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amontes: Need help with an Ant Art Project (12. Okt 2010 14:56)

Hello, I am really excited to see so many people, so interested in the world of ants. I hope you could help me.

I'm an artist currently living in Madrid, Spain. I'm preparing a project for an exhibition in which ants should be the main "ingredient" of one piece. Basically, I'd like to have a colony of ants move from one side of the gallery to a sugar feeding structure in the center of the space.

The things I'd like to know, for example, are:

I'm thinking on placing a small open antfarm on one side of the gallery and just and let the ants do what they do, but I wonder if the ants go and eat the sugar, will they find it? (if they don't, then there is no piece...)

How long will it take for them to find the sugar (the antfarm will be placed within 10 yards of the sugar...)?

Do I take an ant from the antfarm and show it the sugar and then just let it loose in the gallery (I kinda like this idea)

On ant behavior, will they go to the sugar then go back to the nest everyday or do they just stay where the sugar is?

The exhibition takes place in winter and although we enjoy mild winters in Madrid (mid temperatures of 9 C), aren't ants seasonal, don't they hibernate?

Well, this is just some of the questions I have for right now, I know there are probably many other things I am no thinking of...but if you guys would be so kind to help me out with this questions I'll be very grateful.

Thanks in advance for all your help!

Markus: Re: Need help with an Ant Art Project (12. Okt 2010 18:22)

>I'm thinking on placing a small open antfarm on one side of the gallery and just and let the ants do what they do, but I wonder if the ants go and eat the sugar, will they find it? (if they don't, then there is no piece...)<

As longer the way, as bigger the colony should be, little colonies need small ways to find their food good enough!

I don't know ten yards, but in meters: for an little Lasius niger colony of 10-50 ants 30cm are a long way, for 1000 it's no problem, if they are hungry enough!

>Do I take an ant from the antfarm and show it the sugar and then just let it loose in the gallery (I kinda like this idea)<

Normally ants need to find the food by themselves, how should they know whrere tey are if you take them?
If a big one would take you and bring you somewhere, you would think "where am I?" too, or not? :grin:

>On ant behavior, will they go to the sugar then go back to the nest everyday or do they just stay where the sugar is?<

When they accept the nest as an nest and the arena as the outworld, then they go to the food, eat and bring it home!
(If they are hungry!)

>The exhibition takes place in winter and although we enjoy mild winters in Madrid (mid temperatures of 9 C), aren't ants seasonal, don't they hibernate?<

Ants in your ecosystem hybernate with the temperatures they have naturally and if you don't habe Temperatures under 0 its gread, because then they can hybernate outside!