Q: what is the goo made out of
A: The Antworks Ant Farm gel is a blend created by NASA, made from a combination of seaweed extract, amino acids, sugars, and fungicide (to prevent mold). We're not sure of the exact proportions, but we know the ants love it.

Q: I love your product. Our family has enjoyed it enormously. But the ants all died on the same day. No obvious reason, temp change, pollution, etc. Is this normal?should I replace gel before adding more
A: If you collected your own ants, the ants might have had small amounts of pesticide on them already. In open air, it probably wouldn't be toxic enough for them to die quickly. In a closed container, the toxicity is magnified. It is not necessary to replace the gel. You can rinse out the gel several times with regular tap water. You can wipe off the top of the gel with a wet napkin or cloth if the ants have not dug tunnels yet. If you bought your ants, contact your supplier to see if they have had any recent issues with their ants.

Q: What are the bubble-ish...bubbles at the top?
A: Actually, those aren't bubbles. They're tiny gel "boulders" that the ants have dug out of the habitat.

Q: Do you have these Ant Gel Farms in Larger sizes?
A: No, the ant farm you see above is the only size that we carry.

Q: Hi, I am making my own ant farm and I'm waiting for the nuptial flight of the ants. They are cornfeild ants. Do you know what month that will happen?
A: Cornfield ants usually make their nuptial flight in the last half of August and early September.

Q: We love your ant farm. Can the blue gel be replaced once the ants have dug as many tunnels as they possibly can or do you have to buy a new kit?
A: Once the gel from the AntWorks Gel Ant Farm has been dug up by the ants, it can't be replaced. You can always add more ants to an existing ant farm who may add more tunnels or simply save it as a keepsake. If you wanted to watch a new network of tunnels being made from scratch, you would need to purchase a new Antworks Ant Farm.

Q: Why can't we buy gel refills?
A: Gel refills are not available from the manufacturer.

Q: 2 of the ants died. It appears that they "buried" the ants in their gel boulder mound on the top of the habitat. After a week or so, it appears that those ants are molding. Should I take them out?
A: Yes, if the ants are on top of the gel and easy to access, you can take them out.

Q: where can i get the ants?
A: If you need to buy live ants, just scroll up to the picture of the ants in a tube and click on the order form link that's directly below.

Q: Do you think we could put Termites in the ant farm? My son has a school project on them.
A: It's believed that there are approximately 4000 different species of termites, so we certainly can't speak for the suitability of all of them, but it's not something we would recommend. The toy is designed for ants and we can't be sure that termites would tunnel in the gel (or that they'd be healthy in it).

Q: I have a green ant farm, and my teachers' son has a blue one. Does it mean that they're made of different minerals just because they're different colors.
A: The blue gel is made of the same ingredients as the green gel. The only difference is the color!

Q: if i took out a spoon and started eating it like pudding would i get sick and throw up and would it taste good or bad?
A: AntWorks gel is non-toxic, but we can't guarantee that it won't make you want to vomit. We don't recommend eating it, as pudding and Jell-o are both cheaper and tastier.

Q: How did NASA use the gel? Emergency food supply?
A: They were studying how ants live and tunnel in places with different gravitational forces.

Q: The ants aren't tunnelling...they are just milling around on top of the gel. I put them in 48 hours ago. What's up?
A: Sometimes, the ants will spend the first few days milling around as they consider the feng shui implications of their tunneling plans. Be patient, as they will eventually start tunneling. If you haven't already, be sure to poke a few holes in the top to help them get started. We've provided a picture above so you can see what we mean.

Q: There is mold growing in the gel and we don't have any ants in it yet! What should I do?
A: Please call us at 1-800-476-1991 so we can look up your order information and help you.

Q: Can I add food, fruit or sugar to my and farm? It seems like they need some excitement from time to time.
A: The ants do not need any additional food. The gel is sugar-based and is their food and water source. Adding food to your AntWorks Ant Farm would likely cause molding, which would look gross and could harm the ants.

