Formicarium

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"Ant farm" redirects here. For other uses, see Ant farm (disambiguation).

Ants tunneling through a formicarium.

A formicarium is an insectarium which is designed primarily for the study of ant colonies and how ants behave. Ant Farms such as these are popular subjects for school projects. Those who study how ants behave are known as myrmecologists.

A formicarium is usually an ant colony enclosed by a transparent box made of glass or plastic. The first commercially-sold formicarium was introduced around 1929 and patented in 1931 by Frank Eugene Austin, an inventor and professor at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. Austin included painted or wooden scenes of palaces, farms, and other settings above the ground level.

The best-known formicariums are examples of Uncle Milton's Ant Farm, for which the ants are sent to the Ant Farm's purchaser through the mail, upon receipt of the coupon enclosed with the Ant Farm. The educational toy is made by Uncle Milton Industries in Westlake Village, California, which has sold over 20 million Ant Farms since 1956 and which owns the brand name Ant Farm (a registered trademark). This type of ant farm's effectiveness in serious ant rearing is questionable.

Formicariums and Ant Farms are usually made thin enough so the tunnels and cavities made by the ants can be seen, and for their behavior to be studied. They can be filled with soil, sand, vermiculite, other mineral fragments, or a form of wood, such as sawdust. Newer ant farms filled with semi-transparent gel (pictured right) can be made thicker. The gel provides nutrition, moisture, and a medium for the ant nest. Other types of formicariums are those made with plaster, or simply with no medium. Plaster nests can be made by placing modeling clay on a glass panel in the form of tunnels and chambers. The plaster is poured onto the mold, and when it has dried the clay is removed and the remaining structure can be used for housing ants. The ants in these types of ant farms are very easily seen, but it can be less than comfortable for the ants. Mediumless formicariums can be in any container, with the ants staying in moist test tubes or other small containers. This also allows for better visibility, but can be less interesting because no digging takes place.

Often, containing ants inside a formicarium can be a problem. Several substances are used to repel the ants, including vegetable oil, petroleum jelly, or fluon. They are applied to the side of the formicarium to prevent escape. These substances are too slippery for the ants to walk on. Despite this, some species of ants can build bridges of debris or dirt on the substance to escape. Another way of preventing the ants from escaping is to place the entire formicarium in a shallow container of water, creating a moat.