ANTS 14o 



A S'rri»v of Ants i\ iiik Laikm; a roi.-v 



The nest (formicary). Most species of ants readily adapt 

 tlieiiiselves to an artilicial nest. After tlie lirst few weeks 

 they become accnslonicd to their snrroniulinLi-s, and may live 

 for years working- and rearini^" tlieir yonn^*, nnnli as tliey do 

 in their natural enyironnient. 



Kelloo'u" in his ''American Insects" describes several of 

 the more commonly used formicaries. The large-sized insect- 

 mounting cases serve admirably in this capacity. The case 

 should be partitioned off into two or three rooms,- by glueing 

 strips of wood that reach nearly across. On the top of tlu^ 

 walls of the case glue strips of Tnikish towtding, so that air 

 may pass to the rooms after the up})er glass is in [)lace. 

 Choose two pieces of heavy glass of unequal size for the roof 

 of the formicary, so that one piece will cover two rooms. 

 Excludt' the light from these rooms by placing blotting paper 

 over the glass, and keep a Avet sponge (finest texture) in each 

 of the darkened rooms. .VU food should be kept in the light 

 room, and should consist of small pieces of sponge cake, 

 moistened with sirti[) or honey, ap[)le, mashed nuts, dried 

 fruit, and insects. Kee[) the sponges wet. In cool weather 

 the food nei^l not be changed oftener than once in two weeks. 



How to obtain an ant colony. J)ig up an ants" nest and 

 take lar\;e, pu[»a', and workers. If you eamiot find the 

 queen, release the captives and try other nests until success- 

 ful. Carry the (pieen by herself in an en\tdo[n\ and the 

 young and workers \\\\\\ some earth in a cloth oi- [)aper bag. 

 Upon reaching the laboratoiy, empty the earth and ants upon 

 a board afloat in water; pick out the ants and young from 

 the earth and placid them with the (pieen in the nest.^ 



1 An easy way to niana«;e this is to scrape a hollow in tin- conter of the 

 pile of earth, i)nt the queen in this, and cover it with a chip. The ants will 

 then collect all the egpjs and larvie into a pile, and they may be lifted int<» 

 tlie nest with a spoon. 