Q: how much do the ants cost
A: Ants cost $3.50 if shipping to the United States (please note that Vat19.com does not sell ants). If you no longer have the ant order form included with your AntWorks set, you can print one off by clicking the "order form" link on this page. Or, you could catch your own ants or see if your local pet stores sells ants.

Q: Is it ok to leave dead ants in the antworks
A: The living ants will usually bring the dead ants up to the surface and they can be easily removed. Who wants dead ants crowding up the tunnel space, right? Although it is a little gross to leave dead ants in there, you don't HAVE to remove them.

Q: Are the ant you order healthy
A: Yes, the ants you can order with the order form are healthy.

Q: Will the ants come in your mailbox or a package after you order them
A: We can't guarantee what your ants will be sent in, as we don't actually sell them, but we received ours in a small tube that was delivered to our mailbox.

Q: What are the black dots a the top of the antworks atfer the 14th day
A: You're looking at an ant graveyard. When ants die in the AntWorks ant farm, the others carry the bodies up to the top.

Q: What is the shiping and handling if you ship to canada
A: To get a shipping quote for your location, you can click the "Get Shipping Quote" button on any product page.

Q: Would it be better if i made my own ant farm or would it be better if i buy one
A: If it were us, we'd buy one.

Q: This product is amazing, but how do you get the ants inside, without them crawling out?
A: Our ants arrived in a little tube (see the photo above), so we simply emptied them out on top of the gel and then quickly closed the lid so they didn't have a chance to escape.

Q: ants are dead and gel is tunneled...can I just purchase more ants and put in old gel...you said rinse with water...doe you mean rinse the gel?
A: Yes, just rinse out the gel and your ant farm should be ready for more ants.

Q: Will The Ants Breed and make more?
A: It's not likely. You'd need a female, but the ants shipped from our ant supplier are all males. Of course, as we all know from Jurassic Park, life always finds a way...at least in the movies.

Q: Why do some people have different colors? And can you coose the color?
A: The only color available here at Vat19.com is blue. We feel it's more calming for the ants.

Q: Does the ant works ant farm gel mold?
A: Under normal usage conditions, that shouldn't be a problem.

Q: Can i raise ants are around my garden? Or should i just buy it from the provider. How long does the ants you buy last? 1-3 month? Or was that just garden ants?
A: Most ant species will last about 1-3 months, including those you may dig up around the garden. Some species will last longer, but you'd need to do a little research to figure out what type of ants are in your area. You can definitely use ants that you harvest on your own, though.

Q: The FAQ is incorrect regarding the sex of the ants. Ants are mostly sterile females with a few male "drones" whose existence is soley to service one or more fertile "queens", so you get females.
A: Thanks for the comments. This makes us glad we're not ants.

Q: Is there a site where I can learn to make the gel myself?
A: We're not aware of any sites that offer steps for making your own gel ant farm.

Q: can any species of ants be used say i got random ants in my yard and put them in would they prosper and do they need to be of the same colony to avoid a feud.
A: Honestly, we're not experts in ant cultural studies. Ants are kind of tough to figure out, given that they don't run around flashing little ant gang signs and wearing tiny red and blue bandannas to express their affiliations. It's possible that certain ants would not do well together, but we suspect that if you find ants hanging out together (peacefully) in the wild, they'd probably get along well in the AntWorks Ant Farm, too.

Q: also would jello work for antworks if i added extra sugar and some antibacterial
A: We don't recommend it. The AntWorks gel is specially formulated to provide a good home for your ants. Jello, while delicious, is not designed to meet an ant's unique nutritional needs. It also won't do well at room temperature once they start digging tunnels.

Q: How would you capture your own ants?
A: Using a tube or a jar should be pretty easy. You could use food or sugar water as bait.

Q: Shall I feed the gel to my cat? -She seems rather keen.
A: Even though the gel in the AntWorks Ant Farm is non-toxic, you should not feed it to your cat.

Q: can you sell replacement gel please?
A: Unfortunately, we're not aware of a quality refill AntWorks Gel Refill that's available for purchase. We've seen one online, but it doesn't look quite the same and the user reviews are not positive.

Q: can you add food like bees and wasps
A: We don't recommend it.