Ant farm studies in insect biology and cooperative groups

Description:

Ants. They’re not just for driveways anymore.

Equipment needed:

An ant farm. While there are the traditional sand-filled ant farms, my latest favorite has been the Fascinations Antworks ant farm. The tunnel and farm medium, instead of sand, is a cool-looking gel. It’s cleaner. The tunnels are more stable, and are less likely to collapse from vibration or movement of the ant farm. The gel also provides food for the ants, so you don’t have to feed them. And the gel is transparent, so you can easily see the ants and their tunnels in three-dimensional glory.

Ants. You can get 25 Western Harvester ants for about $5. If you don’t want to mail order them, you can always dig some up in the back yard. Note that Western Harvester ants are medium-sized with larger mandibles. They’re great for ant farms – very visible and active – but they’re not for cuddling: They can and will bite (or pinch), so keep them in the ant farm.

The Digital Bits Science Lab Experiment:

An ant farm is a great intro into several biological and behavioral concepts:

There is, of course, the study of insects and ant biology. Watching them dig tunnels is fascinating. And not in a lava-lamp kind of way, but in a logical, workhorse way: Ants are directed by very simple rules, but those simple rules can produce complex results, like the complexity of the ant community and the tunnel systems.

Also make notice of the group effort: Like Egyptian slaves laboring to build the Pyramids, or herds of animals fighting off predators, an ant farm is a great way to show how group effort and cooperation can accomplish more than a single individual ever could.

And, perhaps the most important thing a child will enjoy about an ant farm: Bugs! What young child doesn’t like creepy crawly bugs? The ant farm lets them get as close as they want, without worrying the parents.

For more insectile fun, check out The Backyard Arthropod Project. The author’s project is to catalog as many arthropods (mostly insects and arachnids) as possible inside and around his house. Great for close-up pictures of arthropods, as well as interesting stories and information about each one.

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