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ANTS AS PETS
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Ants As Pets- continued from page 1
Collecting Live Insects
Ants are found under logs, particularly rotting logs that pull apart easily.
In some parts of the U.S., ants live in acorns or twigs on the ground. Catch
new queens near porch lights in warm months. If you are lucky, you may see
new queens before they have found a place to dig. Worker ants and vertical
dirt ant farms can be purchased from: Carolina Biological Supply Company,
WardÍs Biology, Connecticut Valley Biological Supply Co., Inc., Nasco
Science, Science Kit and Boreal Laboratories. Some states (AZ, HI and TN)
have restrictions to importing different species of ants and require you
to apply for a USDA permit.
How to collect
By gently turning over rocks on warm spring days you may find a colony with
the queen and brood. Since the light and air will disturb the ants, work
quickly to gather the queen and as much brood as possible before they go
underground. Use an aspirator or small shovel to remove the ants and brood
from the colony. If you use a shovel to dig, take care when placing the dirt
and ants into a container with light oil or Vaseline around the rim so that
the ants can't escape. Let the dirt dry out slowly. Place the test tubes
with water and cotton plugs in the box on top of the soil. As the soil dries
out, the ants will move into the tubes. When most of the ants are in the
tubes, transfer them to a dirt-less nest. (Place an incandescent light over
the container to make the ants move faster).
Instructions For Building Artificial Nest
Page 2 | 1
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Special Report will show you the good, the bad and the ugly facts about designer dogs so you can make an informed decision
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