How To Raise An Ant Colony! | BRUMA Ants

Summary

This video script offers an in-depth guide for beginners interested in ant keeping as a hobby. It covers the history, benefits, and practical steps to start an ant colony from scratch, including catching a queen ant during a nuptial flight and setting up a test tube environment. The script also highlights common mistakes to avoid, emphasizing the importance of patience and proper research on the species' needs for successful ant keeping.

Takeaways

• 🐜 Ant keeping is a hobby where ants are kept as pets, involving observing their behavior and helping them establish colonies.
• 📈 The hobby gained mainstream popularity in the mid-1950s with Milton Levine's ant farm invention, which sold over twelve million units.
• 👀 Ants are fascinating to watch due to their highly organized systems and complex activities within the colony, making them educational and mesmerizing pets.
• 🚫 Ants require minimal maintenance compared to traditional pets, needing only weekly care and a proper environment to thrive.
• 💰 Keeping ants is an inexpensive hobby, with the potential to create an ant farm for less than $1 using household materials.
• 👶 Ant keeping is suitable for children, offering a fun and educational experience while teaching responsibility.
• 🏡 Ants can be easily found in various environments, including backyards, parks, and sometimes even inside homes.
• 👸 Capturing a queen ant, especially during a 'nuptial flight', is the first step in starting an ant colony.
• 🌡 Understanding the specific environmental needs of an ant species, such as temperature and humidity, is crucial for successful ant keeping.
• 🧪 A test tube setup with water and a cotton ball provides an ideal starting environment for a queen ant to lay eggs and establish a colony.
• 📝 Beginners should avoid common mistakes like insufficient research, frequent disturbance, overestimating growth pace, moving colonies too soon, and buying exotic ants without proper knowledge.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is about ant keeping as a hobby, including how to start an ant colony, catch a queen ant, and the various aspects of maintaining an ant colony.

Who is Milton Levine and what is his contribution to ant keeping?

Milton Levine is a famous entrepreneur who created one of the best-selling toys of all time: the Uncle Milton's ant farm. His invention helped popularize the hobby of ant keeping in the mid-1950s.

What is a 'sandwich ant nest setup' and how does it benefit ant keepers?

A 'sandwich ant nest setup' is a type of ant farm construction using two transparent panels separated by a small space filled with dirt. It allows ant keepers to clearly observe the ants digging tunnels and all activities inside the formicarium.

Why did the hobby of ant keeping experience an explosion in popularity in the last decade?

The hobby of ant keeping saw an explosion in popularity due to the viral contagion among the general public, leading to the establishment of companies specializing in building and selling products dedicated to ant keeping.

What are some reasons why someone might want to keep ants as pets?

Ants are fascinating to watch, low-maintenance, inexpensive to keep, great for kids, and easy to find, making them an appealing choice for those interested in an alternative pet.

What is a 'nuptial flight' and why is it important for ant keepers?

A 'nuptial flight', also known as a mating flight, is a behavior where male insects fly high to attract potential mates. It is important for ant keepers as it provides an opportunity to catch queen ants to start a new colony.

How can one determine if a nuptial flight is likely to occur?

One can determine if a nuptial flight is likely by observing factors such as temperature, humidity, and time of day, which are often favorable during hot and humid summer nights following rainstorms.

What is the purpose of a test tube setup in ant keeping?

A test tube setup provides a comfortable and safe space for a newly mated queen ant, replicating the environment of a 'claustral chamber' in nature, facilitating the monitoring of the queen's progress.

What should one do after catching a queen ant?

After catching a queen ant, one should place her in a test tube setup that has been prepared to provide the right environment for her to lay eggs and start a colony.

What are the differences between fully claustral and semi-claustral queen ants?

Fully claustral queen ants can start a new colony without needing to forage for food, using nutrients from their body. Semi-claustral queens, however, need to forage for food even during the founding stage.

Why is patience important for a beginner in ant keeping?

Patience is important because the growth of an ant colony is not linear but exponential, starting slow and picking up pace as the colony grows. Beginners often overestimate the pace of growth and need to allow the queen time to lay eggs and the colony to develop.

What is the advice for beginners regarding the size of the nest for a new ant colony?

For beginners, it is advised to keep the queen ant or a very small colony in a test tube setup rather than a large nest, as a smaller nest makes the queen feel safer and less stressed.

Why should beginners start with a local species of ants rather than exotic ones?

Beginners should start with a local species because it is easier to recreate their natural environment due to familiarity with the local climate and conditions, and it reduces the risk of making mistakes due to lack of knowledge.

Outlines

00:00

🐜 Introduction to Ant Keeping

This paragraph introduces the concept of ant keeping as a hobby, explaining its origins from Milton Levine's ant farm toy in the 1950s to its current status as a popular and evolving hobby. It highlights the fascination with ants, their organized behavior, and the opportunity for viewers to learn everything needed to start their own ant colonies from scratch, including catching a queen ant and setting up an ant farm.

