Keeping Ants as Pets: A Beginner's Guide

So you are interested in keeping ants as pets? Then you have come to the right place! In this blog, we'll tell you how to keep ants as pets. But maybe you are mostly wondering: why keep ants as pets? What's the fun in that?

This is a question we often get and are happy to answer. Keeping ants is not like keeping a dog or rabbit that you can cuddle and pet. Ants are animals to watch. Compare it a bit to fish. They swim around in a tank, you have to feed them and keep the tank clean, but apart from that you just look at them. It is exactly the same with ants. Only, the nice thing about ants is that a colony grows. An ant colony is constantly changing and you are always facing new and exciting challenges.

Starting to keep ants as pets

Before we start, we need to make one thing clear. With most pets, it is fairly common knowledge how to take care of them. With ants it works slightly differently. Every colony is different, and every ant species is different, so the care is different too. For example, one species needs more heat, while another does not.

But don't worry. All our ants come with a description of how to keep them. This post is a general guide on how to care for most ant species.

Most people in Europe start with one of these three species: Lasius niger, Lasius flavus and Messor barbarus. In English they are known as the black garden ant, the yellow meadow ant and the Mediterranean harvester ant. You can find out more about them by clicking on the names.

Are ants good pets?

Ants are excellent pets for anyone who wants something genuinely interesting to observe rather than something to handle. You will not pick them up and cuddle them. But you will watch tunnelling, foraging, brood care and colony decisions that rival anything in a nature documentary.

They work well for people with allergies to fur, little space or a busy schedule. A colony can go a few days without food if you are travelling, and they do not mind being left alone.

What do you need?

To start keeping ants, you need four things: a founding queen, a test tube setup for founding, a formicarium (ant nest) and an outworld (foraging area).

Most colonies start out in a test tube. This is the ideal place for a queen to start her colony. Yes, a queen starts a colony all by herself. How that works, we explain in our post about the ant colony, and in how to make the perfect test tube setup. Once the colony has grown, the ants move to a nest, also called a formicarium. These come in different shapes and sizes.

The outworld is an area separate from the nest, often open at the top, where the ants collect their food and drop their waste. The nest is the underground part and the outworld the above-ground part.

A complete starter set is the most convenient way to begin. Everything is matched in size and works together from day one. Have a look at our Ant Keeping Starter Set with a colony, or the All-In-One Test Tube Outworld Small Set.

Best ant species for beginners

The best beginner species is Lasius niger, the black garden ant. It is native to most of Europe, easy to find, tolerant of mistakes and forgiving of temperature swings. Colonies can grow quite quickly and become large, so you always have something to watch.

Lasius flavus is also easy to care for, but it lives mostly underground and is rarely seen foraging, so you see less of it. For something more impressive, Messor barbarus, the Mediterranean harvester ant, is a popular choice. It is larger, active during the day and builds stores of seeds in the nest. A full overview is in which ant species to choose for your first ant farm.

Feeding pet ants

Most ants eat sugar water and insects. Insects such as crickets, mealworms and fruit flies give protein, which the colony needs to raise brood. Diluted honey, sugar water or sugar jelly give energy to the workers. Messor barbarus also eats seeds, which they chew into "ant bread".

Offer protein in small amounts when the colony has brood, and make sure the ants can reach sugar regularly. Remove leftovers before they go mouldy. Read more in what do ants eat? and feeding your ants protein.

How much time does it take?

Not much. Feeding, removing old food and checking the water only takes a few minutes now and then. Watching takes as long as you want.

While a queen is founding her colony, you barely need to do anything. Keep the setup warm and dark, check now and then that the water in the test tube is not running out, and leave the queen alone until the first workers appear.

Tips for keeping ants as pets

You are almost ready to start keeping ants. Here are a few tips you should not forget.

1. Make sure your ants can always drink

A common mistake made by beginners is not giving the ants drinking water in the outworld. Without water, ants quickly dry out and die. You can offer water in a test tube or in a small drinking fountain.

2. Avoid vibrations as much as possible

Ants do not like vibrations. Every time the nest shakes, the ants think it is collapsing and they panic. That stress is bad, especially for the queen. Put the ants on a cupboard or table that does not rattle and is not touched often. A separate table or wall shelf is best. A queen that does NOT sit still is not a good sign.

3. Do not move to a nest that is too big

Many beginners move their ants to a nest that is too big too soon. In a nest that is too large, part of it gets used as a waste chamber, and that can go mouldy. Move up when the current nest feels full, and choose a new nest that the colony can mostly fill. In doubt? Contact us or ask someone in the community for advice.

4. Do not leave food in the outworld for too long

Food that stays too long can go mouldy and attract pests such as mites. Mites love waste, and ants produce waste too. A clean outworld prevents this and also gives you a better view.

5. Read up and ask around in the ant community

You are not alone! Lots of people keep ants, and some of them know everything there is to know. Ant keeping forums and social media groups are a quick way to get answers to your questions. If you really can't figure it out, you can always send an email to info@estheticants.com. Planning to keep ants as pets? We would love to help you!

Is ant keeping right for you?

If you want a pet that is low-maintenance, fascinating to watch and fits any lifestyle, ants are hard to beat. The colony grows with you: what starts as a single queen can become a colony of thousands of workers over the years. That long-term side of the hobby is part of what makes it so rewarding.

A good time to start is after the nuptial flights, when young queens are available. Most European species fly in summer, but it differs per species and per region. With the right setup and a good beginner species, ant keeping is one of the most accessible and fun hobbies there is.

Keeping ants in the United States?

Read where to buy ant farms and equipment in the USA and 8 reasons why ants make great pets on Esthetic Ants USA. Before you start, also check the ant keeping laws in the USA.