Formicarium
A formicarium is a container or a system of containers for observing and keeping ants . It is therefore a special terrarium that simulates the habitat of an ant species.
Components of a formicarium
A complete formicarium consists at least of the "nest" and the "arena", which can either be separated from one another or placed inside one another, the connecting tubes or hoses and a suitable escape protection so that the ants cannot leave the formicarium uncontrolled. In addition there are devices for climate regulation (temperature, humidity and brightness).
The "arena" is an additional container connected to the nest (or surrounding the nest) in which the ants can get food and dispose of waste.
Formicariums are often used containers that are provided with an ant nest and an escape protection. But there are now also dealers who sell suitable containers and accessories.
Nest types
Aerated concrete
It can be a nest of a gas concrete -Stein ( Ytong or aerated concrete finished). To do this, you take such a stone and scratch, chisel or mill passages and chambers into one or more surfaces of the stone. Glass or Plexiglas panes are then glued to these sides . These panes should be darkened by a red foil. The nest climate can be regulated from the outside by means of built-in water reservoirs.
plaster
A plaster of paris nest is very similar to an aerated concrete nest; apart from the difference that gypsum is impermeable to air, which increases the risk of mold inside the nest.
Panes of glass with soil (ant farm)
For production, two glass or plexiglass panes are fixed upright, parallel and close to each other in a frame and the space in between is filled with earth. This very well-known way of keeping ants allows the ants to dig passages and nest chambers between the two panes of their own accord, so that the observer has a good view of the nest. The glass panes of this nest shape are usually covered with red color filter film. Since ants are red-blind, this ensures that the nest appears dark to them, while observation is still possible. Red to reddish-brown ant species (e.g. red garden ant and yellow meadow ant ) can be observed particularly well in this type of nest .
Keeping in gel farms
The so-called gel farms, which are filled with colored jelly, have not proven to be a suitable environment for ants. Long-lived colonies or even offspring are not known in such containers.
Test tube (nest tube)
Young colonies are often bred temporarily in such nests until a larger formicarium is available from a certain colony size. Some decrepit ant species can also be kept there permanently.
To build a nest tube, you fill a test tube between a quarter and a third with water and then push cotton wool into the test tube up to the water. The cotton should soak up and close the resulting “water tank” tightly. The front area forms the "nesting chamber". The test tube is sealed with air-permeable material (e.g. a second cotton ball) and is usually stored horizontally. Darkening with aluminum foil or red transparent foil is also recommended.
Escape protection
Closing the formicarium
Closing the formicariums is quite simple (e.g. Tupperware jar with lid), but it has a number of disadvantages: since the air cannot circulate at all or only very poorly , the risk of mold is very high. This effect is reinforced by the feeding, which has to take place in the formicarium from a certain colony size, since otherwise it is very difficult to get the animals back into the formicarium. Since the ants cannot leave the Formicarium, the keeper has to remove the leftover food and other waste from his protégés in order to reduce the risk of mold. This can easily be remedied by targeted ventilation, either with fans or with passive ventilation such as holes, but these must be closed with coarse filter floss or provided with a mesh that is tight enough so that the ants cannot slip through.
Moat
The creation of a moat around a formicarium can also be done quite easily. The disadvantages here are, on the one hand, the constant maintenance of the water level, as it slowly evaporates, and, on the other hand, the fact that smaller species of ants such as the black garden ant can use the dust deposited on the water as a bridge . A few drops of detergent (or olive oil) can help here, as these reduce the surface tension. Here, however , ants that are moving can easily slip off and then drown.
shaving cream
Fresh shaving cream successfully retains ants, but with this method the "maintenance work" is enormous, as the shaving cream has to be renewed regularly. Besides, the whole thing is very odorous.
chalk
Chalk also prevents ants from breaking out for a short time. To do this, the chalk is applied to the corresponding formicarium walls. If an ant steps on the chalk, it will not find a hold because the chalk does not stick to the ground and therefore does not form a walking surface. The ant can therefore not walk over it. However, it is not a safe method of outbreak protection. To do this, it has to be renewed very often, which is why it is rarely used in practice.
