13 replies to this topic

[orgetorix]

Hello, I am new to ants and ant-keeping but have experience with many other types of animals, including various invertebrates.  Recently, my niece asked me about ants and ant farms.  I though it might be a nice way to get into a new hobby as well as bonding with someone over a shared interest.  I started looking at the cheap ant farms and eventually found myself here.  I read through the beginner guide and although it's not too intimidating, I thought I might be better able to ask for advice and jump ahead of some of the trial-and-error that might be involved with starting out.  So, here's what I'm after:

 

1. An ant colony of a species that is large, non-stinging and beginner-friendly and...
2. An attractive pre-made kit that can house said ants.

I'm not very concerned about budget, but I assume that in this hobby, as in most, there are some fantastically priced ants and gear.  I'd like to keep the whole thing under a few hundred dollars.

 

Thanks in advance for all your help!  Hopefully you can get a couple inquisitive minds started down the road to proper ant-keeping!

[Kaelwizard]

Well the ant farms you see in stores are absolute garbage and a colony with a queen will not survive in them (gel ant farms also are terrible). I recommend Tar Heel Ants formicaria (ant farms). You also basically described Camponotus, or carpenter ants. The do have formic acid that would be terrible for your eyes but I doubt you would ever be in a situation where you are being swarmed by them. They are polymorphic so they have multiple castes (workers, medians, and majors. As well as queens and males obviously). Generally speaking larger species grow a lot slower so you will have to wait a while to get a huge colony. THA also sells Camponotus across state lines now, so if you are interested in a species that may not live in your location.

[ANTdrew]

Welcome! You sound like a great uncle. If you let us know where you’re located, we can help suggest some species to look out for. As for gear, Tarheel Ants is the very best. A mini-hearth from THA costs $35, and is ideal for starting just about any species. DO NOT get anything plastic and avoid AntsCanada.

[orgetorix]

Thank you both. I will check out THA and carpenter ants. I’m located in Southern California.

[Manitobant]

Well SoCal has a ton of antkeepers, meaning it should be very easy for you to find someone selling.

[Ecan]

I have some Camponotus semitestaceus 1-5 workers available for $15+free shipping if you're interested.

[TestSubjectOne]

This is the largest ant shop in California, run by our forum head Drew. However, as ant prices go, Ecan's offer above is quite generous. Just be warned that Camponotus are generally very slow to grow and inactive (though they can run when they want to!). As others said, Tarheel Ants is where to go if you want quality ant habitats though a cheap "tubs and tubes" setup comprised of one or more test tube setups inside of a box can be just as effective, at least for a small colony, and it is possible to make your own formicaria. It is important to know that, with exceptions on some species, it is illegal to ship queen ants across state borders. If you are planning to buy ants from a different state or country, make sure it is one of those approved species or get a permit for it. Finally, I would warn you that with summer temperatures in California, there is a chance that your ants die in the mail. I've been shipped ants in the heat with no problem before, but there is a risk involved. I wish you and your niece the best of luck in exploring this amazing hobby!

[futurebird]

Tar heel is a good US seller for ants, but I have to mention the the mini hearth drove me nuts because it's impossible to photograph anything in it. IDK if that's something you care about but it's the one drawback of that product. 

 

Get some ants from tarheel. Camponotus discolor are wonderful and don't bite. They are sweet little ants and don't mind being observed much. Finding ia queen is also fun, but I live in a big city with limited options so I sympathize with the desire to just buy the ants. Riding out to Montok or whatever is a bit much.

 

The mini hearth from tarheel could be good but also consider underground citi on etsy for a formicarium. This one is nice:

 

https://www.etsy.com...me_feat_2&pro=1

 

You might consider replacing the lid with something more breathable in the outworld.  It's much better for photos. I find that taking photos makes watching ants much better. My niece is legally blind but I can make the photos large enough for her to see, or stream video from the phone so we can watch together. 

Edited by futurebird, July 4 2021 - 10:25 PM.

[orgetorix]

Wow, the welcome we're getting here is amazing.  I checked out Tar Heel Ants a bit and their formicaria look very nice.  What is a good size to start with for Camponotus ants?

[ANTdrew]

Wow, the welcome we're getting here is amazing. I checked out Tar Heel Ants a bit and their formicaria look very nice. What is a good size to start with for Camponotus ants?

A standard mini-hearth is ideal.

[Manitobant]

Also I would recommend getting a local camponotus species from someone else in california instead of tar heel ants, the reason being you can get a species that doesn’t hibernate and for cheaper.

[ConcordAntman]

I started with test tube preps in 2018. I’m currently keeping 2 C. pennsylvanicus colonies, a C. americanus colony and a C. novaeboracensis colony. For starters, I went with an AC starter gear pack as a newbie. 

 

While I agree with everything that’s been said, not everything from AC is problematic. The plastic test tubes scratch and are hard to take good pictures through but they don’t break easily. When the colonies got to 10-15 nanitics, I made mini-outworlds from the AC test tube portals. They gave me a separate place to feed (on tin foil or a trimmed bottlecap). I could clean the portal and change out moldy test tubes without agitating the queen. I’m still using them. 
 

 

 

A downside is that the setup is long and takes up space. As my colonies grew, I moved up to THA Phalanx formicaria and have nothing but great things to say about their products. I made the choice of formicaria based on the Camponotus sp. size. Though it’s advised not to provide early colonies too much space, I didn’t want to buy something small (Inception Chamber, Talus, etc) and subsequently need to get something larger as the colonies matured. TestSubjectOne mentioned a “Tubs & Tubes” setup. These would require some DIY but are compact, stackable, and complete setups. Finally, I’d recommend some literature on these little critters. This might fit for your locale but I’m sure you could find more with a quick search. 

 

https://www.amazon.c...a/dp/022635153X

 

Good luck and Happy Anting!

[cap_backfire]

Concord Ant Man, if you want a quick fix to the length of your portal setup, put both tubes on the same side.   Takes up about half the space and is easier to guage (IMO) the colony numbers and brood.   Both of my portal setups are setup that way with one tube of sugar water and one tube of plain water.   For some reason they put larger brood in the sugar water tube... (Formica AND Camponotus Nova) which really surprised me.  

 

I also reccomend Camponotus Discolor as my colony is doing AWESOME.  Numbers aren't huge yet but they have TONS of brood ready to go and are eating like pigs.  PIGS.   They are active and fun and in a quite large vivarium right now and scouts explore just about every inch of that thing.   

Good luck!  Ants are a real addiction!  

[ConcordAntman]

Concord Ant Man, if you want a quick fix to the length of your portal setup, put both tubes on the same side.   Takes up about half the space and is easier to guage (IMO) the colony numbers and brood.   Both of my portal setups are setup that way with one tube of sugar water and one tube of plain water.   For some reason they put larger brood in the sugar water tube... (Formica AND Camponotus Nova) which really surprised me.  

 

I also reccomend Camponotus Discolor as my colony is doing AWESOME.  Numbers aren't huge yet but they have TONS of brood ready to go and are eating like pigs.  PIGS.   They are active and fun and in a quite large vivarium right now and scouts explore just about every inch of that thing.   

Good luck!  Ants are a real addiction!  

D’oh. Thanks!