Starter advice

So, You Want to Keep Ants? Your Beginner-Friendly Guide to Ant Keeping!

 

Hey there, future ant enthusiast! Ever been mesmerised by those tiny creatures scurrying around? Maybe you’ve even witnessed the legendary “flying ant day” and wondered what all the fuss was about. Well, you’ve stumbled upon the right place! This guide is your friendly starting point to the fascinating world of ant keeping. Whether you’re seriously considering setting up your first colony or just curious about how it all works, we’ve got you covered.

 

The Essential First Step: Finding Your Queen!

You can’t have an ant colony without its leader – the Queen! Unlike the regular worker ants you see every day, the Queen is significantly larger. Keep an eye out during the warmer months (usually summer) for what’s known as nuptial flights. This is when virgin Queen ants and male drones take to the skies, their temporary wings shimmering in the sunlight. You’ve probably seen these swarms of “flying ants” before!

These Queens and drones will mate high up in the air. Once the Queen has been fertilised, she’ll descend, dramatically chew off her wings (a tell-tale sign!), and then embark on a mission to find a safe, secluded spot to begin her very own empire.

 

Spotting the Royal: How to Identify a Queen Ant

The easiest ways to recognise a Queen ant is by looking for:

• Wing Scars: These are little marks on her thorax (the middle section of her body) where her wings used to be.
• A Larger Abdomen: Her abdomen will appear much bigger than a worker ant’s, as it’s where she’ll store eggs.

For a quick visual guide, check out this helpful resource here

 

Choosing Your First Colony: Beginner-Friendly Ant Species

Now for the exciting part – picking your first ants! The good news is there are plenty of gentle and easy-to-care-for species perfect for beginners. Our top tip? Start with a native ant species to your country. This has a big advantage: if, down the line, you decide ant keeping isn’t for you, you can responsibly release them back into their natural environment.

 

Here are some excellent beginner-friendly ant options:

• Lasius Niger (Black Garden Ant/Pavement Ant): Hardy, active, and commonly found.
• Lasius Flavus (Yellow Meadow Ant): Interesting underground dwellers.
• Messor Barbarus (Harvester Ant): Fascinating to watch as they collect and store seeds.
• Camponotus Nicobariensis (Carpenter Ant): Larger ants with distinct behaviours.

 

Setting Up Their First Home: The Test Tube Setup

The most common method for starting a new ant colony is the humble test tube. It provides the small, humid environment for a founding Queen. Ants 101 has a great video you might find useful here

 

An Easier Start? Introducing the Founding Terra Nest: Here at Ant Farm Supplies, we understand that setting up a test tube can sometimes be a little fiddly for newcomers. That’s why we’ve developed the Founding Terra nest as an excellent alternative. It offers significant advantages and is designed with user-friendliness in mind. To understand why it’s such a great option, take a look at the product listing and read the description here

 

Moving to a Bigger Place: Understanding Ant Nests

As your colony grows, they’ll need more space. Ant nests come in various shapes and materials, each with its own pros and cons. However, steer clear of gel nests! These look appealing but are unfortunately very harmful to ants and won’t provide a healthy environment.

Here at Ant Farm Supplies, we offer a fantastic range of nests, and we firmly believe in the benefits of sand and plaster construction. This combination is excellent for maintaining the right levels of moisture and humidity inside the nest. Plus, ants naturally thrive in these types of environments, much preferring them over purely plastic setups.

Our popular Terra nest range is a testament to this. When used correctly, these nests create optimal living conditions for your ants, all while giving you clear and enjoyable viewing opportunities without disturbing them too much. Learn more about our Terra nests and browse the collection on the Terra nest blog

 

Expanding Their World: The Importance of Outworlds

Think of an outworld as your ants’ personal foraging ground – the area outside their nest where they can search for food and water. An outworld is a crucial part of any ant keeping setup as it provides a convenient way for you to offer them sustenance.

We have a variety of outworlds in different sizes available in our store, all designed to connect seamlessly with our nests.

 

Ready to Dive In? Consider a Starter Bundle!

If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed, our starter bundles are the perfect way to kickstart your ant keeping journey!

Our most popular is the Terra v3 Starter Bundle, which includes a Terra XS nest, an outworld, and a feeder for offering water or sugar water to your new colony. You might also want to consider adding a test tube connector to make the eventual move from the test tube to the nest as smooth as possible!

 

Join the Ant Keeping Community!

We sincerely hope this guide has given you a solid foundation to embark on the wonderful hobby of ant keeping! If you have any more questions, don’t hesitate to join our friendly AFS Ant Keeping Community on Facebook. It’s full of enthusiastic and experienced keepers who are always happy to help!

 

Follow our social media accounts:

Instagram: @antfarmsupplies

TikTok: @antfarmsupplies

Facebook: Ant Farm Supplies

 

Thanks for reading, and happy ant keeping!