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How to Make an Ant Terrarium From a Soda Bottle

Ant terrariums, or ant farms, are easily created at home using plastic soda bottles. Recreate an ant's habitat in a clear bottle and watch the ants dig tunnels. Use two bottles to encourage the ants to build tunnels along the side of the bottles so you can watch them. Cover the sides of your ant terrarium with dark paper, or set it in a dark space overnight as another way to get the ants to build tunnels near the surface of the plastic.

Things You'll Need

1 2-liter clear plastic soda bottle
1 1-liter any color plastic soda bottle
Scissors
Hot, soapy water
Dry towel
5-by-5-inch piece of cardboard
Pencil
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Organic, commercially sterilized black dirt
Commercially sterilized white sand
Kitchen spoon or small scoop
Linen cloth or cheesecloth
3 large rubber bands
Colony of ants
Bread, sugar water or honey
Cotton balls
Water

Instructions

- 1
  Cut the top of each bottle off just below the point where the bottles begin curving inward. Wash the bottom parts of the bottles thoroughly with hot, soapy water and dry with a clean towel. Turn the cut bottom of the 1-liter bottle upside down on the piece of cardboard, trace the outline of the bottle opening and cut out the circle.
- 2
  Apply a generous amount of hot glue to the bottom of the 1-liter bottle. Set the 1-liter bottle inside the 2-liter bottle and press down to secure with the hot glue. Add more hot glue around the seam between the bases of the two bottles if necessary to hold the smaller bottle in place.
- 3
  Use a spoon or scoop to add dirt between the two bottles. Leave the inside of the 1-liter bottle empty. Fill a quarter of the bottle space all the way around the container. Add a layer of sand on top of the dirt, filling the bottle space halfway. Pour a layer of dirt followed by another layer of sand to fill up to the top of the inner 1-liter bottle, which will not reach the top of the 2-liter bottle. Pack the dirt and sand firmly as you fill the terrarium.
- 4
  Lay the circular piece of cardboard over the 1-liter bottle and apply hot glue around the seam between the cardboard and plastic bottle. Use this cardboard for the ant food tray. Cover the top of the 2-liter bottle with a piece of linen or cheesecloth and use the rubber bands to secure the cloth top.
- 5
  Add the colony of ants. Place bread crumbs, bread soaked in sugar water or honey on the cardboard tray for food. Soak a cotton ball with water and set this on one corner of the food tray. Replace it every third day.

Insects & Science