Frequently Asked Ant Questions & Answers
| Question | Answer |
| Why aren't my ants tunneling? | Your ants need a few hours to figure out where they are before they start to dig. However, they should be tunneling within the first 24 hours. If they do not tunnel after one day, try placing a few drops of sugar water onto the sand. This will draw their attention to that spot and hopefully start them digging. Also try blowing into the observatory as this "wakes" them up. If your ants still do not tunnel after 3 days they may have been damaged in shipment and will need replacement. Follow the instructions to receive replacement ants. |
| Why didn't I receive a queen ant? | The Department of Agriculture prohibits interstate shipment of queen ants. They don't want reproducing ants going into other states where they may start colonies that could damage agriculture or the ecosystem. Another reason we don't send queens is because they are very difficult to find. Harvester ants can tunnel up to 15 feet straight down when building their colony and may have many thousands of ants per colony. |
| I didn't get enough sand for my observatory. The sand doesn't come all the way to the top. | The sand shouldn't come all the way to the top. The ants need some room to work with. If you do need more sand, most types of sand will work for ants to tunnel in. Play box sand works well. Or you can contact the place you purchased the habitat from. |
| Why Western Harvester ants? | Western Harvester ants are the best ants we have found for digging tunnels and working under observation. They are very efficient and productive workers that are fun to watch. Other species of ants don't perform as well under observation. Harvester ants are also the easiest and best for us to supply year-round. |
| If I get more ants, will they fight with the ants that I already have in my observatory? | They may fight. It's probably best to wait until your original ants have died or remove them before adding new ants. |
| I have ordered ants before, and they have died and I want to start again. Do I need to get new sand along with new ants? | It depends how dirty and moldy your observatory is. You may be able to reuse the original sand. If not you can clean out the habitat and put new sand into it. You will need to moisten the sand so that the new ants will be able to tunnel in it. |
| Can I reuse my gel ant habitat once the ants have died? | If you melt the gel on a low setting you may be able to liquefy it. Then as it cools it will harden again and you can start over with new ants. There is also Refill Gel that you can purchase. |
| How long will my ants live? | They should last 1 to 3 months on average and may go longer. We had an ant last over a year in gel. |
| What should I feed my ants? | Ants will eat almost anything but their favorites are fresh vegetables and fruits such as cucumber, lettuce, apple, celery, or broccoli. Feed them tiny pieces every other day as needed. You may also want to try small bits of grains, or granola. Also give them a couple of drops of water every day - unless you see condensation droplets in the habitat. Note: Gel habitats do not require feeding or watering. |
| I got a large winged ant with my worker ants. What is it? | Ants with wings are either female or male ants which have not reached maturity yet. At a certain time each year the mature males and females fly into the air to mate. After mating they lose their wings. The male dies. The female searches for a place to start a new colony as a fertile queen. |
For other questions please Email us.
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