Discover the Fascinating World of 'Insect Specials'

Ant Farm Plaster School Package – A fascinating 8-week class project!

This school package contains products for keeping ants and is specifically designed for schools, childcare centers, childminders, and organizations focused on children. Learn about ants in a fun and educational way! This package is specifically intended for children aged 9-12 (grades 4-7). The school package includes extensive instructions to turn it into an 8-week project!

Package Contents

The package contains the following products and components:

• Master set with Messor barbarus ant colony including food
• Ant life cycle (models)
• 30 stickers for the children in the class or group (more upon request)
• Simple leaflet for teacher or supervisor with explanation and instructions
• Booklet 'Ants are heroes!'

Ant Farm Plaster Starter Set

Discover the fascinating world of the harvester ant with this high-quality plaster ant farm starter set!

Contents of this starter set:

• Ant Farm Plaster Major (with 2 connection openings)
• Town Square Arena (15x10x9 cm – 2 connections)
• Full-color, multilingual instruction booklet with clear step-by-step plan and complete explanation to successfully start your hobby
• Connection hose (can be cut to size)
• Test tube connector
• Ant Docking Station (protects the queen and her ant colony)
• Protective film for the nest area
• Moisture sprayer for precise moistening of the reservoir

Why is a plaster nest perfect for Harvester Ants?

Harvester ants have specific requirements for their living environment. They need good moisture gradation: a humid section for brood care (eggs and larvae) and a bone-dry section for storing their winter supply of seeds.

The sleekly designed plaster nest provides the perfect solution. Each nest is completely handmade and equipped with a unique central moisture reservoir. This naturally creates moist chambers around the core, while the outer chambers remain dry. The shallow inner chambers (4 mm) are perfect for optimal observation, while the deeper outer chambers (7 mm) will be directly used by the harvester ants as grain silos.

Thanks to our years of experience, this set includes a beautiful full-color instruction booklet. This multilingual manual guides you through the startup phase with a clear step-by-step plan, so you know exactly how to best care for the colony and successfully build up the hobby.

We developed this set as part of our 'Master Series' – a high-quality line of ant farms with maximum durability and functionality. Because each nest is handmade, the color may vary slightly.

Specifications & Technical data:

Nest Specifications:

• Plaster nest length: 15 cm
• Plaster nest width: 10 cm
• Plaster nest thickness: 3 cm (chamber depth 4–7 mm for optimal seed storage)
• Plaster nest connections: 2 × 10 mm (easily expandable)
• Number of chambers: 8 chambers
• Capacity: Suitable for a colony of up to ±200 ants
• Moisturizing: Central moisture reservoir (effective for 1-2 weeks)

Arena Features:

• Arena size: 15 x 10 x 9 cm
• Arena connections: 2 × 10 mm
• Ventilation: Equipped with an escape-proof arena ventilation lid

Stick Insect School Pack – Educational and Interactive in the Classroom

Do you want to introduce children to nature, biology, and the wonderful world of insects in an enthusiastic, hands-on way? Our **Stick Insect School Pack** is specially designed for primary schools, childcare organizations (out-of-school care/daycare), childminders, and nature education centers. Stick insects are calm, fascinating, and extremely easy to care for animals. They don't bite, don't make noise, and show children up close every day how fantastically nature can camouflage itself!

Complete BioDome insect terrarium for optimal observation

The heart of the pack is the professional, glass **BioDome insect terrarium (20x20x34 cm)**. This enclosure is specially designed with the height stick insects need to safely shed their skin. The sliding glass panel at the front and the removable, metal ventilation grille ensure that the teacher and children can easily clean the enclosure and provide fresh ivy or blackberry leaves.

All-in-one educational experience

With this pack, you can get started immediately. In addition to the high-quality terrarium and 3 healthy nymphs (young stick insects), you will receive a handy instruction leaflet (A4-leaflet) that allows any teacher or supervisor to get started immediately without any prior knowledge. To complete the fun in the classroom, the pack contains no less than 30 cheerful insect stickers to hand out to the students!

