based upon research conducted by Ant Farm Universe, replacement gel is currently not available in the United States. While some manufacturers have developed replacement gel formulations, at the present time none of the manufacturers or their distributors are importing the replacement gel into the North American market.

The most common reason cited for not importing the replacement gel kits into the North American market is the liability incurred by the manufacturer and/or distributor. Due to the high temperatures involved in processing the nutrient gel; the risk of injury, and resulting litigation, makes it financially impractical to sell the replacement gel in the US.

Some manufacturers, such as the distributor of the AntWorks habitats, have informed Ant Farm Universe that they have chosen not to develop or market a replacement gel product for any of their customers. The AntWorks distributor cites the inability to maintain proper quality control of nutrient gel that is processed by individuals, and their company's subsequent inability to guarantee the resulting product, as the reason for not offering a gel refill product.
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Can I reuse my gel filled ant habitat?
Based upon our experience at Ant Farm Universe, you can reuse your gel habitat twice or perhaps even three times. Before reusing your habitat, you will need to clean the nutrient gel block. To begin, rinse your habitat out with cool running water. Your objective is to flush out the gel chips and any other loose material in and around the nutrient gel block. (Do not use warm water as it will dissolve the nutrient gel.) Once you have successfully removed all loose materials from your habitat, fill your habitat with water and then turn it upside down in your sink. In the upside down position, the gel block will actually slide out of the habitat and you can then carefully finish rinsing the gel block under cool running water. Be sure to remove all deceased ants and any mold or fungus that may be present.

Allow the gel to drain for a half hour or so and then carefully reinsert the clean gel block into the habitat enclosure. Reinstall the lid on the habitat so the gel does not dry out. At this point you are ready to introduce new residents to your gel habitat.

The one down side to reusing the gel is that it now contains tunnels and as a consequence there is usually less activity and tunneling by subsequent ant colonies. You will also find that eventually the gel will begin to settle and dry as more and more tunnels are excavated. At some point, you will need to replace the habitat in order to maintain a viable environment for your ants.

Before discarding your retired habitat, you may want to consider memorializing the intricate tunnels your ants have created. The AntWorks Sculpture Kit will allow you to create a permanent resin replica of the tunnel network which you can display for many years to come.
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What do my ants eat?
Ants eat a variety of foods. If you don't believe it, just think back to your last picnic! Seriously, ants will eat many different types of food depending on the species involved. Most ants enjoy sweets, many will eat protein such as caterpillars, grubs, and even the eggs of other ant colonies. Some, like the Harvester ants, will gather and eat small seeds from the grasses that grow around their colony.

For the residents of your Ant Habitat, a small amount of jelly, honey or other sweet is one option. You may also consider fruit flies, crickets, or grubs. For Harvester ants you can also add small seeds. In addition to food, your ants need a source of water. If you have a Gel fill Habitat the ants will do just fine eating the nutritious Gel that serves as their tunneling medium.
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How can I get a replacement Owner's Manual?
Ant Farm Universe has assembled a comprehensive collection of Owner's Manuals for Ant Farm, AntWorks, Back2Nature & Antquarium brand products. Take a look and see if we have the Owner's Manual you are looking for.
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