Ant Keeping

History
Keeping ants as pets has been a popular hobby since the creation of the Uncle Milton Ant Farm in the late 1950’s. These are ant farms that you can buy at toy stores.  These farms do not include a Queen ant because it is illegal to ship live Queen ants. If the Queen escapes and it is an exotica species that is not native to your area, it can destroy and take the resources away from native ant species.

Now today, there are millions and millions of ant keepers. There are also ant keepers who have Formicariums that include Queen ants and her colony.  These ants can be bought from other ant keepers or they can be found outside.

What is Ant Keeping
Ant keeping involves the capture, care and observation of ants.  Ant keeping is a hobby that is fun because you get to learn about the ants.  Once my Formicarium is set-up and I have added my Queen and her workers, I’ll get to see them forage, eat their food, drink their water and place their dead.  And I get to feed them and clean-out the Outworld.

Locating a Queen Ant
The first step in ant keeping is capturing a fertilized Queen ant that took part in a Nuptial Flight during the Spring and Summer.  After the Flight, the fertilized Queen ant will land and remove her wings. She will then find a spot to found her colony. If you find a Queen ant with wings, she is unfertilized.