Ants and ant farms

A whole world on your desk

An ant colony is not a bunch of insects but a well-coordinated organism. The queen lays eggs, young workers tend the larvae, older ones head out to the arena for food, and a scout that finds food lays a scent trail and brings others to it within minutes. Harvester ants grind grain into 'ant bread', and well-fed workers share food mouth to mouth with the rest of the colony. In a clear formicarium you can see all of this every day.

A colony that grows with you

It all starts with a single queen and a handful of eggs. The first workers are small and cautious, but each month the colony grows bigger, bolder and more interesting as it settles new chambers, stores food and builds. Queens of some species live for decades: the captive record for the black garden ant is about 29 years. An ant farm is a hobby not for a week but for years.

Little effort, lots to watch

• Ants are silent, most species are odourless, and they never need walking.
• A farm fits on a shelf or desk.
• Feeding a few times a week is enough, and for a week or two away a water tube plus dry food or seeds will do; do not leave insects for that long, as they spoil.
• Children see living biology: development from egg to adult, division of labour and building.

How to start

Pick a hardy species such as Messor harvester ants or Lasius garden ants. Get a young colony in a test tube, a small farm to match and the food your species eats. Temperate species need a cool winter rest while tropical ones stay warm all year, so plan for that from the start.