[Ant from Netscape Communicator's Message Center.]
23 Jul 1997
I just checked out your page. Nice. Although it looks like mine :P.
Anyways, to catch a queen, dig for her or wait for the newly hatched queen ants
with wings wandering around during spring and early summer. :).
E-Mail: philpi@ix.netcom.com, philpi@apu.edu
harvester_ant@hotmail.com, or
ant@jungleii.com; ICQ #: 2223658
The Ant Farm Home Page: http://apu.edu/~philpi
---------------------------------
25 Aug 1997
astroy@videotron.ca
I just stopped on your page 'cause I'm presently looking forward to make
my own ant farm. I think I can help you for your problems: to get eggs,
look under rocks, ants usualy make tunels at the surface under rocks and
it's there I usualy find a lot of eggs. (try looking in woods). Now, to
get a qween, I've never been able to get one, but with all my
observation, I found a way that would maybe work: I once noted that when
it rains a lot, (affricain rain season, that's a lot o' water) ants come
up to the surface so they wont drown. You can try to drown them (if you
have enough water available) and they will come at the surface. the
qween will come up last, and she maybe wont even come back but try
picking up any winged ant, they are female-future qweens. You'll maybe
find one that is fertile (or what ever the word is, excuse my english, I
speak french as a first language) and you can put more than one into
your ant farm because if there is more than one ready to lay her eggs,
she will kill the others and the best one will survive (that is what I
was told, and I personaly beilive it, it makes sense). Now, I told you
at the begining of this letter that I was looking forward to have my own
ant farm, if you could help me on this, my problem is that I dont realy
know how to make the ant farm. If you can be of any help, I would
apreciate. It will be a pleasure to help you again,
Jean-Philippe. Gélinas (waffle@cyberdude.com)
---------------------------------
03 Sep 1997
Steve Middleton stmi@bs.wa.gov.au
Dear Sherrie Dee
I came across your page while searching for info on queen ants - I too am
attempting to establish an ant colony in capivity here in Western Australia. I have built my own ant farm as the commercial ones just weren't big enough to support a fully fledged colony (in my opinion). I understand that you need to try and catch the queen ant when she is flying in early Spring or Summer, but in the literature I have seen they also refer to the male ant that is needed to fertilise the queen - do you know if the males fly at the same time? The flying time is almost upon us "down under" so I hope to catch a few soon. I'll try and remember to let you know if it was successful.
If you have any info on ant farms, queens, males, anything that you think
might help me make my ant farm a success, please E-mail it to me.
Good luck with your ant colony!
Steve Middleton
--------------------------------
10 Oct 1997
Larcellus Scott gr8scott@netxn.com
I have been catching ants for a long time I HAVE 10 queen ants so I know you want to know how to get a queen ant. This is how I did it. I ran water from a water hose into the entrance of the nest keep the water kind of low. When the water gets deep in the nest the ants will bring all the ant eggs to the top of the nest and followed by that you will find a queen ant but be carefull because they always have alot of ants protecting the queen ant.
---------------------------------
15 Oct 1997
Tdmtdm@aol.com
Did you find out where to get "queen ants" from a supplier?
Is there any information about ant farms on the net?
Thanks
Terry
----------------------------------
26 Dec 1997
Dean Costis Costis@compuserve.com
Hi, SDA! Nice page you have here. I was browsing around, looking for an
ant farm to purchase for my nephew, when I ran across your site. I
haven't had any luck with Web or tangible stores - no one seems to
remember what an ant farm is! It sounds like you have some real live
experience with one. Evidently the ants aren't any more hardy now than in
the '60s when I was a kid & my friends never had much luck getting the
ants to live for long in their plastic hi-rise farms.
Any suggestions? E.g., where to buy, whether or not to buy, whether to
send for ants or dig them up, etc.? Any thoughts you have would be
appreciated.
All the best to your & your farm!
-Dean
(You can reply to this Compuserve address or to "dcostis@shl.com". That's
"DCOSTIS@SHL.COM".)
-----------------------------
25 Jan 1998
Heather Felty heatherf@xsite.net
Hello.
I recently got the itch to start an ant farm. I have information on
building a nest, but I don't know how to get ants. I could buy a
commercial ant farm and and use the mail-order certificate. You implied
on your site that ants wouldn't be shipped by mail this time of year. Is
that so? What is the address or phone number of your ant supplier?
It is exciting to see so many web sites devoted to ants and ant farms. I
enjoyed yours. I'm sorry about your ants, but it sounds like the cricket
farm is a grand success.
Eric
---------------------------
29 Jan 1998
From: "Princess Ariel" royal_palace@mailcity.com
Hello!
