Ant Farms by NASA???

[insect714]

Have a look and check out this crazy ant farm that I came across todaywhen browsing this random web page, which has a lot of cool and crazy things... http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/science/6fd6/

Insect

 

[Gigas]

Theyre old, nasa made the gel for space ants, to my knowledge they never used the technology so sold it

 

[aggie08]

CoOol... anyone know if it really works/ is awesome like it looks?

 

[Galapoheros]

I think that's a really good idea. I almost bought one months ago until I saw how big they are. Anyone find one that's at least a foot high? If some one has come across one, I'd like to know about it.

 

[Pyst]

I think that's a really good idea. I almost bought one months ago until I saw how big they are. Anyone find one that's at least a foot high? If some one has come across one, I'd like to know about it.

Yeah I agree with you on the size. They're tiny. Wish there was a bigger one. I would definately get one then.

 

[Potemkin]

From what I've read, the problem with these is that they provie the ants with sugar, but no protein. Your ants will slowly die from lack of nutrition. I suppose you could supplement it with something though.

 

[jarrell]

yeah you can make your own recipe for the gel and then just use your own glass frame.

 

[Galapoheros]

I wonder why NASA never used them? I bet once the ants make a tunnel, the inside of the tunnel wouldn't be smooth anymore. So you probably couldn't see what the ants are doing anyway. Kind of like looking through that glass they make for bathroom windows, probably just a blur ...maybe.

 

[Ant Worker]

I STRONGLY RECOMMEND AVOIDING THESE FARMS. I've looked at them before and have run into problems.
1. These aren't meant to keep a colony, only a few workers.
2. The gel doesn't contain the required protien for larva
3. They will just eat all the "gel" and leave no substrate for them to nest in.
4. Humidity is much harder to maintain, ants require high levels of humidity (except for a few species), gel makes it hard to tell what kind of humidity level you have.
5. They are small, barely being able to contain 30 workers of P. occidentalis.
6. The ants cant "dig" the gel out as easily as a natural substrate, so they will only sit on the top and gradually eat from the surface, getting a high ammount of tunnels is much harder.

-I would never waste my money on something like this, ur better off using sheets of plexi glass with a wooden frame and moist dirt than one of these.

 

[sweetmisery]

I STRONGLY RECOMMEND AVOIDING THESE FARMS. I've looked at them before and have run into problems.
1. These aren't meant to keep a colony, only a few workers.
2. The gel doesn't contain the required protien for larva
3. They will just eat all the "gel" and leave no substrate for them to nest in.
4. Humidity is much harder to maintain, ants require high levels of humidity (except for a few species), gel makes it hard to tell what kind of humidity level you have.
5. They are small, barely being able to contain 30 workers of P. occidentalis.
6. The ants cant "dig" the gel out as easily as a natural substrate, so they will only sit on the top and gradually eat from the surface, getting a high ammount of tunnels is much harder.

-I would never waste my money on something like this, ur better off using sheets of plexi glass with a wooden frame and moist dirt than one of these.

Oh that sucks. I mean it would be cool if it really works!!!