How do I set up my Ant Mountain™?Updated 5 months ago
Here's what you need to know to get your ants happily settled in their Ant Mountain™ habitat. WARNING: Do not touch your ants! They can bite, which may cause pain and swelling.
Please check out our Ant Mountain™ instructions here.
1. Getting Started
- Set Ant Mountain™ on a flat surface and open the lid.
- Locate the bag of sand. Shake the bag so the sand settles to one side.
- Using a pair of scissors, cut off a small corner of the bag.
2. Adding Sand
- You may find funneling the sand into the opening is easier if you use a rolled up piece of paper.
- Gently pour 1"-2" of sand into the back FLAT portion of Ant Mountain™. Don't worry if a little sand falls on the front rounded "outside" of Ant Mountain™.
- Locate the Sand Rod and use it to tamp the sand. Be sure to push the sand into the corners at the bottom. Tamping the sand allows for more sand to fit into the back panel, giving the ants more sand to dig! Helpful Hint: Gently tap the base of Ant Mountain™ against the countertop or tabletop to allow the sand to settle even further.
- After tamping down this layer of sand, add 3 dropperfuls of water to the sand, to help it settle even more.
- Repeat the above steps until sand is nearly to the top of the back of Ant Mountain™. (You'll have more sand than needed; it's okay to have some leftover!)
3. When Your Ants Arrive (or if they arrived with your Ant Mountain™)
- Place the Ant Tube(s) in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. This cooling period will slow down your ants, making it much easier to transfer them into Ant Mountain™. Do not place your ant tubes in the freezer!
- While the ants are cooling, it is a great time to give them a little head start on tunneling. Open the lid of Ant Mountain™ and insert the Sand Rod into the back of the habitat about 3" down. Carefully pull the Sand Rod straight back out leaving a "starter tunnel" for the ants to begin excavating and exploring.
- After cooling in the refrigerator, the ants are ready to be transferred! With the ant tube(s) held upright, gently tap the tube so the ants fall away from the cap. Quickly twist and pull the ant tube cap and tap the ants into the top of Ant Mountain™, opening one ant tube at a time. Quickly close the Snap-Shut lid.
- Your ants may seem sluggish at first, but don't worry, soon they will find their way around Ant Mountain™ and will begin digging tunnels!