Gadgets January 23, 2007 posted by Red

Mini Antquarium – geeky, portable and dangerous?

miniantfarm Mini Antquarium geeky, portable and dangerous?

The Mini Antquarium. Nothing shouts ‘geek’ more than a gawky kid with a pet ant farm clipped to his belt arriving at the new school full of hope for the future. So think twice or thrice, dear parent, before you thusly equip your precious precocious as he clambers up the tortuous ladder of life and experience. $12.95.

Just add ants! No need to add food or water; the gel will provide everything the ants need. Pre-made, ready for use, and portable. With its handy pouch and belt clip, kids can carry the Mini-Antquarium when seeking ants in the field or sharing ants with friends. An ant catcher is also enclosed. 4.75”X1.75”X1”D.

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Red – who has written 10163 posts on The Red Ferret Journal.

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http://www.likethespider.com Charlotte

OK, so I bought an antworks last year, I was SOOO excited! Then I discovered that a more apt name for antworks is Deathworks. Obviously, a bunch of ants without a queen is going to just come to the end of their lifespan and die. Solution, get a queen, right?

So I did – I ordered a queen by mail order. Now I feel totally guilty that the poor things are living in an environment totally unsuited to them. The queen has never gone below ground – she stuck her head down a tunnel at one point, and obviously didn’t like the slimy gel walls, cause she then popped back out again and hasn’t gone under since. All her workers have died, and no matter what I try to feed her (I’ve looked up lots of recipes online, cause she sure can’t eat the gel, only the workers can), she seems to have lost all hope.

But this porta-ant-arm? can anyone say, exercise in cruel? You wouldn’t keep a mouse in a box strapped to your belt to take to school (unless you’re me and you’re five years old and you want to show it off in class, but that’s another story), so why would you jostle around a poor para-colony?

Antworks is a nasty experiment in unnatural formiculture – this mini-colony doesn’t even have covers to keep the ants in darkness when you’re not spying on them!

*sigh*

Sorry, that was a rant.

Charlotte out.
Red

Ouch Charlotte, I’m beginning to get the guilts now. Chemical torture of critters is not really my bag either.
http://www.likethespider.com Charlotte

Sorry Nige, didn’t mean to give you the guilts. Rant wasn’t directed at you, more at the idea of ants as a fashion accessory…
Mac

I actually got the AntWorks as a gift and I’m lovin’ it. But I never could figure out how to buy a Queen. May I ask where you bought the Queen ant?
http://www.likethespider.com Charlotte

Mac – you can get them at a lot of UK online stores recently. But I know that shipping ants over the US postal service is not kosher.

But if you’re UK based, you can get them here:

http://edu-sci.com/lasius-niger-black-queen-p-206.html

Keeping the queen happy enough so that she’ll maintain the colony is not the easiest thing in the world. Not to mention, queen ants are VERY photophobic, so an all-gel environment would be not so good for her. I have to keep my antworks in a dark cupboard, but her whole colony has died and it’s just her left now.

*sigh*
maria

omg how old are you cuz im just 13 like literaly i just turned in may and i got bout this prouduct at target for a dollar and went to my back yard to catch an ant i thought i had caught a soilder ant because of its size compered to the others of its species turnes out it was a princes or queen its thriving real well i figured out it was a queen when she stoped digging and layed eggs
maria

the crystalis of two of the little eggs she has layed wich already hatched and whent through their larva stage are being torn open and the little ants are emerging omg i use this little microscope thing i bought at a book fair at my school specialy designed to study bug and i know it sounds wired since im a girl but i love all cretures including cocaroches the microscope really opens up a new world i can see how the queen nuzels and cuddles with the little ants and every one can digest the gel trust me ive had the queen atleast for a whole month you can even see her eyes so cute
maria

but scince the babies are coming there isent enough space for every one and she already starter laying more eggs so where can i get more gell i dont even have to transport them ill just insert a fish tank filter tube through the opening before anyone gets out and theyll go over to the new habitat all on their own.

so dose any one know where i can get mor gell and well containers or c=haw can i make the gell cuz i dont want to have the little small ones any more please help i wantg to move the ants befor the queen turns into a couch potato
- maria
  
  ops i ment how
maria

well hope some one answers soon