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We also suggest reading two articles that wrote from A to Z about starting ants breeding for beginners. Basic and Farn Start Up
The following instructions will be a basic compedium of knowledge related to ant breeding useful both for those who are just starting their adventure with ants and a reminder for those who have been dealing with them for some time.

Let's get to work! Do you want to breed ants and have doubts about where to start, what species of ant and what formicaria to choose? We'll find out soon.

Let's start with choosing the type of formicaria for your ants. So that observing the life of ants is relatively easy and interesting, they have been developed in such types in which living conditions will best match the natural conditions. The most commonly used are acrylic or plaster formicaria. Their construction is vertical or horizontal. Each formicarium must contain so-called nest and arena. The nest with the arena can be one whole, or both parts are connected with pipes. Each formicarium must have an additional humidification chamber to maintain adequate humidity in the nest.

The arena in the formicarium is needed so that the ants feel as if they were in the wild. The arena can be filled with sand and decorations can be put to make your formicarium look nice and more realistic.

Let's decide what criteria are the most important for us when choosing a formicarium:
1) we choose a formicarium suitable for the species of ants we choose,
2) determine how much space we have for our hobby,
3) we try to make our formicarium as functional as possible,
4) we must like it - this is the most important thing!

What does it mean the most functional?
Well, the formicarium must, above all, look nice, it must be tight (an important thing! Ants do not have to run away!), They should have partitions - then the ants will not stay on its entire surface all the time, otherwise they will not be stressed and will not make unnecessary clutter in all the chambers. The formicarium must also have a humidification chamber that will evenly distribute moisture throughout the formicarium, as we have already mentioned.

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As for the ants themselves, we must choose an easy-to-breed species and one that suits us. The criteria that ants should meet when choosing their first breeding are:

1) species that can "forgive" our potential errors;
2) preferably those that multiply at room temperature;
3) are not difficult to feed and it would be best if these species do not need hibernation, for example, one of the species Messor (they can only feed on grains and breed all year round), or some of Camponotus or Lasius.

Now we will tell you where to hold your formicarium, what to do with it and how to introduce ants into it.

The first and very important thing! It is best to place the format in a place where there will be no direct sunlight - it is best to keep the ants in the dark, but this is not necessary. Ants do not like vibrations and noise very much, so it will be good if we find them a quiet place.

Well, we already have a formicarium and we've found the right place for it! It is time to bring them to life! Most often, ants are bought in tubes. Before placing ants to the formicarium, it is important to moisturize them by pouring some water into the moisturizing chamber. About 30 workers are best moved to formicarium.

If we have a large arena, we can simply put the tube on the arena and the ants will go to the nest themselves. Otherwise, we need to connect the tube to the formicarium through a tube (the formicarium must have a place to connect). Sometimes ants do not want to go to the nest, what to do in this case? It is then necessary to create unpleasant conditions. Namely, illuminate the tube with bright light, raise its temperature. When the formicarium is large and has partitions - then it's best to close them so that the ants don't clutter there.

Feeding: Ants must consume a lot of protein and carbohydrates for the rapid and proper development of your colony. This means that they should consume mainly sweet fruit. If you growMessor ants, their basic diet is mixtures of grains and occasionally dead insects. If it is the Lasius or Camponotus species or some other carbohydrates then it is worth giving them in the form of syrup (sugar / honey with water, 1: 2 - 1: 3) or fruit, but the insects themselves also play a large role in these species. Sometimes, instead of insects, you can give boiled chicken without salt.
It is not recommended to give ants insects from the street, they can be infected with ticks or various parasites!!!

How often do you feed?

You can feed a small colony every 1-3 days. When the colony is large, it is better to feed daily. What ants could not eat, should be discarded so that bacteria do not reproduce.
And a few tips: for convenience, I recommend placing a drinker with water, for example in a test tube, in the arena so that the ants can regulate the humidity of the nest by themselves.

If you have to leave your ants alone for a while, then:
- leave extra food - preferably something with a lot of protein - supplement the amount of syrup, which should be enough for a long time - check the water bottle.

In properly designed formicarium, the correct humidity should be maintained for up to 7 days without the need for daily moisturizing.

We have a format and ants. What's next? And then waiting for us fascinating observation of the lives of young workers, which life is interesting for both children and adults.

We wish everyone satisfaction in running their own ants!