Why do the ants not crawl out of the exhibit?

jANeT's Answer:

There is a thin layer of oil on the side of the tables and shoe boxes. On the big long one, Foothills Resort, we used fluon(sp?) a substance used to waterproof fabric. Both are slippery and the ants can't climb up the surface.

How do the ants get water?

jANeT's Answer:

The bowls with the colored stones hold water. the colored stones keep them from drowning in the water. in the colonies in the trees, they have a test tube full of water that is stoppered with a cotton ball so the nest isn't flooded.

What is jANeT saying to herself or the ants when she feeds them?

jANeT's Answer:

I talk to the ants about how they are doing. i ask them questions about their emotional health and how they are getting along. Betty, an ant that I am worried about has to be checked on each day. She keeps getting lost. Other parts of the conversation are private - - just between the ants and me.

What are all the different kinds of ants called?

jANeT's Answer:

Aphaenogaster cockerelli are called the long legged black ant by some people. Pheidole rhea are called the big headed ant by some. Crematogaster are called something, but it has escaped me right now.

Why are the ants swarming over the colored rocks?

jANeT's Answer:

In the heated and air conditioned room, the ants need lots of water. The colored rocks are in their water dish. Sometimes they all line up right next to each other to drink at the water bowl.

How do you give the ant's water without flooding the display?

jANeT's Answer:

The bowls full of rocks are how the ants get water in the exhibit. The rocks keep the ants from drowning. As the water level drops in the bowl, the ants remove stones so they can get to the water.

Great Show! 1. Why do the little ants by the trees move so much slower than all the other ants? 2. Did you choose this overall color scheme and then paint he walls or did you base your colors on the space here?

jANeT's Answer:

1-The ants on the trees are just a slow moving ant. I hear people say they aren't healthy, but this is a misperception based on the activity of the other ants in the room. Look closely at all the larva in the nest! They are growing and doing great. 2-We designed the entire exhibit and then decided on the color of the walls. We spent the first day of installation painting the walls so the fumes would be gone before the ants arrived.

Where is the nearest Insect Zoo? Is there one in Tucson? Sounds like a fascinating place to visit or work.

jANeT's Answer:

The nearest insect zoo is at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. there are others around the country including butterfly houses in some locations. There is not one currently in Tucson. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has an arthropod area that is all local desert animals.

Can I bring my pet anteater- He wants to say hi. He will behave himself. Thanks

jANeT's Answer:

I'm sorry, but this really is a show for no pets. Birds and cats aren't welcome either.

How long do these ants live? Are there more boy than girls or are the ants asexual? Have you ever been able to count all the ants?

jANeT's Answer:

The ants live from 6-9 months as workers. All the ants in this exhibit are females. There are no male ants in the colonies at this time. I have not really counted all the ants. I take a rough tally each day to make sure they are doing okay.

1-In the pebble exhibit, why don't the ants with wings fly away? 2-In the nectar exhibit, why aren't the ants swarming all over the food like in the other exhibits?

jANeT's Answer:

The queens need specific conditions to fly. They fly during the monsoon storms and all the colonies fly at the same time so there is mating between colonies rather than only with siblings. The ants on the trees are a slow moving species. The colonies are also young and don't have lots of workers to commit to foraging. We also have not provided heat to them which would make them more active (I assume).

Why do ants have pedicels?

jANeT's Answer:

I am going to assume that you are referring to the waist of the ant rather than the structure on the antennae. I don't know the real reasons and couldn't find an explanation in the big ant book, but from looking at the pictures and watching ants...the pedicel acts like joint and gives the ants' body flexibility that it doesn't have width the hard exoskeleton.Maybe it makes it so that it can touch the ground while standing without having to bend its legs. just a guess.

1-How do the ants find nectar way up on the branches of the tree? 2-What happens to the dead ants. 3-When will the larvae hatch, if that's what the round white things are? 4-What is the white cottony stuff in the tubes on the one with the trees?

jANeT's Answer:

1-The foragers wander around and when they find the honey or cricket they lay a chemical trail back to the nest so the others can find the food. 2-The dead ants are put in the trash pile. 3-The larvae take 20 or more days to develop. I am keeping notes and will hopefully have more information later. 4-The white stuff is cotton that keeps the water in the tubes from leaking out.

Very interesting, but frustrating. Why 8 boxes, some containing ants? What are they all doing packed inside one box? What is exact life span? What do they do with those that die?

jANeT's Answer:

Eight boxes worked with the design and was the right number for the size of the colonies at this point. They gather inside the boxes that have the highest humidity. I don't know why they pile on top of each other. Exact life span varies with temperature and humidity, but is somewhere between 20-45 days for larva to adult. Upto 6-9 months for a worker. the dead ones end up in the trash piles or in some species, a morgue pile outside the nest.

How do you know if an ant is a boy or girl?

jANeT's Answer:

All the ants in this show are females. Boy ants have wings and are bigger than the worker ants, but usually slightly smaller than the queens. They also have small heads.

Why doesn't other ants carry their dead friends?

jANeT's Answer:

Well, actually they do carry their dead. They need to move them out of the nest. Look for dead ants in piles in the exhibits. Also, the ants are all sisters, not just friends.

Where did all the ants come from? How did you come up with the idea of ants?

jANeT's Answer:

The ants came from single queen ants collected around Tucson. The data about them is on the labels. The idea about the ants came from one of the artists. The ants are ideal for talking bout issues of collaboration, cooperation, community and other issues. The pieces also show you all the stuff you normally can't see because it is underground -- The plastic boxes are all that stuff.

Seeing the queen was like seeing the pope.

Very exciting!!