Are your children fascinated with nature and ants in particular? If so, you may want to think about building them an ant farm. My children had one when they were little and they loved it. Based on my experience, building one isn’t that difficult. Here’s how:
Supplies Needed
In order to complete this project, you will need a box of finishing nails, a hammer, a tube of waterproof glue, and two sheets of clear Plexiglass (8.5 inches x 12 inches). You’ll also need a roll of black cloth tape (self-adhesive), 6 strips of wood (¾ inches x 36 inches), a hand saw, a packet of ant food and some live harvester ants. You can typically purchase the food and ants through specialty retailers. One retailer that sells such items is Ants Alive.
Assemble the Frame
Begin by cutting the wood strips down to size. You will need two 12 inch long strips, two 8.5 inch long strips and two 5 inch long strips. Next, grab one of the 12 inch long strips and the two 8.5 inch long strips. Position them so that they form a U-shape. Then nail them together like that. The U-shape will eventually get sandwiched in between the two sheets of Plexiglass and serve as the ant farm’s frame.
Next, lay the U-shape frame flat onto your countertop. Afterward, run a bead of waterproof glue around the wood and place a sheet of Plexiglass on top of it. Allow the glue to dry completely before moving it. Keep in mind that the drying time could take anywhere from 24 to 36 hours. Once the glue has dried, flip the frame over. Then attach the second piece of Plexiglass to the frame using the same methods.
After the glue has dried, you’ll need to cover the areas where the glass meets the wood. Doing so will help to seal in the dirt and the ants. It will also improve the ant farm’s appearance. Continue by grabbing the two 5 inch long strips of wood. They will serve as the ant farm’s feet. Attach them to the bottom of the frame with glue.
Next, fashion the remaining strip of wood into a top for your ant farm. While doing so, don’t forget to drill five or 6 small air holes into the wooden top so the ants can breathe. If you don’t want to create a wooden top for your ant farm, you could also opt to cover the opening with rolled cheesecloth. That way, the ants will be able to get a lot of fresh air but not escape. I typically let the kids use the cheesecloth top during the day and the wooden top at night. I had them use the wooden top at night because I was afraid that the ants would somehow crawl out of the farm while we were sleeping. To my knowledge, the ants never did try to climb out at anytime. So you could technically forgo making a wooden top and just stick with a cheesecloth one. Once you’ve created a top for your ant farm, it will be ready for use.
Add the Ants
To use your ant farm, partially fill the recessed area with soil. You can use the soil from your backyard or buy a bag from your local garden center. Either way, I would recommend filling the farm two-thirds full with dirt. That way, the ants will have plenty of air to breathe. You’ll also want to dampen the soil with two teaspoons of sugar water so they’ll have something to drink. Next, grab a wooden skewer and use it to create a few starter tunnels for your ants. Once the soil is ready, add a packet of ant food and 25 to 30 live ants to the container. Then place the lid onto your ant farm and enjoy the show!
