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This is a question Amazing Projects

We here at B3ta love it when a plan comes together. Tell us about incredible projects and stuff you've built by your own hand. Go on, gloat away.

Thanks to A Vagabond for the suggestion

(, Thu 17 Nov 2011, 13:12)
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Soldier ants
I’ve always thought that ants were pretty military creatures, so when building a farm for my lot I decided to eschew the traditional glass box approach in favour of making them their own little military base. Of course, military bases are usually pretty sealed-off, anonymous affairs, so if I followed the approach to the letter you wouldn’t be able to see a thing of what was going on inside.

However, this being the age of teh internetz and all that, a solution was at hand: all I’d have to do would be to mount teeny tiny webcams inside the farm, which would then broadcast wirelessly to my PC. Once I’d taken the decision to ‘technologise’ it, the rest followed naturally – inbuilt thermostat, weight sensors to measure the food and water supply, some discreet lighting placed at strategic intervals, etc.

And it works! I've moved the colony in already even though it isn't completely finished yet, and you can really see the little soldiers scurrying about in the corridors, just as if you were in there with them.

The only thing I have to keep an eye on is that nothing untowards goes into or comes out of the ventilation ducts, and in hindsight it might have been a bad idea to build the maintenance access routes wide enough to accommodate an X-wing, but I’m cautiously optimistic.
(, Fri 18 Nov 2011, 12:33, 17 replies)
don't step on an ant
can you post some ant movies to PubeTube? Or even let us watch the webcams ?
(, Fri 18 Nov 2011, 12:53, closed)
'Hot single ants in your area now'

(, Fri 18 Nov 2011, 12:54, closed)
Methinks I have been too subtle.

(, Fri 18 Nov 2011, 13:05, closed)
Not at all. :-)

(, Fri 18 Nov 2011, 13:21, closed)
Nope!

(, Fri 18 Nov 2011, 13:35, closed)
Ah
That's a relief, then. I had to add the strategically-placed lighting inside otherwise it would have been a bit on the dark side.
(, Fri 18 Nov 2011, 13:41, closed)
Is the
answer 42?
(, Fri 18 Nov 2011, 13:45, closed)
you were talking about big brother weren't you

(, Fri 18 Nov 2011, 13:46, closed)
If by "subtle" you mean that you've confused the Death Star for an ant farm,
then yes, very subtle.

But no, you're just a nob.
(, Fri 18 Nov 2011, 15:45, closed)
What she said^
There is literally no connection between the last line and the rest of the story; you fail forever; goodbye.
(, Sat 19 Nov 2011, 16:13, closed)
I don't get it

(, Fri 18 Nov 2011, 14:09, closed)
it's 'lame star wars story' time.

(, Fri 18 Nov 2011, 15:22, closed)
are you sure ?
I didn't see any ants in Star Wars.
(, Fri 18 Nov 2011, 15:54, closed)
You need the latest Blu-Ray.
Endor is teeming with insect life, in the new version.
(, Fri 18 Nov 2011, 16:03, closed)
I always liked
The Adventure Game...
(, Fri 18 Nov 2011, 14:10, closed)
Gronda gronda!

(, Fri 18 Nov 2011, 15:40, closed)
Now if you'd made it a P.O.W. camp
and noticed that they'd got a concert party together and had taken to doing exercises on the parade ground...
(, Mon 21 Nov 2011, 17:07, closed)

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