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!