Day 1

Choosing The Contestants
Similar to the methods used in the TV show Big Brother, contestants for Little Ants were chosen partially based on their intelligence. Specifically, those that were stupid enough to crawl onto a plastic stick and climb into a perspex container full of blue gel were accepted first. Unfortunately, ants are a little more intelligent that Big Brother contestants, and this method only managed to snag us a measly three before they cottoned on and tried escaping by climbing up the walls. Cue small-scale panic, and quick shutting of the lid.

Now let me point out here that collecting ants is a lot harder than you might expect. These little beggars are a lot smarter than you think, and once they figure out that crawling onto the stick means a lifetime of incarceration, then they do all they can to escape and don't make the same mistake again.

After squatting down behind the house for three quarters of an hour, patiently trying to sucker them into climbing on the stick, then opening the AntWorks lid, wiggling the stick until the ant falls off and then trying to close the lid again before she (all ants are female) or the others escape, my girlfriend and I managed to catch a grand total of...four ants.

Pathetic. It's time for a rethink...

Four ants didn't seem like enough, especially when the AntWorks booklet recommended 20-25. Time to try for the less gullible ants (and hopefully get some survival-of-the-fittest types, or anything better than the 'Darwin Award' rejects that we've caught so far).

Out Comes The Honey Pot
Now ants like honey (who doesn't?), so after a short break we went out for a second round of ant hunting, armed with our new secret weapon and a jar (for potential intermediate storage). We also took out some kitchen roll to wipe the utensils should they get too sticky from the honey. Another hour passes by, and we decide enough is enough. We caught more ants, but as we tried to get new ones in the old ones would escape. Getting them back in the house proved futile (as I said, ants don't seem to make the same mistake twice), and we even managed to cut one in half putting the lid back on when her friend tried to make a run for it.

Sum total of housemates for the first night in the Little Ants house: Eleven.

Welcome, ladies!

Introduction

What's it all about?
Two words: Ant Works.



Huh?
OK, here's the blurb (courtesy of I Want One Of Those):

The Ant Works concept was developed by NASA back in the heyday of the US space programme. Their idea was to take a colony of ants into space so the astronauts could study the insects' behaviour in zero gravity. Why, we hear you ask? Well, we guess they had to study something as they hurtled around planet earth. Anyway, NASA's loss is our gain because the amazing jelly-like habitat they invented is now available to support ant life here on earth. Or more specifically, on your desk, bedside or kitchen table.

The Ant Works is filled with a highly nutritious non-toxic gel into which you prod four little holes to get the tunnel network started. Now get out into the garden or park and catch about 15 ants to populate the colony. Put them in the Ant Works, replace the lid... and watch. Within days the ants will burrow out an amazing pattern of channels, each clearly visible in cross-section through the walls of the container. Maintenance is minimal. Besides providing a safe ecologically-correct habitat, the gel also provides the ants' food. You simply need to open the lid for a moment once a month to aerate the interior.

I picked up one of these in October, but it was too late in the year for the ants to be wandering the streets looking for a new home. It's been sat on top of the wardrobe for the last eight months, but now the sun is out and so are the ants!

It's time to go ant hunting!