5 replies to this topic

[KRuss]

Hello All,

 

My nephew wants an ant farm and I want to do it right.....but right enough for a 5 year old.  Best beginning farms? ants? should a queen be involved? nutrients? Those gel ones seem skeptical. Yes or no?

I live in CT so shipping ants may be an issue.  Are there places to go to buy them?

I just need someone to tell me how to do it within a reasonable price.

 

thanks!

[Hunter]

If you wait till the spring/summer you can find queens, like camponotus/ carpenter ants witch are easy, large, and fly a lot. And a starters best bet is a test tube set up. And there are tuns of care sheets on this forum for care/ food info. And I don't think many people here will support the gel, but pet smart and reptile dealers sell live things to feed them and they can use honey/sugar water for there sugars

 

And if you wish to buy ants from here please put your location in your profile

 

 

If you have more questions  you can dm me

Edited by Hunter, November 29 2018 - 1:33 PM.

[ANTdrew]

That’s cool that your nephew’s into ants already. He may have to wait till spring, though, which will feel like eternity for a five year old. Most CT ants would be hibernating now, so it’s not the best time to buy a queen. I can also recommend Tetramorium ants. Queens are really easy to find in June, and the colonies grow crazy fast. They also mass swarm any protein you give them, so I’m sure a five year old would love that. My nephews (4 and 6) loved the two colonies I gave my twin this summer.

[Hunter]

That’s cool that your nephew’s into ants already. He may have to wait till spring, though, which will feel like eternity for a five year old. Most CT ants would be hibernating now, so it’s not the best time to buy a queen. I can also recommend Tetramorium ants. Queens are really easy to find in June, and the colonies grow crazy fast. They also mass swarm any protein you give them, so I’m sure a five year old would love that. My nephews (4 and 6) loved the two colonies I gave my twin this summer.

there good but also small and may be easily lost and are good at escaping. good suggestion tho

Edited by Hunter, November 29 2018 - 2:09 PM.

[MegaMyrmex]

Nice, good on your nephew! I would suggest camponotus or formica sp. as a good beginner species, maybe lasius if you’re willing to handle the occasional escapee. However the lrger teo species grow quite a bit slower than Lasius.

[ctantkeeper]

Hey there, I live in connecticut as well and usually have an excess of Tetramorium queens in june and july when I go out to collect them. If your interested, feel free to PM me. I've raised dozens of Tetramorium colonies over the past eight or so years so I can answer any questions you may have about what their ideal food sources, humidity levels, temperatures and setups are as well as any questions you may have about escape prevention (their are some simple and rather inventive ways around it).