[ashenke]

I got into antkeeping after reading a comment on this very site about what a cool hobby this was (and having been fascinated by ants since my childhood).

I fell into the rabbit hole of types of formicariums, species identification. I settled on my "favourite" specy that I wanted to have that was endemic to my region. I bought a queen + 3 workers from a reputed seller, but they waited a week before sending the test tube and when they sent it it the queen was dead on arrival :(

So I decided to just look for signs of nuptials flights in my city and look for a queen myself, it was a really fun summer! Always looking at the pavement when walking outside, keeping test tubes in my bag, taking long walks in the morning after it rained because it was the ideal conditions for some of the species I wanted.

In the end, one afternoon I found that dozens and dozens of queens had taken their nuptials flights all over the city, it was awesome to notice this for the first time.

So I got a queen of one of the most numerous and unremarkable species in the region, it's been two years and it's been really fun. A really not that expensive hobby! If even if you're not into diy (like I am) you need only a test tube to get started, and then later when the first workers arrive a foraging area that can just be a plastic container.

Really recommend it, and I'm not interested at all in buying exotic species. Sure, leafcutter ants look awesome, but I wouldn't keep a snake in my house either!

[phyzix5761]

Can you share some video links on how to get started? Sounds super interesting.

[ashenke]

https://canada-ant-colony.com/blogs/articles/starting-your-f... This is what I used at first. There are also a lot of ant keeping discord communities you can lurk on.

The basic thing is just knowing what you need to start with, and really that's : - knowing the local species, what they look like, when they take their nuptial flights - buy some test tubes, and always keep with you a test tube with some cotton to block the opening - walk with your head down. Notice the ants. Try to see where the entrances to their nests are. If you can, try to id them (or take a picture and ask on discord)

What you're looking for is a queen that just mated. Sometimes they still have their wings on, most of the time they don't. They really, really big ants, at first everytime I saw a big ant I thought it was a queen, but the first time you see one you'll have no doubt about it. Look at pictures of winged males as well, you can see a lot of them flying around during mating but you need to distinguish them from females.

Then once you've captured a queen (I recommend 2 or 3 of them), you transfer them to another test tube filled 2/3 with water, blocked by a cotton ball, then closed with another cotton ball. Put the test tubes in a completely dark, silent place, where you'll keep them for a few months. During this time try to never bother them, don't look at the tubes, don't move them. This is the founding stage, of the queens are fertile and have been fecundated, and they're not stressed by the whole operation, they'll lay eggs. After a few weeks the first workers will hatch and that's when you should connect the tube to an outworld so you can feed them without disturbing them in their nest/test tube!

So really buy some test tube, read up on ants and look down, and you're set for a few months!

[phyzix5761]

Thanks!