Gel Anthill: Types and Dignities

Lovers of animals today have the opportunity to keep at home not only dogs, cats, parrots and fish, but also very small representatives of fauna - ants. Observe their interesting life and development allows the original device - a gel anthill.

What it is?

Ants farm is a glass aquarium, which is filled with a unique gel, developed by NASA scientists. It was created to study the behavior of ants in space conditions. It is an absolutely harmless product for health, being for insects both a habitat and a source of nutrition. The basis of this gel is algae. The ants build tunnels out of it, which are perfectly visible from different angles, and this allows you to observe everything that is going on inside.

Transparent gel anthill resembles an ordinary fish tank. Only it is not required to clean, change the water and feed the inhabitants living in it. It closes the lid, this eliminates the possibility for ants to get out.

Where to get ants?

There are several ways to get hold of future pets. The easiest way is to catch the ants yourself in the nearest forest. But this can be done only in the warm season. In addition, it is absolutely not recommended to destroy anthills. In our time there are more reasonable ways how to find tenants in your gel anthill. At any time of the year, ants can be purchased at the nearest pet store or on the market. There are a number of specialized online stores selling similar goods with home delivery, and there are also ad sites where sellers offer insects for choice at the most appropriate price.

Feeding and care

Ants will live longer if you observe some basic rules. Although the inhabitants of this peculiar dwelling and feed on gel, it is still good sometimes to feed them, throwing a caterpillar, a bug, or just a piece of meat into an anthill. It is necessary to periodically ventilate the aquarium, opening the lid for a short time and ensuring the flow of air. Thus it is necessary to watch, that insects do not run away.

Gel should always be in abundance. You should not allow overpopulation in the aquarium. Too much insects in a confined space will significantly shorten their lifespan. It is recommended to populate only one species of ants in order to avoid the destruction of some by others. Transparent gel anthill should not be put in place, illuminated by the sun. Ants better tolerate coolness and some shade. Under favorable conditions, their life expectancy will be 3-4 months.

Reproduction of ants

This process in captivity looks quite different than in natural conditions. In nature, in summer, the ants observe years when winged females and females fly from the anthill. During this period, fertilization takes place, after which the male dies, and the female searches for a nest, where a new colony is subsequently formed. She lays eggs there, after a while of which there are working ants. They begin to build a dwelling and take care of their offspring.

The gel anthill precludes the possibility of summer insects. But if you are lucky enough to find a female who has already passed this period in her life and is able to lay her eggs, you will be able to observe the whole process of the birth of a new generation of ants. First the eggs turn into larvae. Insects take care of them, feed them, transfer them from one place to another. After a while, the larvae become pupae, which later the adult ants open, and a new resident of the anthill appears. All this period takes about a month and a half.

If you failed to get a fertilized female, then you can try to find eggs or ant larvae.

What are gel anthills?

Aquariums differ in many ways. They come in different sizes, configurations and designs. There are ant farms with backlighting. It allows you to see well even the smallest inhabitants of the aquarium.

For those who are just beginning to observe insects and plans to get them no more than 5 pieces, the transparent gel ant hive "History" will be the most suitable. Up to twenty ants can settle in a larger-sized farm called the "Standard". More comfortable, thanks to the built-in illumination, the "Dream" model looks like, allowing to monitor the ants even at night. The main elements of which the gel anthill consists (photo below) is the aquarium itself, made of plexiglass, and the gel for filling. Some kits have a magnifying glass and shelves, through which you can adjust the tunnels.

Advantages of gel anthill

This original aquarium looks very stylish and can decorate any interior. It attracts the eye and causes real admiration.

Gel mass, used as a filler, serves as an ants both as a building material and as food, since it is made from edible algae. In this case, the shelf life of the gel is quite large - 4 years.

Due to the fact that ants are constantly laying new tunnels and passages, the gel anthill changes its appearance every day.

This is a wonderful and original gift for both the child and those who are not indifferent to nature.

Even such very busy people can have such a farm at home, who, because of lack of time, can not afford to keep any pets in the apartment. Do not require any special care, or feeding ants, inhabiting a gel anthill. The owners' feedback confirms that this aquarium can serve for many years, if necessary it can always be filled with a new gel and inhabitants.