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I am taking grad school final exams this week. Then I want to get to work trying this out. My friend is finishing his first year of medical school about 2 weeks after I'm done. He was a Biochemistry major in undergrad, and has had lots of experience working in labs. He is much more qualified to tackle this thing than I am. Also, between the two of us we have access to virtually unlimited databases (provided by our schools) that provide publications that contain extremely specific information on the subject. For example, one such database my friend mentioned allows you to simply enter the U.S. patent # (which I recently stumbled across) and then pretty much tells you how to make it.

This is a task that I think we can actually accomplish. However, neither of us have ever kept ants before. A few years ago when we lived in the fraternity house, one of our friends got an Antquarium when they were brand new. Due to his irresponsibility, the ants didn't last very long. Ever since, we have wanted to build a much bigger one, but never got around to it. So we finally want to do it, but we are definitely rookies.

We want to share what we learn with the forum, but we absolutely need input and feedback. For example, has anyone ever bought an ant farm from antstore.net? I have read that someone mentioned that they don't ship to the U.S., but I never followed up on that thread. Does anyone think we can or should build a similar ant farm for cheaper? I like that this ant farm comes ready to mount on the wall, which would be cool for a giant gel farm. Does anyone suggest a specific fungicide for this project? This will most likely be the highest expense if we can't find a good, established product.

Everyone should reply to this thread with everything they got. I have just a few weeks to research this stuff before we start.

Thanks.


[removed the annoying yellow highlight] --antdude

To Mika and everyone else,

As I mentioned, I'm a rookie. I have no doubt that ant gel is not the best choice for an ant farm. However, I only became interested in ant farms because of the nasa experiments, which I'm more interested in. Hopefully, I will learn from this experience and possibly move on to real ant farms.

The point is: This is America! I demand to be able to buy a safe consumer product like ant gel! Where are the retailers of this stuff? Why is my only choice buying a tiny, over-priced plastic piece of crap Antquarium? Why do I have to translate a German website, only to learn that they don't ship to the U.S., just to be able to order replacement gel with the added costs of international shipping, conversation fees from dollars to euros, and even an international credit card fee?

If I could buy this stuff then I would, but I can't. To make matters worse, the same companies that refuse to sell us the product that we demand to purchase (and are able, ready, and willing to do so for a nice bit of profit) are the same companies that own the patent. For some reason, which seems awfully fishy, these people are also unwilling to share their secrets with us. That should not come as a surprise though, becasue they in fact own the patent rights. The whole purpose of a patent is to produce and sell as much of the stuff as possible, so that the company can have a monopoly on the profits. Even better, if the company doesn't have the manufacturing capacity to meet the consumer demand, then that company can lease the patent to some other company that has a giant factory with a much greater manufacturing capacity. The companies that own the patent rights to the ant gel are doing neither; they are neither manufacturing and selling the gel, nor are they leasing the patent to someone else to manufacture and sell it.

This has frustrated me as an American for at least the past 3-4 years. The fact is, there is a huge demand for this stuff. I have been reading forum after forum of people who are frustrated and have been discussing these same issues ever since ants were sent to space. Not having the ability to purchase a safe consumer product, like the ant gel, is an attack on our American freedom and personal liberties. If want something done right (or done at all) then you have to do it right (or do it at all) yourself.

So to anyone who reads this, say or think what you want about me or what I have said; but know that if we figure out how to make the ant gel in our kitchen for a low cost, then it will be very exciting for lots of people. I hope that what I said doesn't offend anyone, I am simply trying to get some educated input about a certain subject, which I know very little about and which interests very many people.

Thanks.

P.S. Just thought I should mention that I'm not some crazy person who goes around writing things like this in various forums. I'm just a kid who can't have what I want on my birthday, which shouldn't be confused with not getting what I want on my birthday. Some people may call this behavior spoiled and some people may call me a brat, but I say this is America: the land where people have the opportunity to buy whatever toy they want on their birthday, so long as it is safe and doesn't hurt anyone else.