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 About Insect Lore > Instruction Guides >AntHill™ Refill Kit |
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Welcome to the AntHill™ - The World’s First Naturally-Inspired Live Ant Habitat AntHill is the most natural live ant habitat ever! Ants love to dig in the dirt building tunnels, burrows and underground freeways that interconnect their lives. With AntHill, they have a properly built home for the activity they do best – digging! Your AntHill™ Refill Kit Includes: • Specially formulated sand for digging • Pre-paid certificate to order your live ants • Instruction Booklet This AntHill™ Refill Kit is also useful for refilling AntFarm® and other comparable ant habitats. Consult the instructions that came with your kit before refilling. Getting Started First, determine when you want to receive your ants. You’ll want to be around when your ants arrive in the mail, so don’t mail the certificate right before taking a long vacation! Locate the live ant certificate attached to this booklet. Write your name and address in the spaces provided. Please print as clearly as possible and double check your address. Send the certificate to the address shown. Your ants should arrive in 2 to 3 weeks. If temperatures are extremely hot or cold, allow for extra delivery time. There may be a delay in shipping if weather conditions in your area could endanger the ants (generally below 32ºF or above 100ºF). If your mailbox is located outdoors, you may wish to have your ants sent to an alternate address where you know they won’t be exposed to the elements. The very best time to send for your ants is between the months of April and October. Refilling Your AntHill™ Prepare the AntHill habitat while you are waiting for your ants to arrive. Simply follow these step-by-step instructions: 1. Set the AntHill on a flat surface and open the lid. 2. Locate the bag of sand. Shake the sand to one side of the bag, so it settles to one side. 3. Using a pair of scissors, cut off a small corner of the bag. 4. Slowly and carefully, pour the sand into the FLAT side of the AntHill. This digging chamber is where your ants will do all of their tunnel building. Do not pour sand into the ROUNDED side. You may find funnelling the sand into the opening is easier if you use a rolled up piece of paper, as shown in Figure 1. As you fill, stop periodically and gently shift the AntHill back-and-forth so that the sand fills the entire flat digging chamber. Try to fill the chamber to the very top with the sand. We send more than you need and you will have some left over. 5. Measure 1/4 cup of bottled spring water. Slowly pour about 3/4 of the water onto the sand in the flat digging chamber area and let it soak in. You will notice that the water causes the sand to shrink below the crest of the digging chamber. Pour more sand into the flat digging chamber until the chamber is full of sand again, like you did in Step 4. Then pour the remaining water into the sand (Figure 2). This time, don’t worry if the sand doesn’t quite reach the crest of the chamber. 6. Find a thin pencil or chop stick and stick it straight into the sand chamber (Figure 3). Leave this in place until your ants arrive in the mail. When The Ants Arrive Your ants will arrive by mail in a small, plastic tube. WARNING! Don’t touch the ants! They can bite and will inflict a painful sting. The sting causes pain and swelling. If you are ever stung apply ice to the area until the pain subsides. If symptoms persist, call your physician. Open the envelope and remove the ant tube. DO NOT OPEN IT YET! Place the ant tube into a refrigerator for about 10 minutes. Do not put the tube into the freezer as you may kill the ants. This cooling period will make your ants less active and easier to put into the AntHill. Open the AntHill lid, and, if the sand has dried, put a few drops of bottled spring water into the sand chamber. Wait about 5 minutes, then remove the pencil or chop stick. After 10 minutes have passed, remove the ant tube from the refrigerator. Gently tap the ant tube so the ants fall to the bottom, then quickly open the ant tube and release all the ants into the AntHill chamber. Quickly close the AntHill lid. It takes about 24 hours for your ants to get used to their new home. They may seem a bit lazy at first but don’t worry. They will soon find their way around the AntHill and then begin to dig their tunnels! Caring For Your Ants Your AntHill ants are adult Harvester ants, and are fairly low maintenance creatures. They really don’t require much care – in fact, you can care too much for them by overfeeding and overwatering them. Your ants will live longer if you follow these simple suggestions: Feeding Harvester ants will eat almost anything, but their favorite foods are fresh vegetables and fruits. However, it’s important to feed them sparingly. Feed them one small bit (about the size of an uncooked popcorn kernel) of celery, apple, or carrot. Put one bit of food in the AntHill about every third day, to feed 25 ants; two bits if you have 50 ants. Remember, DO NOT OVERFEED YOUR ANTS! Watering Find a small piece of facial tissue and get it wet. Open the AntHill lid and squeeze 2 drops of water into the sand area every third or fourth day. Try not to drop the water into the rounded area as too much water could collect in the base reservoir and the ants could drown. Remember, DO NOT OVERWATER YOUR ANTS! Questions and “Ant-swers” Where do my ants come from? Your AntHill ants come from the rugged desert hills of the American Southwest. Our expert “ant wranglers” have years of experience in the delicate handling of your live ants. These professionals take special care in collecting, packing, and shipping your ants to you. How long will it take to receive my ants once I mail my certificate? Please allow at least 2 to 3 weeks for live ant delivery. If temperatures are extremely hot or cold, allow for extra delivery time. Can I mail the ant certificate at any time of year? Yes! Expect a slightly longer delivery time in the colder months of the year. What kind of ants are they? The ants are commonly known as Western Harvester Ants. Their scientific name is Pogonomyrmex Californicus. They may bite, so be careful with them! Do you send a queen ant? No. Shipping queen ants is prohibited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. What happens if the ants get out? Chances of your ants escaping are very remote. If you keep the AntHill lid closed, it is virtually impossible for them to escape. The greatest chance that some ants may escape will be when you are first putting them into your AntHill. Make sure you read the directions completely prior to placing the ants in your AntHill habitat. How much should I feed them? Believe it or not, one of the worst things you can do to your ants is to give them too much water and food. Although your ants are active and seem to be working up a big appetite, it is best to feed them according to the directions (see “Caring For Your Ants”). Overfeeding and overwatering will shorten your ants’ life spans. How long will my ants live? If properly cared for, your ants will live in the AntHill for an average of two to four weeks. In the wild, these ants can live up to a year. Can I use ants from my yard? We do not recommend putting ants from your yard in the AntHill. The AntHill has been specially designed for large Harvester ants (the type we send for the AntHill when you mail in the certificate). These are larger than most ants found in backyards. Ants you find in your backyard may be smaller than AntHill ants and may escape from your AntHill through the air holes. If you try to use your own backyard ants in the AntHill, we cannot guarantee that they won’t escape. What do I do if my ants arrive dead? We guarantee your ants will arrive alive. In case yours don’t, please call our ant ranchers directly at 1-877-864-2207 for a free replacement. Can I order more ants and fresh sand? Yes. To order new ants and fresh AntHill sand, call Insect Lore toll-free at 1-800-LIVE BUG or visit our website at insectlore.com. |
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