Ant Keeping Supplies in the Netherlands: A Guide to Feeding Items and Accessories

Getting the right supplies makes ant keeping significantly easier and more enjoyable. Whether you are just starting out or looking to upgrade an existing setup, this guide covers the key feeding items and accessories you need, and where to find them in the Netherlands.

Feeding Items

Ants need two types of food: carbohydrates (sugars) for energy, and protein for brood development and queen health. Both are essential, and neither alone is enough.

For sugars, the simplest option is sugar water: a weak solution of sugar in water. Honey and maple syrup also work well. Ready-made options like our Sugar Jelly and Vanilla Flavoured Sugar Water are handy too. Offer liquid sugars in a small test tube or a cotton-plugged feeder to prevent drowning.

For protein, mealworms, waxworms, small crickets such as house crickets, and fruit flies are the most commonly used options. If you prefer to grow your own live feeders, our guide on breeding fruit flies covers exactly how to do that at home, and the Fruit Fly Culture Set gets you started. For a broader look at ant nutrition, see what do ants eat.

Seed-eating species like Messor barbarus need a varied seed mix: millet, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, and quinoa are all good choices. We sell dedicated harvester ant seed mixes (Pre-Major and Post-Major), or you can use a plain bird seed mix from a garden centre.

Test Tubes and Water Feeders

Test tubes are one of the most useful items in ant keeping and serve multiple purposes. They are used as founding nests, water feeders, and liquid food dispensers. A glass or plastic test tube with a cotton plug creates a safe, mould-resistant water source that ants can access without the risk of drowning. Stock up on a few; 16mm x 150mm is the most versatile size. You can find boxes of test tubes and test tube stoppers in our shop.

Anti-Escape Supplies

No ant setup is complete without an escape barrier. Fluon (PTFE solution) is the most widely used option: apply a thin band around the inner top edge of any container and ants cannot climb past it. Some keepers use PTFE spray instead, which works in a similar way. For a complete breakdown of methods, see our post on preventing ants from escaping.

Heat Mats and Temperature Control

Many ant species, especially those from Southern Europe like Messor barbarus, grow faster with a little extra warmth. Place a heat mat or heat cable on top of part of the nest, not underneath it, so the colony can move to the temperature it prefers. Heat from below can cause condensation, especially in Ytong nests. Never heat the entire nest; always give the ants a cooler side to retreat to.

Connecting Tubes and Accessories

Flexible tubing is used to connect the nest to the outworld, and to link multiple nest modules together as your colony grows. We sell 10mm tubing for smaller species and 15mm tubing for larger species, plus tubing connectors to join pieces together. Buy a metre or two when you set up; you will use it more than you expect. Silicone plugs or cork stoppers are useful for blocking tube openings during cleaning or when rearranging the setup.

Where to Buy Ant Keeping Supplies in the Netherlands

Esthetic Ants in Schinveld stocks a full range of ant keeping supplies including feeding accessories, test tubes, anti-escape barriers, formicariums, and live feeder insects. We ship to all addresses in the Netherlands and across the EU. Browse all our products.