This is probably the smallest of the fire ant colonies that I have cast so far. Because of its small size, I was able to mount it directly to the base which is not possible with heavier casts. Casts this size make good displays for a desk. It's also easy to pick up and move around, which isn't the case with most of the other fire ant casts.

The structure of this cast is mostly a maze of tunnels with few small chambers. This is a rarity among the casts that I've done as most have many large chambers. Even though it's small, there are literally hundreds of interconnecting tunnels. The part near the base is very asymmetrical and interesting with places where the tunnels shoot off away from the center. Some have said it resembles a boat.

The cast mostly captured the part of the colony that is below the ground. Some of the surface mound was captured but not much.

The cast is displayed upside down from its natural orientation and is secured to a wooden base with a bolt. The base is basswood stained with MiniWax Dark Walnut Wood Finish and coated with MiniWax Clear Satin Polycrylic. The base has 4 felt pads on the bottom to protect the surface on which it sits. A stainless steel plaque is mounted on the cast containing information about it.