Insect farm

Happened so far:

after the summer of 2006 there were approximately 247 insects in the apartment.
in sebtember of 2006 there was a campaign against insects; some were captured in Mikko's Tupperware-box, 83 % of the rest died. Some individuals survived some weeks in unexplored territory but they were finished when found.

The box:

Happened so far in the box and surroundings:

The population rose quickly from 50 to 142 untill the end of september.
Each week the cover from the box was removed and CO2 let out. Sometimes also humidity was added.
In october the population stopped growing and even started a gradual decline. The cause of death is unspecified.
By the start of november, some form of fungy started developing and killing the insects.
In 11.11. no clear evidence of living ants was found and the cover was released in a sink for 6 days. During that time most of the population, approx. 24 individuals, had moved living in the sink.
In 19.11. the sink population was eliminated with warm tab water when found. The cover was re-installed with only 1 visible living individual inside.

WILL THE POPULATION SURVIVE? HAVE THE FITTEST SURVIVED OR ONLY THE LUCKY ONES?

NO ONE KNOWS! YET!!!

12.12. They are alive! At least two individuals were moving on the surface. The box has not gained any more oxygen, so they had survived three weeks with very poor oxygen condition. Now they got more water and also somekind of protein powder into the box. Only problem in the future is that the mildew might prove fatal for many individuals.

2.1. Insects have survived to a new year! Their tupperware-house is beginning to be almost too digusting. But the experiment goes on. Happened in the meanwhile: two larvae of unknown species added to the box. No evidence of their survival.

Update 22.4.07 Goddammit, so that's what happened to my tupperware. Last time I'm lending Ilmari a damn thing. -Mikko