I was just looking at websites on Ants, and I came across yours. I
have been studying ants ever since my Father bought me one of "Uncle
Milton's Ant Farms" at the early age of nine. Now that I am 21, ants and
I have come a very long way! I converted one of my walk-in closets into an
ant labatory...it is home to some 30+ ant farms. On your site, you
mentioned that people have benn giving you some information on how to
obtain a queen ant. Well, I have read lots of books dealing with how to
capture a colony...of course, none of the methods worked, so I am here to
share with you my own special "secret" way to capture the queen and her
entire colony. First off, you will need a large plastic container.
Preferably a big storage container found in the houseware departments of
most major department stores. They usually cost around $9.00. Make sure
that is has a lid. Once you have this storage container, set out and find
your target ant colony. Bring along a shovel, some tubes (like the ones
the ants ordered in the mail come in), if you do not have any of the
tubes, some small jars will do :-) Start to dig the colony. Instead of
putting the shoveled dirt on the ground, dig up the entire colony and
place it inside the storage container...dirt and all! Once you find the
queen, place her in the tube or jar, as you don't want her to be
smashed...after all, she is your main goal! ok, once you have the queen
and the storage container is filled with many workers and eggs, lava, and
pupa, it is now time to transfer them to the ant farm. This takes some
time. You can use the tubes or a stick to transport the ants to the farm.
Chances are some of the ants from the ant colony are still outside looking
at thier ruined colony. You can also capture them with the tubes and
bring them to the farm as well. If you have any questions at all about
this, or anything else about Ants, please feel free to e-mail me anytime!
I will be more than happy to help!
Happy Anting!
Best Regards,
Ariel
Royal_Palace@mailcity.com
------------------------------
31 Jan 1998
From: "Princess Ariel" royal_palace@mailcity.com
Hello! Thank you for replying! I don't mind at all if you include my
suggestion on how to get a queen ant on your site. I hope that you found
the information helpful :-)
I cannot wait until Summer! I want to get some more ants. I am not
real sure what type of ants I do have. I wish I lived in California so I
can get harvester ants! I ordered some through the mail, but as you know,
Queen ants cannot be shipped :-(
As for me, I don't study ants as a profession. I wish I could
instead of working in a department store like I do! But, it is just a
hobby amoung all my other animals :-)
Ants have always fascinated me, and its nice to know I am not the only
one who finds them interesting. I never tried keeping crickets. I have a
science catalog which I order my ant farms from...they also have cricket
houses :-)
Well, I must be going for now. Hope to hear from you
soon!
Best Wishes,
Ariel
Royal_Palace@mailcity.com
ICQ# 7391269
Homepage--
http://members.tripod.com/~Lady_Princess_Ariel/index.html
---------------------------------
8 Feb 1998
From: "Fleck" fleck@newulmtel.net
Dear persons of interest,
I have a problem. I want an ant farm, but all the ones I find are much
too small. I wish I could get an ant farm bigger than 15 by 10 like the
ones Uncle Milton has, the Giant Ant Farm. Everywhere I look I cannot find
an ant farm bigger than that.I hope maybe you can help me on where to find
one. Second, I wonder if companys would give you queen ants with your
purchase since the others die out so fast! If not I would appreciate it if
you would help me in when and how to catch a queen and what is needed to
sustain a queen to a new environment. Last I was wondering if you could
give me some suggestions on how to make my own ant farm if no bigger ones
are avaliable and also why ants die off if its their fault or if i'm doing
something wrong
My E-Mail address is fleck@newulmtel.net
Thankyou, Sincerally
Trevor from Minnesota
---------------------------------
18 Feb 1998
From: TConn33872@aol.com
Please check out my new ant page at
http://members.aol.com/Condre/index.html. I believe that this page
contains information that persons desiring to catch queen ants will find
extremely helpful.
---------------------------------
18 Feb 1998
From: Louis Eisenstein ants@thirdwave.net
Do you know how to find queen ants? I'v been trying to find one all my
life but could never in those big nests. Also, is it possible to mail
queen ants?
-Louis
---------------------------------
04 Mar 1998
From: "Francisco Rodriguez" francisco_rdz@hotmail.com
My Name Is Francisco and I really have loved ants since I was a small
child. I have just ordered an ant farm and will probably send that
mail-in coupon for farm-raised ants hoping they will survive a long
time, BUT i want to capture a queen. I was reading your home page where
you stated having received several tips on capturing queen ants. Could
you PLEASE forward some of the e-mails or send me some of those tips. I
would really appreciate it. Thanks a lot in advance.
My e-mail is: pancho@bigfoot.com
or : Francisco_rdz@hotmail.com
---------------------------------
18 Apr 1998
From: The Amazing Matt msteiger@ucsd.edu
Hey Buddy,
Crickets need protein. Also, keep it away from heat, they live longer
in cool weather. Lastly, your cricket is a girl, so Uncle Tom is
perhaps an innapropriate name.
