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Manufactured in China Designed and distributed in the UK by Interplay UK Limited, Unit D, Meter House, Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, Bucks SL7 1LW Please retain our address for future reference. Manual designs and written material Interplay UK Limited 2008 Living World is the trade mark of Interplay UK Ltd. LW101 v2 02.08 P38-BL073-81041003

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Designed for kids by nature experts

INSTRUCTIONS

Discover fantastic

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Important Safety Information!

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Introduction
Ants are one of natures most successful creatures, and are amazing to watch and study. Ant World is an ideal introduction to this hobby as you can keep ants in a safe environment which allows you to see inside their fascinating little world. Please read this manual carefully before setting up Ant World. It will give you all the information you need to care for your ants. Please remember that you are responsible for the well being of the ants. Treat them carefully, and they will provide hours of entertainment.

This kit conforms to the following safety standards: Europe: CE and EN71 USA: ASTM

Your kit contents

You should find the following components in your kit:

WARNING!
For children over 5 years of age only. For use under adult supervision. Read the instructions before use. Follow them and keep them for reference.

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Plastic Ant Housing Connectable Magnifying Box 2 Shades Tubing Scene Stickers Feeding Pipette Tunnelling Sand Ant Order Form
(printed on inside back cover of this instruction booklet) In the unlikely event that any components are missing, please call our Customer Service Helpline on 01628 488525 Interplay on the web! To get all the latest news and information about Interplays wide range of products, visit: www.interplayuk.com

Not suitable for children under 36 months due to small parts that could represent a choking hazard. None of the accessories in this kit should be allowed to come into direct contact with foodstuffs. Wash hands after using this kit or the activities contained in this booklet.

Ant World is easy to use!

1 To get the best results from Ant World,
read this manual and follow the assembly instructions carefully.

2 Find an ants nest and transfer about 30

worker ants into Ant World (or order a stock of ants from Interplay).

3 Feed your ants once a week with very

small amounts of fruit, preferably apple or banana.

4 Occasionally water your Ant World to

keep the sand moist.
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Unit D, Meter House, Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, Buckinghamshire. SL7 1LW United Kingdom

When to use Ant World

Ant World can be used all year round. The best results are when ants are most active during the Spring and In the colder months ants may not be so active and the results may be disappointing. However, if you can create summer conditions by keeping your Ant World at a constant room temperature (approx. 68f / 18c) you will get good results. Summer months (April-September).
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Assembly instructions
1 Applying the Stickers
Take Ant World apart as shown. Remove the inside panel and carefully stick on Ant World Scenes.

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Then re-assemble Ant World.

2 Filling with Sand

Although the sand works very well in Ant World, we have found that mixing a handful of sieved garden soil with the sand creates better conditions for ants.

Lid

Top Frame

It is best to moisten the sand before filling your Ant World. Place the sand (and earth) in a bowl. Sprinkle on drops of water and mix well. When the mixture

Clear Panels Portal

Inside Panel

binds together (similar to that of a sand castle) it is ready to put into Ant World.

Remove a side panel. Stand Ant World on its side (as shown) on a sheet of newspaper to catch spillages. Pour in the sand to fill the bottom section. Occasionally tap Ant World gently to allow the sand to settle but be careful not to force too much sand into Ant

Portal Cap Side Frame

World as the clear plastic panels may distort. When you have finished, replace the side panel.

Base

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Assembly Instructions
(continued)
3 Starting a Tunnel
Remove the top frame and use the stem of the feeder provided, or a stick to start the tunnels for your ants, and then replace the top frame and lid.
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6 The Shade
Although black ants are quite happy working in daylight, most species of ant prefer to work in darkness. Very bright

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light can hurt them, so your Ant World includes a shade that you can slide over the transparent panels when you are not observing your ants. When the ants are left in the shade, they are more likely to construct a good network of tunnels.

Species of ant that work best in your Ant World

There are over 50 ant species in Great Britain. Some are rare and hardly ever seen. Others are so common that they are considered pests. Luckily, the types of ant that work well in Ant World are species that you can find in gardens and parks throughout Britain.

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Care and maintenance

4 Before Adding Ants
Check that all the Ant World components fit together correctly and there are no visible gaps. Ensure that the side frames are held in place by the small lugs on the Ant World base. Your Ant World is now ready for some ants!