Contents of the Stick Insect School Pack:

• 3x Stick Insect Nymphs: Healthy, young animals that grow up in the classroom
• 1x Professional BioDome Insect Terrarium (20x20x34 cm), white, brown or green: Durable plexiglass enclosure with excellent triple cross-ventilation
• 1x Plant Sprayer: To easily provide the necessary drinking droplets and humidity
• 1x Instructional Lesson Letter (A4-leaflet): Clear explanation and care tips for the teacher or supervisor
• 30x Reward Stickers: Fun stickers for all children in the class or group

Classroom Care – Simple & Accessible

Caring for stick insects only takes a few minutes per week. They mainly eat leaves from blackberry bushes, ivy (Hedera), or roses. With the included sprayer, you lightly mist the plants so that the animals can drink the water droplets. Ideal for giving children the responsibility as 'class caretaker' in turns!

Terrarium Specifications:

• Dimensions: 20 x 20 x 34 cm (L x W x H)
• Material: High-quality cut glass with metal ventilation grille
• Access: Convenient sliding glass panel at the front
• Ventilation: Optimal triple cross-ventilation (prevents mold)
• Decoration: Substrate and (artificial) plants can be ordered separately to your taste

Turn your classroom into a real discovery center and order the Stick Insect School Pack today from Mierenboerderij!

Butterfly School Package – Experience the wonder of nature in the classroom

Do you want to introduce children to the cycle of life in a wonderful and interactive way? The **Butterfly School Package** is one of the most popular educational nature projects for primary schools, childcare facilities (after-school care/daycare), childminders, and nature education. There is nothing more magical for a child than to daily follow the metamorphosis in the classroom: from a happily munching caterpillar to a spun cocoon, to the breathtaking moment when a real butterfly emerges!

Complete with physical life cycle models

This package makes biology lessons extra tangible. In addition to the breeding net, the package also contains **physical 3D models of the life cycle** (egg, caterpillar, pupa, and butterfly) and plastic model butterflies. This way, children can not only admire the different phases of metamorphosis in real life, but also hold and study the anatomy in advance in the classroom.

How does ordering caterpillars work? (March to September)

The school package itself is available directly from stock. In the box, you will find a **special coupon**. With this coupon, you can easily order the live caterpillars yourself from our specialized breeder in England at your desired time (you only pay a small contribution to the shipping costs). The breeder aims to send 10 caterpillars, with a guarantee that at least 7 caterpillars will be raised into healthy butterflies. The caterpillars come with all the necessary breeding food in their own breeding pot!

Reusable Butterfly Habitat (45 cm)

The included collapsible **45 cm Butterfly Habitat** is made of a fine-mesh, breathable netting that provides perfect ventilation and optimal viewing for students. After the butterflies hatch and are released, the habitat is easy to clean and reusable as a housing for other insects, such as ladybugs, praying mantises, or stick insects!

Contents of the Butterfly School Package:

• 1x Collapsible Butterfly Habitat (45 cm): Spacious, reusable, and fine-mesh breeding net
• 1x Coupon for the caterpillars: To be requested yourself from the breeder from March to September (excl. shipping costs)
• 1x Set of 3D Life Cycle Models: Physical models of egg, caterpillar, pupa, and butterfly
• Set of plastic model butterflies: For additional support during the lesson
• 1x Feeding pipette: For feeding the emerged butterflies with sugar water or nectar
• 1x Clear A4 lesson plan: Simple guide and instructions for teacher or supervisor
• 30x Reward stickers: Cheerful stickers to hand out in the classroom (more available on request)

Project progression in brief:

1. Caterpillar phase: The caterpillars eat the provided food from their breeding pot and grow quickly.
2. Pupation: The caterpillars hang under the lid and transform into shiny cocoons.
3. Emergence & Release: Place the cocoons in the 45 cm habitat. After emergence, observe and feed the butterflies for a few days, after which the class festively releases them into nature!

Give the children an unforgettable experience and transform your classroom into a real nature museum. Order the Butterfly School Package today from Mierenboerderij!

School Package Introduction to Insects – The wonderful world of insects in the classroom!

This school package contains a complete collection of products to introduce children to insects in an interactive and incredibly educational way. Specifically designed for schools, childcare organizations (out-of-school care/daycare), host parents, and nature education centers. No more separate projects, but three fascinating insect worlds combined in one unique teaching package!

Package Contents

The package contains the following products, components, and teaching materials:

• Gel Ant Farm including ant family and food/care
• Butterfly breeding kit (including coupon for ordering fresh caterpillars)
• Netcage breeding cage (30x30x30 cm) including a variety of stick insect nymphs
• 3x Physical Life Cycle Models of 3 different insects
• 3x Detailed lesson instructions for the teacher or supervisor
• 30x Reward stickers for the children in the classroom or group (more available on request)
• Booklet 'Ants are heroes!'

