# if ever you buy someone an ant farm as a gift



## enlightenment (Dec 14, 2006)

Live Ants for Ant World

The above seems a good place to buy them, whatever the season.

£5 inc postage seems fair to me, and they are good at communicating.

I know some people, esp younger people, like to keep those gel farms, and these are ideal for that, albeit I cannot find anyplace on the net that sells anything but the LN.


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## joeyboy (Jul 19, 2008)

enlightenment said:


> Live Ants for Ant World
> 
> The above seems a good place to buy them, whatever the season.
> 
> ...


they don't include a Queen though...what are the workers going to do?:lol2:


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## enlightenment (Dec 14, 2006)

joeyboy said:


> they don't include a Queen though...what are the workers going to do?:lol2:


Correct.

Including a queen would create a true colony.

Ant farms are not meant for that purpose.

More a display thing.

Kids like them.


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## joeyboy (Jul 19, 2008)

enlightenment said:


> Correct.
> 
> Including a queen would create a true colony.
> 
> ...


won't the workers die quickly though?

I thought even kid ant colonies of black ants usually had a queen and a few workers in an ant works thing.


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## enlightenment (Dec 14, 2006)

joeyboy said:


> won't the workers die quickly though?
> 
> I thought even kid ant colonies of black ants usually had a queen and a few workers in an ant works thing.


They live on a fair while, I believe.

AFAIK, with these farms, it has always been workers.


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

The gel farms have been slammed for killing the ants. The gel is too thick for them and they exhaust themselves to death.


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

why not just dig up some ants?


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## Peacemaker1987 (May 21, 2009)

Slinkies mum said:


> The gel farms have been slammed for killing the ants. The gel is too thick for them and they exhaust themselves to death.


I had a gel one a few years back...they all died...it saddened me.


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## enlightenment (Dec 14, 2006)

Slinkies mum said:


> The gel farms have been slammed for killing the ants. The gel is too thick for them and they exhaust themselves to death.


Never had one of the gel one's. Apparently, after a little while, the gel goes rotten, and doesn't look as nice as when it is all blue and attractive.

I had three species of ants before, in ant farms. 

However, I think I used a sand/soil mix. Not gel.

Steve


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## enlightenment (Dec 14, 2006)

HABU said:


> why not just dig up some ants?


S'pose you could, but there is a risk in accidentally killing the queen in doing so, and (without intent), killing the colony. These ants that are being sold, they are most likely producing them under fairly strict scientific conditions.

Also, the time of year. It is starting to get real cold here now. Probably would struggle to find any, imo.

Steve


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