Your ants may take a little time to adjust to their new home. It is best to stand

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Black Ant (lasius niger)
the house and garden is lasius niger. It builds its nests in all sorts of places and is often found under stones in the rockery

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your Ant World in a warm, dark place to give them time to adjust. In summer this should be a day or so, in winter it may take a little longer. Attach the Magnifying Box to Ant World with the tubing supplied. Ants like to roam and this will give them plenty of space in which to do this.

myrmica

hard, build large tunnels and are very active. They are also harmless and do not sting, which makes them ideal for

5 Attaching the Magnifier Box

The magnifier box can be attached with the tube provided. The tubing can be cut to size with scissors. The tube can also be used to join two or more Ant Worlds.

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Black ants are hard to catch as they are very fast and agile. The best way to catch these ants in the summer is to try and entice them into your Magnifying Box with a drop of jam or fruit.
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Note: Ant World can be re-used again and again. Clean the parts separately in warm water before storing away.

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their homes in fields, parks and gardens. These ants are also known as hill ants and as the name suggests, their nests can be identified by earth mounds, most no larger than a mole hill but some can be much larger. Lasius flavus is slightly smaller than its black cousin and ranges in colour from a dull yellow to a brownish orange. Lasius niger and it is easy to stock your Ant World. Gently scrape the top of an ant hill with a small stick

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larger than Lasius and work well in

Ant World but beware; they can sting and are therefore unsuitable for very young children. Myrmica colonies can

Lasius flavus are slower moving than

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be found under stones and rocks or in grass.

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way as Lasius flavus, but watch out for the sting!

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(or pencil). Soon some ants will come to investigate the disturbance. Let the ants climb on your stick and tap them into the top of Ant World.

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This ant is found in woodland, is They are also a protected species in the United Kingdom. Therefore, please do not use them in your Ant World.

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Yellow Meadow Ant (Lasius flavus)

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When an ant discovers food it will leave

The number and types of ants to use

The number of ants required to put on a good display is about 25-40 worker ants. Worker ants are easily identified as they are the most common members of a nest and it is fairly safe to say that an ant without wings or an ant that is no larger than the rest of the ants in a colony is a worker. Do not use ants that have wings as they are either males or young queens and are not suitable. We also do not recommend the use of queen ants for the novice ant watcher. Queens are hard to find as there might only be one in a whole nest and if you disrupt a queen you could destroy the whole colony. Taking a small number of ants to use in Ant World should not harm a thriving colony. Please do not destroy a whole nest for the sake of the few ants that are required. If you have any difficulty finding or collecting ants, Interplay will be happy to supply you with some.
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a scent trail back to the nest so other ants can easily find the food.

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Watering
Add water to Ant World to maintain

Feeding
Ants should be fed regularly, about once a week. It is a mistake to overfeed your ants as they only eat tiny

the moisture content of the sand. Remove the top lid and use the feeder to add a few drops. Again, do not over water as this may cause a condensation problem, or worse, drown your ants. If you are getting some condensation problems in Ant World, do not water until this has cleared up. Another watering technique should the sand become very dry is to carefully stand Ant World for a few minutes in a bowl containing about an inch of water (just enough to cover the base). The water should then seep up into the sand.

Worker Ant

Worker

meals. Uneaten food in your Ant World can go mouldy and make it look messy. Ants eat juicy or moist food. Fruit is best, especially apple or banana. Portions the size of a pin head should be enough to feed all the ants in your nest.

Male or young Queen Ant

Male or young Magnifying Box as a feeding Use the Queen station. It is interesting to see an ant
find the food, then fetch its friends. You will also see ants feeding each other, sharing the food. The box can be cleaned out if some of the food is

Queen Ant

Queen

not eaten.
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Ants dont sunbathe!

Do not stand Ant World in direct sunlight. Use the provided Ant World shades for best results.

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Do not start a war!

Ants are very caring to one another, but will not tolerate strangers. Do not mix ants from different nests, even if they are of the same species.

Questions and answers

Here are some answers to questions we are often asked about ants and Ant World. Q.1. How long do ants live in Ant World? Worker ants may live up to one year in Ant World. Q.2. Can the ants in Ant World breed? No. If you use only worker, ants who cannot lay eggs, your ant colony will not increase in size. Q.3. Can queen ants be used in Ant World ? Yes. But we do not recommend that you use a queen ant until you have first gained experience of keeping worker ants. A queen is the only ant that can lay eggs, which means there would be a growing colony in your Ant World that would take much more care and maintenance. Queen ants are also very hard to find except at certain times of the year. Please do not wreck an established colony of ants looking for a queen that you probably will not find. Remember, there are many interesting things to see in Ant World using only worker ants.

