24 replies to this topic

[Vendayn]

As title says...what is the funniest reaction people have had when they find out what pets you keep?

Mine was when I told this older lady that I kept termites, and she clutched her cross she had around her neck and gasped in horror.

 

Never had too much a negative reaction with ants, most people instead ask more questions about them and my ant keeping. Usually people just ask what got me into ants or/and why I keep them. Except, people look at me weird when I'm digging for ants or kneeling on the ground watching them, but I just ignore it.

Edited by Vendayn, May 4 2016 - 2:42 PM.

[dspdrew]

The strangest reaction I ever had was "Oh that's what we're out here looking for too".

 

Turns out I ran into two Myrmecologists at one of my spots near Big Bear, CA.

[Vendayn]

The strangest reaction I ever had was "Oh that's what we're out here looking for too".

 

Turns out I ran into two Myrmecologists at one of my spots near Big Bear, CA.

That is awesome actually. I'd love to have that happen, though I tend to be kinda shy lol.

[TofuPower]

People doing a melodramatic yucky-dance when I mention I kept snakes and rats...even moving away from me.  I mean geez, they're not in my pockets or anything. o_O

 

I've always kept the ant thing a secret for the most part...mainly because people talk down to me like it's a kid thing, saying "yeah, I had an ant farm, too, when I was a child." Then, I embarrass myself further trying to justify it as a legitimate and intricate hobby. 

 

But, my cover was blown at work when I lost my $%!^ after a queen ant crawled out of a box we'd just opened from Brazil.  BRAZIL!!!  I'm in the USA where it's illegal to get queens just about any way other than your back yard, so an imported queen from South America was like finding gold!  I never had her ID'd, and she turned out to be a dud, but my co-workers still talk about it to this day.

[Mdrogun]

 

 

I've always kept the ant thing a secret for the most part...mainly because people talk down to me like it's a kid thing, saying "yeah, I had an ant farm, too, when I was a child." Then, I embarrass myself further trying to justify it as a legitimate and intricate hobby. 

 

 

 

The one time I tried to tell a couple of my friends about keeping ants this was the response I got. 

[Roachant]

Yeah, I tend to keep odd pets myself which makes people think I'm weird.

Most reactions range from "wow, interesting" to " gross, no I don't want to see that!"

Years ago I had some hissing cockroaches and one time one escaped. We had a garage sale and sure enough, some guy found it in a box alive and hissing. When he saw it he went to get his wife and she literally screamed bloody murder when she saw it. But then as I picked it up to take it away the husband offered to buy it! I declined because I didn't think he would care for it properly, he probably just wanted to scare people with it.

Right now I have four aquariums three of which I keep freshwater snails (Apple snails rabbit snails, assassin snails, Malaysian trumpet snails) shrimp (cherry and Amano) and I have a razorback musk turtle ( which I highly recommend if someone wants a turtle for a pet ) and I converted my marine tank back to freshwater to keep weather loaches (yeah that is wierd I'll admit but they have such cool personalities!) I also have two Abyssinian cats. Of all my pets the ones that get The most attention from visitors are probably the ants (apart from the cats).

I keep the weird animals because I find them interesting and I like to talk about them to people to remind them that they have their place in this world.
Many of the weirder animals get left out of conservation efforts because people just don't know about them.
I kind of feel sorry for them, just because they are not as cute as a panda doesn't mean they aren't as important.

Edited by Roachant, May 4 2016 - 5:52 PM.

[LC3]

When you find a queen ant but have no tubes and must improvise so you put it somewhere obvious. (i.e a lunchbox or waterbottle) and someone notices and freaks out or something and you have to explain it to them..

 

 

Always bring a test tube or pill bottle with you

[Crystals]

People doing a melodramatic yucky-dance when I mention I kept snakes and rats...even moving away from me.  I mean geez, they're not in my pockets or anything. o_O

 

I've always kept the ant thing a secret for the most part...mainly because people talk down to me like it's a kid thing, saying "yeah, I had an ant farm, too, when I was a child." Then, I embarrass myself further trying to justify it as a legitimate and intricate hobby.

Hilarious.  I have seen many ladies do "the dance" if I mention spiders.  I never understood it.

 

I am not too worried about the ant thing, I just mention I have them in a museum style setup and that they are quite educational as they all get along and are easier to keep than fish.  If all else fails, I mention that my large personal colonies are worth over $100 and that impresses them - and shocks them - every time. 