Matt
---------------------------------
May 17, 1998
From: ISTVAN DIOSZEGI - DIOSZEGI@nuclear.physics.sunysb.edu
Hi!
I thought I would start an ant colony. My dad could make an ant
farm, because the ones you could buy aren't too good. I might
find a queen, but if I do, how do I feed it? And how do I know
what kind of ants I have. In my yard, I have small brown ones
and small black ones, with slightly bigger heads. I live on
Long Island, NY. There are some very small nests with tiny
workers in my yards. Maybe these are new ones. If so, how deep
is the nest, and how deep is the queen. Maybe this is a stupid
question, but if ants are covered with soil, do they drown, or
can they dig themselves out? Where can I get sterile sand
without buying an ant farm? Would soil from my yard get moldy
in an ant farm, because of the lack of air? How big should the
ant farm be? Thank you for your answers. Bye!
Sincerely
Balint Dioszegi, age 15
---------------------------------
Ocy 4, 1998
From: "Scott" skeeter1@blountsville.net
Hi,
I read aover all the letters and have been researching ants, I recently got
an ant farm which is suitable for what i want.. But, I live in the Southern
United States... , and the only kind of queen and i can think of is a
Fireant queen, would she mix with the kind of ant i ordered?
Thanks...
scottBR>
I don't think so, Scott!
SDA
---------------------------------
Oct 28, 1998
From: Petunia004@aol.com
Hi my name is Megan Brockley and I am a senior at Carlisle High School in PA.
I am in Honors Chemistry II and a requirement for the course is a science fair
project. I decided to do mine on how temperature affects the tunnel size of
Black ant nests. I was wondering what species of ants comes with most ant
farms. I was also wondering if you had directions on how to construct your
own ant farm. I need to make 9 ant farms and I know if I buy it, I would be
spending over $50. Is the sand used in ant farms just regular sand or is
something added to it? One more thing, what did you use for food? In case you
didn't notice, I have many questions about this topic and any information you
can give me will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Megan Brockley
---------------------------------
Nov 5, 1998
From: Christy Richmond richmo18@pilot.msu.edu
I just bought my first ant farm today, I am excited! What kind do you
have?
---------------------------------
Nov 5, 1998
From: Hippopotmi@aol.com
Subject: ants ANTS ANTS ....... AAAANNNNNTTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
HEY MABEY YOU CAN ANSWER A FEW QUESTIONS HOW LONG DO THE MAIL ORDER ANTS
LAST WITH OUT A QUEEN - WHERE CAN I GET AN ANT FARM THAT IS NOT A CHEAP
KIDDIE TOY FROM THE TOY STORE - IS THERE ANY WAY I CAN GET A QUEEN AND
HAVE A REPRODUCING COLONEY
ANY HELP WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED
TIMMER
(here's more from "timmer"...sent same day)
Subject: crickets your crazy
d--n my girl would run in horror crickets in the house? Thats a great idea. I
personally think the sound on crickets at night is relaxing. Never could keep
them alive for more than a month Thanx for access to this cool site now I know
im not the only one
---------------------------------
Dec 1, 1998
From: "Lycée Robespierre Arras" lycee.robespierre.arras@mail.ac-lille.fr
Subject: price of 20 ants + a queen !
i'm a french studient and i want to know :
what is the price for 20 ants and a queen ?
and if you don't sell ants where can i buy some ?
Do you have some informations about ants' hibernation ?
sorry for my english !!!
THANKS
JBSIMON@USA.NET or lycee.robespierre.arras@mail.ac-lille.fr
---------------------------------
Dec 8, 1998
From: Gonzalo Javier Merino de la Piedra gmerino@telematic.com.pe
Subject: help on catching ants
hi. my name is carlos and i´m a second year biology student in san
marcas university at perú (south america). i´ll appreciate if you can
tell me how to capture ants right from my yard. i need to study their
behaviour for a project of my zoology class. i have already dug a hole
the size of texas right inteh middle of my mother´s flowers. i found
like a million ants in the soil i took out of the garden. i put the soil
in a bucket and i see the thousand ants running around in the bucket.
the big problem is HOW DO I GET THE DAMN ANTS INSIDE THE FARM? any help
is wellcome.
P.D.i need to finish the project by saturday, i really need help.
---------------------------------
Dec 14, 1998
From: Princess Arielle princess_arielle@yahoo.com
Subject:
Hello!
