Instructions
Set up your ant farm following the manufacturer's directions before you place your ants in their new home. If you are collecting your own ants instead of purchasing them, be aware that the colony will not survive without a queen, characterized by her oversized body. It is recommended that you buy your ants from an ant farm manufacturer.
Place your ants into the ant farm and watch them dig tunnels. While ants can live for a long time without food, they need a constant water supply to keep their tunnels intact and their bodies functioning. The best method is to place a cotton ball in a cylindrical tube, fill the tube with water and rest the tube near the screened opening of your ant farm. Take care of your ants, making sure that there is water in the tube at all times and that the cotton ball does not come loose to flood the farm.
Add small food particles to your ant farm occasionally; however, keep the particles small as your ants will not eat much and larger particles will simply rot. Add dead insects, dried crystals from the lid of syrup containers, drops of honey or jam or even sugar granules. As a general rule, the sweeter the better.
Keep your ant farm out of direct sunlight. As the rays of the sun pass through the glass, your ant farm can quickly become a hot desert, cooking the critters before you have a chance to notice. To ensure a full lifespan for your ants, keep the farm in a cool, semi-dark place.
How to Care for an Ant Farm
Ants are among the hardest working, most socially minded and organized creatures on the planet, working together in harmony to protect the queen and promote the greater good of their fellow ants. For these reasons, keeping an ant farm ensures hours of entertainment, watching the ants work day in and day out.