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In recent years, myrmkeeping, or keeping and breeding ants, has become increasingly popular with both children and adults. Ants are ideal pets for a city apartment: they do not make noise, do not take up much space, do not litter, do not require walks, require, depending on the species, only sugar syrup or grains, regular hydration and a small amount of protein food. At the same time, it is very interesting to watch the farm, it serves as an excellent way of relaxation, and for a child it will also be an excellent visual aid in learning the basics of entomology.

The main task of every person who wants to become a novice myrmkeeper is to choose a suitable farm and tenants for it. In this article, I will try to tell you what criteria you need to pay attention to and what “pitfalls” you can encounter here, and I will also compile the top most popular ant farms in the Ru-segment.

Ant farm rating

Antwill Loft “Tree”

Sufficiently spacious horizontal type ant farm, capable of accommodating a colony of more than 1000 ants. Made of acrylic, decorated with a wood-like overlay. The residential compartment is divided by a partition into two sectors, there is a side exit with a plug, designed to connect additional residential modules. The capacious arena is closed with a convenient lid that allows you to get to any corner of it. The concave corner gives the form an original shape.

Antwill Smart “Tree”

A miniature tree farm. Designed for small colonies. Suitable for a novice myrmkeeper, it will allow you to decide whether this hobby is suitable for a person. Allows you to connect additional living modules and other farms thanks to the presence of a side opening. To prevent escape, it is closed with a secure plug. The lid of the arena is wide, which makes it much easier to clean and install the decor. A gypsum insert that affects part of the chambers allows you to create a moisture gradient. This makes formicaria a good choice for keeping grain-eating reapers. They will be able to store supplies in a dry chamber, and larvae and young in a humid chamber.

Antwill Mini “Summer Day”

A miniature farm with a bright design, ideal for keeping small colonies. It has a bright, eye-catching design, an arena with a comfortable roof that facilitates cleaning. The side opening will help to conveniently relocate ants from the incubator or connect an additional residential module, and the plug will prevent shoots. The lower chambers of the living compartment are located on a gypsum insert, which makes it possible to provide a moisture gradient.

«Ecosystem»

Large upright formicarium, ideal for large colonies. It features an original layout: two residential modules are located on both sides of the spacious arena. According to the manufacturer, the model holds up to 6,000 medium-sized ants. The design is equipped with an autonomous humidification system. Install a test tube with water sealed with a special sponge in the place provided for it, and moisture will gradually seep into the formicarium, maintaining the desired microclimate. Access to the upper floors is blocked by special plugs.

«Tropics»

Roomy vertical formicarium, imitating a real underground anthill. Some of the chambers are made of acrylic, some of them are made of plaster, which allows maintaining the necessary humidity gradient. A wide arena allows you to place any design elements, facilitates the settlement of ants. The model does not take up much space, is equipped with an excellent ventilation system. Formicarium has a bright design, thanks to which it fits perfectly into any interior. It has a modular design that allows you to connect additional residential modules.

AntLabs “Land” Moss Green

Convenient vertical truss for good visibility. Quite compact, but at the same time it can accommodate up to 1500 medium-sized ants. The presence of plugs in the set will allow you to expand the living space of the colony as it grows. The presence of gypsum inserts allows you to moisten the farm less often. The model has a pleasant design, looks good in any interior.

What are ant farms

Regardless of the design, all formicariums consist of several main parts. It:

• frena — a site that imitates the space around an anthill. It is intended for feeding ants, they take out the garbage here, in addition, all the decor is located on the arena.
• block of nests — chambers that play the role of the interior of the anthill. There is a queen chamber, «rooms» for larvae and pupae, and for harvester ants there are also compartments for storing grain supplies.
• humidification chambers — chambers isolated from the rest of the farm, and which water is poured to maintain the required level of humidity.

Formicaria can be classified according to their layout and material of manufacture.

Ant farm layout

Ant farms are divided into 3 types:

• horizontal;
• vertical;
• tower.

The name of the former is due to the fact that the nesting chambers in them are located horizontally, and the myrmikeper observes the pets from above, through a transparent cover. Such a solution allows us to consider the “life” of insects in all details, however, horizontal formicariums take up quite a lot of space, so space for them must be provided in advance.

In vertical farms, chambers and passages are arranged accordingly, in several floors. Such solutions are much more compact, and at the same cost, the places usually accommodate a large colony compared to horizontal ones, but it is more difficult to observe ants in them.

Tower formicaria is a cylindrical container with chambers arranged in a circle, and the arena is either nearby or on top of the cylinder. Rarely found on sale.

