Formicarium

Janet's invention was recognized by his promotion to Chevalier (Knight) of the Legion of Honour, but he did not obtain a patent for, nor attempt to market his creation.

The first commercially sold formicarium was introduced around 1929 by Frank Eugene Austin (1873–1964[2]), an inventor and professor at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College.

[7][8] Austin included whimsical painted or wooden scenes of palaces, farms and other settings above the ground level.

Adams satirized the incident in a later comic strip, in which Dilbert asked for a substitute phrase for "a habitat for worthless and disgusting little creatures", to which Dogbert replied "law school".

[14] The formula and nutritional content of gels vary, but for worker-only colonies they tend to only contain sugar or agar plus preservatives.

Plaster nests can be made by placing modeling clay on a glass panel in the form of tunnels and chambers.

Another escape-prevention technique involves placing the entire formicarium in a shallow container of water, creating a moat.

In the European Union, some domestic species are protected, and it is illegal to own, keep, buy, or sell these ants, or to damage their nests.