AGES 6 AND UP 1450 Ant Watcher’s Manual
A. Habitat lid B. Gel C. Optional light module (Not included - see Order Form) D. Tunnel starter tool B Enjoy the View! Ant Farm Gel Colony is a sleek habitat that provides an ultra-cool 3-D view of the ants’ world. The translucent gel provides an excellent living environment for ants. Watch them build tunnels and passageways right before your eyes. A C D It's All in the Gel The unique gel was originally developed by NASA for a space shuttle experiment to see how ants live and work in zero-gravity.
Note: Never touch ants directly. They can bite or sting to defend themselves. If you are allergic to insect bites, you might have an allergic reaction that could require immediate medical attention. Obtaining Your Ants You can order ants by mail with the included ant coupon or you can stock your Gel Colony with ants from your own neighborhood. To order ants by mail, fill out the ant coupon and send it to us in the included envelope along with your payment.
3. The ants may seem inactive for the first few hours. That is because they are not yet used to their new home. Put the habitat in a dark, quiet place overnight to let the ants become accustomed. In a few days you should begin see some tunnels. Widen the starter holes a bit if you do not see any tunnels after a week. On average, your ants will live one to three months. Restocking Your Gel Colony If you want to put new ants in your Gel Colony, be sure to remove as many of the original occupants as possible.
Ants Are Industrious Each ant in a colony has its own special job, and every job is important. Deep below the surface of a natural nest, nurse ants take care of the queen, eggs and larvae, nest-builders dig tunnels and chambers, and nest-keepers keep the nest clean. On the surface, guard ants patrol for predators and foragers gather food. In some species, the younger ants work underground and the older ones work on the surface.
Ants use their antennae to touch, taste and smell! Ants have a better sense of smell than dogs! Ants have two stomachs! The trap-jaw ant has the fastest jaw in the west (as well as anywhere else)! A harvester ant nest can contain tens of thousands of members, and other kinds can contain half a million! A harvester ant nest can be fifteen feet deep! Harvesters have only one queen to a colony; others can have more than one! In Japan, a super-colony of 45,000 interconnected nests of red wood ants has a million
