Plaster Ant Nest-formicarium

How nice is it to have your own ant nest? It is so nice to see how a nest works, how they working in a team for do ing beautiful things. I have one ant nest but it has another nest, (for my parent, one nest in the living room is enough)s fI didn't may have another nest from my parents so I didn't have photos with ant's in this nest. You can moisten the nest but it is difficult to worm it up. The base from this project is plaster. Firstare we going to pour the plaster and then we start carving the rooms.

Succes!

You need:

• plaster (I have used 2 kilo)
• water
• oil
• box (I used a box from 16x16x21 cm(6.3x6.3x8.3 inch))
• cotton wool
• bucket
• dremel with a few assecories (not neccesary)
• flat head screwdriver
• drill
• decoration for the outside world
• kitchen paper
• ruler and marker
• pencil
• stick or something else

First we 'll mark a line on 7 centimeters (2,80 inch).

If we go to pour the plaster we need the line to see how many plaster we have to pour.

Then we go to apply oil on the box, then is it simlpy to take the plaster out the box.

For this step do you need oil, the box and kitchen paper. Soak the paper in the oil and smear the oil on the inside of the box : the bottom and the side to the line of step one.

Now we can pour the plaster in the box, you need the plaster, box, water, a stick (or something else) and the bucket. Do some water in the bucket (I have used 1,2 liter ) and add the plaster (I have used 2 kilo (4,4 pounds)), make the plaster after reading the packet instruction. Add the plaster in the box to the line of step one. I have used the kitchen paper to remove the plaster which is not on on the good place, Wait 12 hours.

Remove the plaster out the box by turning it upside down and tapping on the bottom.

Sign where the rooms are coming. I have made one exit with one room , one exit with three rooms , one exit with four rooms , one exit with five rooms , one exit seven rooms and one with nine rooms. Make the corner of the exits never more than 45º, a great fail by me.

If the plaster is vast, we can carve the holes in the plaster. I only used the dril and the flet haed screwdriver, I don't have use the dremel becuase I didn't find it useful but if you have it and you think it's useful; use it!

First I have make the rooms with a dril 1.5 - 2 cm(0.6-0.8 inch) deep then I have finnish off with a screwdriver.

Thereafter I have make the corridors 0.5 cm (0.1inch) deep. I also have make "secret corriders" with a dril .You can't see them, but they are there!

If it is finished, do the plaster in the box.

Make two holes on everey side ,but don't go in of rooms with the dril.

Add cotton wool in ALL the exits (a fail of me) and waterholes. For the water holes I have use a screvdriver , set the cotton wool on the top of it and push it in of there .

Decorate, let you go,make it beautiful!

Add the cotton wool of the exit whit one hole ,add the ant's and share it whit us!