Uncle Milton Vintage Ant Farm - Manual (Page 8)

Ants are hard-working
Ants are very strong for their tiny size. Some can carry
loads that weigh fifty times more than they do. That
would be like a human being lifting a car!
Each ant has a special job to
contribute to the colony. There
are, for example, nurse ants that
take care of the young and the
sick. Builder ants dig tunnels and
make bridges. There are forager
ants that find and store food for the rest of the colony.
There are also guard ants that protect the colony from
invasion. Finally, there are undertaker ants that carry
the deceased away to a graveyard for burial.
Ants are athletes
Ants have many activities. They work hard but they
also find time to play.
Ants go for two special kinds of sports — soccer and
wrestling. Sound crazy? Well, watch your ants! Drop one
tiny round birdseed into your ant habitat. Soon you’ll
see ants rolling the seed toward each other, or passing it
from one to another just like a game of soccer!
If you see two ants in your habitat appear to be fight-
ing, they’re having a wrestling match. Ants in the same
colony never really fight, but they enjoy bumping each
other. Sometimes they have a “no-holds-barred” match!
Ants are sociable
Often you’ll see a whole group of ants gathered
together. They’ll tap one another on the heads with
their antennae and act as though they are having a
meeting or a party. Ants are very social creatures!
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Why watch ants?
For thousands of years, philosophers and
scientists have been fascinated by these
industrious little creatures. Nobody knows
who the first ant watcher was, but the
Bible tells how King Solomon — who was
certainly one of the wisest men of the ancient world
— advised his subjects to “Go to the ant... consider her
ways and be wise!”
History is filled with famous ant watchers. Pliny, one of
the greatest naturalists of ancient times, wrote about
the wisdom of the ants. Aelian, a Greek philosopher,
noted that ant colonies and ant highways were very
much like the famous buildings and roads of Greece
and Crete.
Ants are even found in Greek mythology. An ancient
myth tells how one son of Zeus, the leader of the
Greek gods, turned himself into an ant to make a good
impression on the lady with whom he was in love.
So you see that ants have been highly regarded for
their perseverance, teamwork, and industriousness for
centuries. In fact, ants are among the most successful
of all living things. They have been around since prehis-
toric times!
An Ant Farm is much more than a toy. It provides
a lesson in nature study and is a good example of
community cooperation. Ant Farm habitats can be
found in classrooms throughout the world, from nurs-
ery schools to colleges!
As you observe your ants, you’ll become acquainted
with the different members of the colony. You’ll discover
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