1) Gel Ant Farm (Including Ant Family)

Let the ants do their work and watch a complete tunnel system emerge before the children's eyes! The Gel Ant Farm is based on technology developed by NASA to study life in a weightless environment. It is an entirely self-supporting system: the transparent, blue gel serves as food, moisture, and shelter.

• Included: Blue Gel Ant Farm (16.5 x 15.2 x 3.2 cm), Ant Family (approx. 15 worker ants), magnifying glass, instructions, and the booklet 'Ants are heroes!'.

2) Butterfly Breeding Kit – Experience the Metamorphosis

Become part of nature and observe up close the wonder of a caterpillar transforming into a beautiful butterfly!

How does it work with the caterpillars?
The school package is available immediately. In the box, you will find a coupon for 3 to 5 fresh caterpillars. With this, you can order your caterpillars directly from the breeder online (paying for international shipping costs). You can select your desired delivery time. Note: Butterfly breeding is possible from March to September.

The caterpillars grow quickly thanks to the included food, pupate into shiny cocoons, and emerge as real butterflies in the included foldable **30 cm Butterfly Habitat**. Observe them for a few days in the classroom and then release them festively into nature!

3) Netcage Breeding Cage 30x30x30 cm (Including Stick Insects)

A super handy, lightweight breeding cage made of sturdy, fine-mesh netting in a compact size (30 cm high x 30 cm wide x 30 cm deep). This breeding cage provides optimal ventilation and living environment for stick insects and other insects.

With this set, we supply a nice variety of young stick insects (nymphs). These can be, for example, Indian stick insects (which easily live on ivy/Hedera), Australian leaf insects, or Black Beauties. Children learn how fantastically these animals can camouflage themselves!

Educational, complete, and directly applicable

With the 3 included lesson instructions and the tangible 3D models of the different life cycles, teachers and out-of-school care supervisors have all the tools to create a series of inspiring nature lessons.

Give children an unforgettable experience and order the School Package Introduction to Insects today from Mierenboerderij!

Non-Flying Fruit Flies – Essential proteins for your colony

Proteins are indispensable for the establishment and growth of an ant colony. While adult worker ants primarily use sugars for energy, the ant queen needs proteins to lay eggs, and larvae use these building blocks for growth. These **non-flying fruit flies** (20-50 pieces) form the perfect, bite-sized protein source for young and nascent ant colonies, and also make an excellent meal for small praying mantises, spiders, and poison dart frogs.

Easy to feed and store

Thanks to a natural mutation, these fruit flies cannot fly. This makes them very easy to offer to your colony with tweezers or directly from the test tube in the outworld, without having to worry about escapees.

Storage tip: Feed immediately or freeze

The flies are delivered in a convenient test tube and are intended to be fed immediately upon receipt. Do you want them to last longer? Then place the tube directly in the freezer! Frozen, the fruit flies will keep for several weeks. You can then thaw a few flies as needed, every day or few days, and offer them to your ants.

Tip for continuous breeding: This loose portion of fruit flies is intended as direct food. Since postal delivery can sometimes impact the vitality of the flies, we recommend ordering our special fruit fly breeding kit for a constant, fresh supply. This way, you can easily and affordably breed your own fresh flies at home!

Key benefits at a glance:

• Easy to handle: Cannot fly, so no escaping flies in the house.
• Essential nutrient source: Packed with proteins for rapid larval development.
• Convenient to store: Ideal for immediate freezing for later use.
• Bite-sized format: Perfectly adapted to the jaws of nascent ant colonies.

Suitable for feeding:

• Nascent and small ant colonies (such as Lasius, Formica, Tetramorium, Camponotus)
• Young praying mantises and small spiders
• Small amphibians and poison dart frogs

Product specifications:

• Quantity: Approx. 20 to 50 pieces
• Packaging: Transparent test tube
• Feature: Non-flying variant (Drosophila)

Ensure a healthy influx of new worker ants in your ant farm. Order these protein-rich fruit flies today!

Artificial Ivy

Perfect for the insect enclosure. Artificial ivy made of plastic with a natural look. Virtually indistinguishable from real ivy.

Suitable as decoration for any insect enclosure. Your enclosure will always have a natural, green appearance!

Also important: artificial plants provide continuously stable climbing opportunities and shelter for your animals.

Size: 30 to 50 cm