Dear SDA,
Hello! This is Princess Arielle :) Remember I sent you a few
e-mails some time ago? It's been awhile! I came across your website
again as I was doing some searches. Thank you for the mention of me
in your site. That is very kind of you to do :) Are you still
involved with ants? I am. Though, it's Winter and I have but one
queen ant who is not laying eggs. Too cold. I am preparing for the
summer already though by prdering new ant farms, and new sand for the
ones I do have. My goal is to start a super colony indoors. In the
backyard, there is a super colony... many generations of ants... there
must be a million queens... Every year, the princess's mate and fly
back to the same colony... It's huge! I want to achieve this
indoors... I cannot wait for the summer!!! I'd like to stay in
contact with you. It's nice to know there are others out there who
find the ant the most fasinating creature :)) Take care and have a
wonderful holiday season!!
Best Wishes,
Arielle
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Realm/9736
Princess_Arielle@yahoo.com
---------------------------------
Dec 21, 1998
From: "Merv Sauerberg" slide@shaw.wave.ca
Iam up here in alberta and some ants with a queen if i can get one. Send me back a note telling me i am crazy but my son wanted it for xmas. So here i
am i can fly them up if need be got concetions there so if you can help me
let me know asap. 403-273-1826 at home i have called the number here and
left a message so if you can help call
Sorry Merv! You aren't crazy, but we can't even send queen ants across state lines here. The Antigration and Unnaturalization Service would bust us for sure!
SDA
---------------------------------
Dec 30, 1998
From: "christina kwapich" kwapitch@email.msn.com
Hello there! Ecellent page!!! very very nice :). I too have a page and am a
regualar aspiring Myrmecologist. (currently 13) check it out thanx
http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/canopy/8894
~antlady (christina)
---------------------------------
Jan 16, 1999
From: "Robin Walling" wallingr@cbpu.com
Hi,
My Dad, who is 76 years old, really enjoys watching ants. He'll follow them around his yard for hours. For his birthday I wanted to get him an ant farm, but the only ones I found were small colorful plastic ones geared toward children. I would like to get him one that could be displayed in his home that didn't look like a toy, preferably with a wooden base. I would appreciate help in finding a source to purchase an ant farm more appropriate for an adult.
Thanks.
Robin
I'm working on just such a project! More later!
SDA
---------------------------------
Jan 22, 1999
From: Jordsmom@aol.com
Subject: Ant Observatories
I have been trying to purchase 3 ant observatories from LifeStudies, but they
NEVER respond to my calls or my emails. Did you order yours online?
I am afraid to do so since they don't respond. My son is doing a science fair
project and we were hoping to use their observatories. I'm afraid that I'll
need them to RUSH SHIP, but I can't request that online.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
J
Mine were gifts bought in a regular store. Good Luck
SDA
---------------------------------
Jan 25, 1999
From: FineArtMH@aol.com
Subject: AN ANT FARM QUESTION OR TWO...
Do you know if the old company called "Uncle Milton's" or "Miltie's" Ant Farm
is still around??? I remember these as a kid, and since I'm recovering from a
pretty serious car accident (1&1/2 years now) and am pretty much stuck in bed
most of the time, I'd love to find a good ant farm kit manufacturer.
On average, how long does/should an ant colony (sans queen, I assume) last?
Also, I'm hoping that they are VERY low maint., since this will be the very
first question my wife will ask (and rightly so); I don't want anything that
would make her life anymore complecated than it already is.
Many Thanks & Happy New Year!
Michael Knowles-Hart
FineArtMH@aol.com
Uncle Milton still makes and sells ant farms
SDA
---------------------------------
Feb 10, 1999
From: GORILLAG@aol.com
Subject: trying to get my ants to live longer
Dear Sherrie Dee,
I also own an antfarm and was happy to find your site. I especially like
reading all the mail you've received.
I have a question for you. How do you keep your ants alive for more than a few
weeks? I have been ordering mine from Uncle Miltons and I just tried Life
Studies (thanks for the tip!) and they usually only live a couple of weeks or
a month. I feed them Uncle Milton's food (very little as directed) and
sometimes a tiny piece of fruit or seeds from a sandwich bun. (Sounds like a
healthy diet right?) I give them a few drops of water every 3 - 4 days. But
still, after about 10 days one-by-one they start to look real shaky and
sometimes seem to "vibrate" and then die off. Is this the norm? The Uncle
Milton's handbook says that they can live for several months. I really want to
raise healthy ants that can survive longer than a few weeks. Do you have any
suggestions? Any info would be appreciated.
Thank you! GorillaG@aol.com
p.s. Good luck with the cricket. I wish I knew something about crickets to
share with you. I tried looking them up in my insect book and all it said was
that they feed at night—usually on vegetation but sometimes on other insects
and even each other. Does your cricket actually play with the marbles?
---------------------------------