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How to Get Rid of an Ant Farm

Ant farms are fun and educational for children of all ages. Many people enjoy watching the ants work, tunnel and move about the ant farm habitat. Occasionally, however, the ants may outlive their welcome and you may want to dispose of the ant farm. It is not a good idea to release live ants into the wild: A non-native species could be harmful to the environment. Live carpenter ants thrown into the trash also pose a problem as they can cause structural damage to buildings.

Instructions

- 1
  Examine your ant farm to ensure that it does not contain a queen ant. As a measure against uncontrolled infestations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits the shipment of a queen ant with an ant farm. All farms purchased from a reputable source contain only worker ants, which will die in a few months. If the kit has a queen, however, it could live for a much longer time.
- 2
  Discuss with children and family members if they are willing to allow the ants to live out their natural lifespan. When the ants die out, it can be safely disposed of in the trash. Wrap the kit in a plastic bag and throw it away.
- 3
  List a live ant farm in a free online classified advertisement.
- 4
  Inform potential customers of the age of the ants and reaffirm that you are the original owner.

Insects & Science