Ant farm material

Most often, formicaria are made from such materials:

• acrylic;
• gypsum;
• wood;
• priming;
• gel.

Each of these materials has its own characteristics and specifics, which need to be considered in more detail.

Acrylic trusses are made from sheets of acrylic glued or tightly twisted together, in which passages and chambers are made with a laser cutter. They are vertical and horizontal. Such a solution can be safely called universal, since acrylic formicarium is durable, easy to care for, and suitable for the vast majority of ant species. Thanks to the drip effect, the water entering the humidification chambers spreads throughout the farm, maintaining the required microclimate in it. In addition, manufacturers quite often make a plaster insert that captures part of the cameras. It accumulates moisture, allowing the formicarium to be moistened less frequently and creating a moisture gradient, which is especially important for granivorous ant species.

Gypsum farms are also quite popular, especially with experienced myrmkeepers. The body and arena in them are usually made of acrylic or plexiglass, and the passages and chambers are carved inside a solid mass of gypsum. Such a farm holds moisture well, and therefore is perfect for keeping tropical species, however, you need to remember that the risk of mold is also higher here, so gypsum farms are suitable for keepers who already have at least a little experience. In addition, gypsum tends to break down over time.

It may seem that woody formicarium is better due to its environmental friendliness, but in reality this is not entirely true. The microclimate in such a farm is quite specific, so it is only suitable for keeping specific tree species.

To create a ground formicaria, sand with additives is usually used, which is poured between two vertical sheets of acrylic. The result is a vertical farm, where the arena is located at the top, and the passages and chambers that the ants dig themselves gradually descend deeper. This design imitates the natural conditions of detention, but will not suit tree species. In addition, soil formicaria is always a risk of collapse of passages that can bury part of the colony or even the uterus under it.

Gel formicaria are the cheapest, but this is where their advantages usually end. By design, they resemble soil, but instead of earth and sand, a special gel is laid in them, eating which ants make an anthill for themselves. In theory, the gel acts as a complete food, but in practice it is most often not balanced and does not provide the insects with the necessary nutrition. In addition, in such farms there are serious problems with ventilation and moisture, so a full-fledged colony does not reproduce in them and lives only a few months.

Summing up, for an inexperienced worldkeeper, the best solution would be an acrylic truss — it is quite versatile, comfortable and easy to care for.

How to choose an ant farm

The answer to this question will be of interest primarily to a novice myrmkeeper, as experienced ant breeders usually know exactly what they want. A beginner needs to know first of all that the choice largely depends on what kind he wants to have at home. Very often, farms are sold complete with a small colony, and for the first farm, this solution will most often be optimal. It is best to start your acquaintance with the world of myrmicking with steppe reapers or black garden ants — they are easy to care for and forgive the owner many mistakes. In general, the farm should be comfortable and safe for both insects and the owner. If you want to start a large species, such as black wood borers, purchase a formicarium with large chambers and wide passages in advance.

Moisturizing

One of the most important aspects of ant care is timely and sufficient moisture. Both dryness and excess moisture can destroy the colony, so it is important to develop a certain regimen, as well as make sure that the humidification chambers in the selected farm are really comfortable. It is best if automatic humidification is provided in the formicarium — in this case, it is enough to connect a test tube with water to a special socket, which itself will slowly seep through the porous sponges, providing the desired level of humidity. Gypsum is also quite convenient in this regard, as it accumulates moisture and allows you to moisturize literally once or twice a week. But acrylic trusses without a gypsum insert require new portions of moisture almost every day — this is inconvenient if you need to go somewhere.

Convenience and safety

Before buying, you need to pay attention to the arena cover. It should be large enough so that the myrmkeeper can easily reach any corner and remove the debris left by the ants. You should also make sure that there are no gaps through which the colony’s scouts could get out. Ventilation holes are necessary, but they must be small enough to prevent insects from escaping.

Large ant farms should be divided into several parts by special removable partitions. When settling in a new colony, you should not open access to the entire nest at once, otherwise the distant cameras risk turning into a dump, which a person will not be able to remove without disassembling the formicarium. The plugs are removed as the colony grows, when the space available to the insects is already occupied by 2/3. securely closed, otherwise some of the ants will escape.

The last tip is simple — buy farms from manufacturers that have been in the field for at least a few years. You can get advice from them, and the physiology of ants, the features of their maintenance at home, and the wishes of users will be taken into account in the design of formicaria. In addition, large companies do not use toxic materials in their work.

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