Q.4. Can ants escape from Ant World? Ant World is made from break-resistant materials and designed to be escape proof. However ants will escape if you leave the lid off, or if the frame is not properly assembled. Very small ants from the Lasius flavus species may be able to squeeze through the air holes in the top frame of Ant World. Should this happen cover the air holes with some sticky tape and then create smaller breather holes by piercing with a pin. Q.5. What do ants eat? Ants will generally eat a varied diet as long as it is moist or juicy. In the wild they will eat fruit, seeds and other insects. Q.6. How do I get ants from Interplay? Send the Mail Order Form to Interplay or phone the Order Line 01628 488525. Interplay supplies Lasius niger ants that work well in Ant World.

Ants dont like earthquakes!

Do not shake Ant World or treat it roughly, as this could collapse the tunnels. It is safe to carry your Ant World around as long as you are careful.

Ants dont surf!

Be careful when watering Ant World not to drown your ants. A small drop of water to you may be like a tidal wave to an ant.

Q.7. Is Ant World cruel to ants? No. If you look after the ants they should live happily in Ant World. They are safe from predators and bad weather conditions. In fact ants probably live longer in Ant World than they do in the wild. We also feel that encouraging people to discover the fascinating world of ants helps to promote environmental awareness and may make people think twice before needlessly destroying the nests of these amazing little creatures. Q.8. What should I do if ants die in Ant World? Your ants should stay healthy in Ant World if you follow the instructions in this manual carefully. However ants will die from old age and natural causes. Worker ants will remove the dead ants as far from the nest as possible to keep it clean and tidy. If you have a Magnifying Box attached, they will probably put the dead ants in there. It is best to clean the box out occasionally.

Every nest of ants has its own particular scent. Ants recognise each other by this smell. In Ant World you can often see ants greeting one another by touching antennae. But, if they are not from the same nest they will fight

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More information about ants

Our website www.interplayuk.com provides curriculum based teachers notes and classroom activities that can be downloaded free of charge. Ants are incredibly strong. They can lift 10-20 times their own body weight. If an ant was the size of a man it could pick up and carry a car!

Spare Parts Order Form

You can copy the Order Form illustrated right if you dont want to damage your instruction booklet. You can place an order by: Mail - Payment by Cheque or Postal Order or Telephone - Payment by Credit / Debit Card. either: Fill in your name and address, indicate your requirement and post with payment to the address below. or telephone: Call our Customer Services number on: 01628 488525 - we accept Visa, Mastercard and Switch payments. Lines are open 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday. We are unable to send Ants to addresses outside of the United Kingdom. All orders are normally processed within ten working days. Christmas Orders: Please indicate Xmas Order on the
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Ant World - Spare Parts Mail Order Form (valid for UK only)
(You can copy this form if you dont want to damage your booklet)

Purchaser address details Name Address Post Code Tel. No. (in case of queries) Recipients address details Name Address Post Code Tel. No. (in case of queries) Method of Payment
Item Ant World - Complete Kit
(if different from above)

Further reading
Books we recommend are: Journey to the Ants by Bert Holldobler and Edward O. Wilson The definitive guide to ant watching by Pulitzer prize winning authors. The Earth Dwellers: Adventures in the Land of Ants Insect Lives By Erich Hoyt Fascinating and informative books about the lives of ants and insects. The New Amateur Naturalist By Nick Baker A brilliant hands on field guide to nature study, packed with information and practical hints. Ants of The British Isles By G.J. Skinner A booklet describing British ant species and how to identify them - Great for ant hunting.
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Cheque - Please make payable to Interplay UK Ltd.

Cost 12.99 Interplay UK Ltd Unit D, Meter House, Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, Bucks. SL7 1LW Please retain our address for future reference. Interplay Customer Services: Tel: 01628 488525 email: cusserv@interplayuk.co.uk Check out our range of Discovery Toys and Gifts at www.interplayuk.com Manual, designs and written material 4.00 1.00 1.00 No. Req. Total

Xmas Order

(please indicate)

Ant World Spares Magnifier Bowl Tubing (350mm) Feeder (pipette) Scene Stickers (pair) Ant World Manual Sand Shades (pair) Livestock Ants (approx. 40 ants) Postage & packing 1.50 1.50 1.25 1.25 1.25 2.00 1.25

order form and ensure that it arrives at least four days before last posting date. Interplay UK Ltd Unit D, Meter House, Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, Bucks. SL7 1LW
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2008 Interplay UK Limited

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