Fascinations AntWorks

by Fascinations

Product Features

• Fascinations designs product to illustrate many magical aspects of our world
• Watch as your ants explore, discover, and develop new territories
• Kit includes instruction booklet with ant order coupon
• You Must Order Ants to inhabit habitat
• Then add your ants and see them transform your design into their own creative patterns

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9 x 9 x 4 inches ; 1.9 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0006FSEOI
• Item model number: ANTW1
• Our recommended age: 3 years and up
• Manufacturer recommended age: 3 years and up
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,725 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
  • #39 in Toys & Games > Learning & Education > Science > Biology
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The AntWorks Illuminator is the Perfect Bedside or Shelf Accessory. Designed to illustrate many magical aspects of our world, Fascinations products will cause you to react with amazement and ask "What makes that work?" or "How is that possible?" By working with engineers, scientists, magicians and most importantly, kids young and old, Fascinations is proud to bring you the best in truly unique toys and gifts. So come on inside and see what amazing creations we've got just waiting for you. The Ant Works Includes: 6.5”L x 6.0”W x 1.25”D Clear acrylic habitat, accessories, and instruction booklet with ant order coupon. Accessories: Magnifying Glass, Extreme Zoom Lens, and Tunnel Starter Tool. STUDY THE LIFE-CYCLE OF ANTS IN THIS SPACE-AGE GEL HABITAT 3-DIMENSIONAL “ANT CITY” IN THE MAKING. Based upon a 2003 NASA Space Shuttle experiment to study ants in zero-gravity perfect interactive desktop pet or fascinating gift. Based upon a 2003 NASA Space Shuttle experiment to study ants in zero-gravity. Perfect interactive desktop pet or fascinating gift includes: 6.5”L x 5.5”W x 1.25”D acrylic habitat, accessories and instruction booklet with ant order coupon.

Product Description

Fascinations Antworks is the first and only ant habitat to be tested in zero gravity. It provides a total ecosystem for ants and uses a non-toxic blue gel which makes it easy to watch the ants digging their network of tunnels. It includes container, ant catcher, magnifier and activity guide.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinations Antworks great educational/fun experience, November 10, 2006

By 

Teacher (Torrington,CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fascinations AntWorks (Toy)

Easy to set-up. Ants arrived within 3 weeks of ordering them. I set it up almost 2 months ago and the ants are still busy tunneling and working. No need to add food, water, or anything. Just dump the ants in and watch them work. I am using this with a group of middle school students as a lab observation. Came with a magnifying glass. The kids have really enjoyed it and even named some of the ants. The gel medium really allows you to see what's going on and the container can be passed around for observation without fear that it will disturb the ants tunnels. A definite hit for curious children of all ages. I will do this again next year!

58 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Cool antfarm, lousy company, March 6, 2009

By 

Eddie Patin (Colorado Springs, Co USA) - See all my reviews

= Durability:1.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:1.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:1.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Fascinations AntWorks (Toy)

Bought this habitat and ordered my ants from a VERY cheap high-supply company on ebay. The gel ant farm is a really cool idea, and it has been very interesting watching my ants do their thing. Very easy to set up and maintain. The reason for this bad review, however, is the bad quality control and poor customer service of Fascinations.

The first ant farm I bought (maybe it sat in a warehouse too long), had a gap between the back wall and the gel from where the gel shrank away from the wall. I noticed it when I put in the ants, and, because of the gap, they just hung out back there and didn't want to tunnel.

I exchanged the first ant-farm, and received a second with a gap in the front wall. The gap wasn't as bad, but it still shouldn't have been there, and discouraged the ants from tunneling.

On Fascination's website, I filled out their webform to make a complaint and request a replacement with good gel. The webform didn't work. So, I called, and the lady there said that the person to talk to would be back in on the following Monday.

Monday. I called, and spoke to a man who said that there wasn't anyone I could talk to over the phone and would need to use the webform. Since the webform didn't work, he said that the only way I could request a replacement was to send a letter (via USPS). Upon prodding, he finally said that I could send an email to their support department instead, and gave me the email address.

Sent an email. No response. A week later, sent the email again. Still no response. Yesterday, I just received, in the mail, a hand-written envelope from Fascinations with nothing inside but a printed description of their limited warranty policy.

Some customer service. This is a really cool product, but you're taking a shot in the dark as to whether or not you get an antfarm with properly filled gel. No quality control. No customer service. I won't buy from them again, unless I'm in a physical store and inspect the antfarm before purchase.

43 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed thus far, March 8, 2007

By 

Mom to three boys (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fascinations AntWorks (Toy)

We got this for our son for Christmas. He was very excited. I ordered the ants for him from the order from in the back of the booklet. It said that the ants are shipped out every Wednesday so I was anticipating receiving the ants soon after we ordered them. Two months later we still had not received the ants. I finally emailed the company and they responded with an email saying they don't mail out the ants in cold temperatures. I did not know that (it doesn't say it on the order form I used) so I completely understood that once it was explained to me. I told them I could wait and that I understood; that I was simply checking on my order. However, I guess they decided to just mail them out because I received them when temperatures did not go above 20. We opened up the ants and in our little container were a bunch of dead ants, and four live ones. We put the four live ones in the antworks station. Two days later and the ants have still not begun to do anything; two more ants have now died. I guess I will try and order ants in the spring or summer from a different source than the one I used. So far this has been a major disappointment to my son (and to us). I'll hold out hope though that a new batch of ants in warmer weather will work.