This is a full tutorial video on how to raise an ant colony from start to finish. Hope it helps you raise your own ant colony successfully. Ant keeping is a fun, educational, and rewarding hobby that inspires a love for nature, responsibility, and conservation. Ant love forever! This video was shot in 4K Ultra HD resolution.
How to Raise an Ant Colony 101 | The Ultimate Guide to Keeping Pet Ants
Have you ever thought about what it might be like to keep pet ants?
Or maybe you think: Ew, why would anyone find the idea of ant-keeping appealing?
Well, today, we’ll take a quick break from our usual ant stories on this channel to teach you how to start, feed, house, grow, and care for your pet ant colony. I promise by the end, you’ll be an ant-keeping pro and understand why millions of us ant keepers around the world have fallen in love with keeping ants as pets.
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Overview
Alright, whether you’re curious and want to get started in ant-keeping, or you’ve been lucky enough to find a queen ant this nuptial flight season and want to know your next steps, this ultimate in-depth tutorial will take you through all the basics of ant-keeping. You’ll learn what to look out for, what you need, and what to expect, as well as answers to your most frequently asked questions to set you on the right path in your ant-keeping journey.
And also, guys, keep on watching until the end for our special AC Ant Farm Kit giveaway from AntsCanada.com!
Now, let me begin by saying that if you look deep enough on this channel, I have a ton of helpful tutorials on various ant-keeping topics. It’s actually how this channel started! So, for all you O.G. subscribers, this video might feel nostalgic.
I will try my best to compile everything you need to know about ant-keeping in this one video, but after watching, feel free to check out my full AC Ant Tutorial Playlist to deep dive into specific topics. Or even better, if you really want to become an ant-keeping expert, I highly recommend picking up our newly revised Ultimate Ant Keeping Handbook eBook from our shop at AntsCanada.com. This guide has helped hundreds of thousands of aspiring ant keepers get started and even contains information on specific commonly kept ant species.
Getting Started in Ant-Keeping!
Beginner Ant Species
One of the most common questions I get is:
What is a good beginner ant species?
My answer is simple—whatever species of ant you commonly see outside your home.
Growing up in Toronto, Canada, I would often see pavement ants (Tetramorium), carpenter ants (Camponotus), black field ants (Formica), and garden ants (Lasius).
Whatever ants you commonly find outside your home are already adapted to your local weather conditions, water quality, and food sources. This makes your ant-keeping experience much easier! Plus, if they’re common, finding a queen of that species will be easier.
We never recommend buying ants online from outside your country for a number of reasons, which I outline in another tutorial. Plus, if you ever can’t keep your ants anymore, releasing locally caught ants will have no negative impact on your local ecosystem.
Getting a Queen Ant
To start an ant colony, you need a queen ant—she lays the eggs and keeps your colony growing for years.
There are three ways to get one:
1.Digging up a wild colony (hardest option) – Workers will hide the queen well, and you risk injuring her.
2.Catching a newly mated queen ant after a nuptial flight (best option).
3.Visiting the “Queen Ants for Sale” section on AntsCanada.com, where real ant keepers in your city or region list colonies for sale.
This method is ecological and ethical, as it helps responsibly source your queen ant.
If you want to start from scratch, here’s how to catch a queen ant.
Catching a Queen Ant
Every Spring and Summer, virgin reproductive queens and male ants (alates) leave their nests, fly into the air, and mate.
Every species has a specific mating flight period during the year. After mating, the queens fall to the ground, break off their wings, and search for a place to start a colony. The males die, as they are no longer needed. (So sad, but true! 😢)
Your goal is to find these mated queen ants—preferably ones with their wings broken off, though some queens keep their wings permanently.
How do you know if it’s a queen ant?
•Larger than worker ants.
•Has wing scars on her thorax.
•Has a larger thorax than regular workers.
• Has a larger abdomen.
I have more in-depth tutorials on this topic, so check out our AC Ant Tutorial Playlist if you need help.
Test Tube Setup
Once you catch a queen, place her in a test tube setup—a simple yet effective home that mimics the burrow she would have made underground.
A test tube setup consists of:
•A test tube with water sectioned off by cotton on one side.
•A cotton ball plugging the tube’s opening.
This test tube will be her home for the next few months (or even a year), depending on colony growth speed.
If you need test tubes, AntsCanada.com offers extra spacious, non-rolling test tubes designed specifically for ant-keeping.
Ant Diet
Ants need two types of food:
1.Carbs & Sugars (e.g., sugar water, honey, nectar, fruits, seeds).
2.Protein (e.g., feeder insects like crickets, mealworms, or roaches).
⚠️ Never feed wild-caught insects—they may carry pesticides that can kill your ants!
Ant Farms
Ant farms come in three main types:
1.Digging Ant Farms – Ants dig tunnels (e.g., AC Ant Tower).
2.Non-Digging Ant Farms – Pre-made chambers (e.g., AC Hybrid Nest).
3.Terrariums – Natural environments where ants dig in real soil.
You can also create hybrid setups combining these three styles.
⚠️ Avoid gel ant farms! These are harmful to ants.
Maintenance & Care
Ant-keeping is low maintenance at first but becomes busier as the colony grows.
Key tasks include:
•Feeding (sugar & protein sources).
•Cleaning (removing uneaten food to prevent mold).
• Providing fresh water.
•Regulating temperature (warmer temps = faster growth).
Conclusion
Overall, ants are fascinating pets. Once you get your first colony thriving, you’ll understand why millions of people love this hobby!
Thank you for watching, and best of luck on your ant-keeping journey!
It’s ant love forever! 🐜💖
AC Question of the Week
Last week, we asked:
🧐 What makes this future fire ant home special?
🎉 Congratulations to Lee Ming, who answered:
👉 The whole AC Family is building it together, poll by poll!
This week’s question:
❓ What is a nuptial flight?
💬 Leave your answer in the comments section for a chance to win an AC Ant Tower Small Deluxe Kit + Ultimate Ant Keeping Handbook eBook from our shop!
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🐜 It’s ant love forever!