oil
By painting steep walls with ( paraffin ) oil, it is made more difficult for the ants to climb them, if not completely prevented. The advantage here lies in the particularly simple implementation of the backup and the low maintenance effort. Unfortunately, many animals often die on the oil, because it sticks their respiratory organs ( trachea ).
talc
Talc is first mixed with water to form a paste, and then applied to the walls. After a drying time of one to two days, especially small ant species, such as B. with Pheidole pallidula , the talc surface can be roughened with a finger or a fine hairbrush . Try the ants then to run over the layer of talc, the tiny particles crumble off, and the tarsi of animals found no support. This is the preferred method for experienced keepers as it is very safe and the coating only needs to be renewed about once a year.
PTFE
PTFE, also known as Teflon , is applied as a liquid. After drying, it forms a thin film that does not show any unevenness. So the ants cannot find a hold. It is important that the PTFE is applied very thinly and cleanly, otherwise cracks will form which the ants can hold onto. Another problem are the silicone seams of the formicarium, as the PTFE does not hold well on them. This problem can be solved by sticking a strip of adhesive film over the silicone and then coating it with PTFE.
Notes on keeping Central European ant species
Since all Central European ants hibernate, it is advisable to make the Formicarium transportable if the place of accommodation does not correspond to the outside temperatures all year round.
The keeping of specially protected animal species, including most of the forest ants , is prohibited under the Federal Nature Conservation Act. The removal of queens from the wild should also be avoided. The search often damages many colonies, and capturing the queen usually results in the colony's death.
Advice on keeping exotic species of ants
The risks associated with keeping exotic species of ants are often underestimated:
- The Risk of Biological Invaders : While not every colony released intentionally or unintentionally can develop viable populations, there are some species that could pose significant threats to native flora and fauna. Since ants are dominant in many ecosystems, there is a risk that other neozoa such as the pharaoh ant or the Argentine ant will establish themselves. The outbreak of a leaf cutter ant species (later identified as Acromyrmex octospinosus ) in Cologne in 2006 is documented and was even noticed by the local Cologne tabloid press.
- There is a risk that parasites and pathogens will spread to native ants and these species will be permanently damaged.
- Finally, there is the risk of “intraspecific homogenization”; H. Creation of homogeneous mixed populations, which may lose characteristics of adaptation to certain habitats.
There are no legal regulations for the purchase and sale of exotic species of ants, such as reptiles, in Europe.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Alfred Buschinger: Risks and dangers of increasing international trade in ants for private keeping purposes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). (PDF; 151 kB) (No longer available online.) In: Myrmecologische Nachrichten, December 2004, pp. 79-82. Archived from the original on November 17, 2011 ; Retrieved July 11, 2011 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Alfred Buschinger: Danger of infection by exotic ants. In: Myrmecologische Nachrichten 6, 2004, pp. 79-82. Retrieved September 12, 2007 .
- ↑ Defeat by tropical ants. In: Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger. Retrieved June 1, 2007 .
- ↑ Tropical ants are becoming a threat. (No longer available online.) In: Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger. Archived from the original on August 6, 2007 ; Retrieved June 1, 2007 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
literature
- Bert Hölldobler , Edward O. Wilson : Ants. The discovery of a fascinating world. From the American by Susanne Böll. Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel - Boston - Berlin 1995. ISBN 3-7643-5152-7
- Bert Hölldobler, Edward O. Wilson: Journey to the Ants. A Story of Scientific Exploration. Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA - London 1994 (origin.). ISBN 0-674-48525-4
- Walter Kirchner: The ants. , ISBN 3-406-44752-X
- Bianca Drenske & Dirk Drenske: The exciting life in the living room at home - An introduction to keeping ants 4th edition, 2-2014. ISBN 978-3-00-052121-8