 

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The funniest non-ant story probably involves our two cats.  Our cousins came over to visit, and being in the country the cats go in and out by waiting for us to open the kitchen door.  And they go in and out a lot when we have company - about every 5-10min one comes.  My cousin took the chair by the door and had been playing door-man to the cats for about 3 hours and at one point he let in a cat and I commented, "uh, the cat you let in was not our cat."  The look on his face was priceless. 

It never even occurred to him that the grey cat he let in looked nothing like our two.

 

We used to babysit it when our neighbor was gone, so it was used to our house and seemed to think it belonged there - we are pretty sure it just liked our cat food better.  Took us a few minutes to catch it though. 

[dermy]

Everyone around me just doesn't care what I keep, I tell them I keep ants, and they just don't seem to care. In fact people ask me stuff all the time about ants, like why there are big huge ants all over the place and when you tell them it's Carpenter ant queens they freak out and think they'll eat their houses and all the wood in the town is in danger of being destroyed.... even though it happens every year, and I have yet to see any noticeable damages... People over-react here a lot.

Edited by dermy, May 5 2016 - 4:34 AM.

[AntsTexas]

someone came up to me when i was queen hunting and asked if i lost something, i then said  i'm looking for my ant hav u seen her, lol

[yen_saw]

 <---- This. 

[Loops117]

I show everyone at my work my bug collection. Some are interested, and i've made a new hobbyist out of them. The best reactions are when I'm the only adult digging through the dirt at parks. Although i can't hear them, the looks are fun. I'm no stranger to crazy reactions though. Usually, if they can get past my ears, they don't mind what i'm going to tell them.

[bryancurtis8]

I used to have a emperor scorpion and my mom was really scared of it but she would always stand in front of the aquarium staring at it and sometimes crying lol. It was pretty funny because it was in my room all the way in the back wall and she would just go in to do that.

[Foogoo]

someone came up to me when i was queen hunting and asked if i lost something, i then said  i'm looking for my ant hav u seen her, lol

I went out once on an apparently popular hiking trail and had at least 10 people ask if I was ok or looking for something. 

[Okeedoke22]

No one has asked me straight out what are you doing. They have looked at me like I was crazy. haha. 1 time a guy was honking at me from his car like what is your problem. I just waved him off like don't bother me and he kept it moving.  

 

When I told my brother he was 100% on board which was surprising cause he is not into bugs. He came with me and was actually a big help. He really could care less what people think and he is not afraid of confrontation at all.  My wife even participates. She does say we need to say we are Myrmecologists or entomologist if someone asked what are we doing. My wife does not go anywhere near spiders though. 

 

We also have had snakes, hamsters and frogs. I had a pet Tarantula but the wife wouldn't let it in the house so I kept it at my parents house. 

[Vendayn]

Yeah, I've had some people honk at me here when looking for ants too lol. I just ignore it. That and "did you lose something?" is a common one. And just as common "are you okay?"

It probably doesn't help I look like a hippy with my long hair and beard, that needs to be shaved and cut.

[Canadian anter]

When I had to go see my great grandma overseas I asked one of my closer friends to take care of my saturniidae for me.
Me:Mind If you help me take care of some moths?
Friend:WHY DO YOU TAKE CARE OF INVERTEBRATES?!??!?!?!!!!!
Me:Are you sayings I should take care of vertebrates?
Friend:Yes! Why don't you take care of vertebrates?!
Me:Inverts can go around spraying formic acid, grow 4000x their size in a week,self destruct,have lightning fast reflexes, can peirce skin and fly up to 200k/h?
Friend: Vertebrates can ummm Ummm ummm... THAT'S RACIST!
Me:it isn't...
Friend:To bad I win this debate!
(I taught him that trick to win a debate and he did agree)

[Canadian anter]

When you find a queen ant but have no tubes and must improvise so you put it somewhere obvious. (i.e a lunchbox or waterbottle) and someone notices and freaks out or something and you have to explain it to them..
 
 
Always bring a test tube or pill bottle with you

So true!

[Canadian anter]

One day I found 27 myrmica queens at school and I was running around looking for containers.People thought I was crazy and it was the first day of school at a new school.BEST FIRST IMPRESSION EVER

[LC3]

One day I found 27 myrmica queens at school and I was running around looking for containers.People thought I was crazy and it was the first day of school at a new school.BEST FIRST IMPRESSION EVER

27 Myrmica queens , Awesome! Did you get any?