05:03

👑 The Importance of Queen Ants in Colony Foundation

This section delves into the specifics of capturing a queen ant, which is essential for starting an ant colony. It explains the concept of a 'nuptial flight,' the mating behavior of ants, and how to identify and capture a queen ant during this event. The paragraph also discusses the unpredictability of nuptial flights and the environmental conditions that may trigger them, providing tips on how to prepare for and respond to a nuptial flight to successfully capture a queen.

10:06

🧪 Setting Up a Test Tube Environment for a Queen Ant

The paragraph describes the process of creating a test tube setup, which serves as an initial home for a newly caught queen ant. It details the materials needed, the steps to fill the test tube with water and insert a cotton ball to maintain humidity, and the importance of cleanliness to prevent bacterial growth. The setup mimics the queen's natural 'claustral chamber' and allows for easy monitoring of the queen's progress in laying eggs and starting her colony.

15:07

🍯 Post-Capture Care for Queen Ants and Their Diet Considerations

This section addresses the care of a queen ant after capture, emphasizing the need for a proper environment with adequate humidity and a water source. It discusses the difference between fully claustral and semi-claustral queens, the latter requiring food during the founding stage. The paragraph suggests offering a drop of honey to the queen for energy and provides guidance on creating a calm and stable environment for the queen to lay her eggs and establish the colony.

20:08

📋 Common Pitfalls for Beginners in Ant Keeping

The final paragraph offers a list of the top five mistakes often made by beginners in ant keeping, such as insufficient research on ant species, excessive disturbance of the queen, overestimating colony growth rates, moving the colony to a larger nest too soon, and the temptation to start with exotic ant species. It stresses the importance of patience, research, and starting with local species to gain experience before venturing into more complex ant keeping scenarios.

Keywords

💡Ant Keeping

Ant keeping is the hobby of maintaining ants as pets, typically within a controlled environment like an ant farm. It is the central theme of the video, which aims to educate viewers on how to start and manage an ant colony. The script introduces ant keeping as an 'amazing and underrated hobby' with a history dating back to the mid-1950s, highlighting its growth and the availability of specialized products for enthusiasts.

💡Formicarium

A formicarium is a specialized enclosure for keeping ants, often made of transparent materials to allow observation of the colony's activities. In the script, it is mentioned as the space where ants 'dig tunnels in the dirt' and is integral to the hobby, providing a window into the ants' complex social structure and behaviors.

💡Nuptial Flight

Nuptial flight, also known as mating flight, is a term used to describe the reproductive behavior of certain ant species where males and females mate in the air. The script explains this as a crucial phase for ant keepers to catch queen ants, which is essential for starting a new ant colony.

💡Queen Ant

The queen ant is the reproductive female in an ant colony, responsible for laying eggs and starting new colonies. The video script emphasizes the importance of capturing a queen ant for beginning the ant-keeping process, detailing how to identify and capture her during a nuptial flight.

💡Claustral Chamber

A claustral chamber is a small, secluded space where a queen ant begins to lay eggs and start a new colony. The script describes how a test tube setup can mimic this natural environment, providing the necessary conditions for the queen to establish her colony.

💡Test Tube Setup

A test tube setup is a simple and effective method for housing a new ant colony, consisting of a test tube filled with water and a cotton ball to separate the water from the living area. The script provides a step-by-step guide on creating this setup, which is vital for the queen ant's initial survival and reproduction.

💡Founding Stage

The founding stage refers to the initial phase of an ant colony's life when the queen ant starts to lay eggs and raise the first generation of workers. The video script discusses the importance of providing the right conditions during this stage, such as a proper test tube setup and minimal disturbance.

💡Fully Claustral

Fully claustral refers to a type of queen ant that does not need to forage for food during the founding stage, using its own body reserves to sustain itself and its offspring. The script explains the difference between fully claustral and semi-claustral queens, which is important for determining feeding needs during the colony's early development.

💡Myrmecology

Myrmecology is the scientific study of ants. The script mentions that many scientists and myrmecologists view ant colonies as 'giant single organisms' with complex social structures, indicating the depth of study and fascination with these creatures.

💡Common Mistakes

The script concludes with a list of common mistakes made by beginner ant keepers, such as not doing enough research about a species, checking the queen ant too frequently, and overestimating the pace of colony growth. These points serve as practical advice to help new enthusiasts avoid pitfalls in their ant-keeping journey.

💡Exotic Ants

Exotic ants in the script refer to ant species that are unusual or not native to the keeper's local environment. The video advises beginners to start with local species due to the ease of replicating their natural habitat and the availability of information, reserving exotic species for more experienced keepers.

Highlights

Ant keeping is a growing hobby where ants are kept as pets, with a history dating back to the mid-1950s and the creation of the ant farm by Milton Levine.

Ant farms typically use a sandwich nest setup allowing clear observation of the ants' activities.

The hobby has evolved with companies now specializing in products for ant keeping, including nests, food, and ants themselves.

Ants are considered fascinating pets due to their highly organized societies and complex behaviors.

Ants require minimal maintenance, making them suitable for busy individuals and families.

Keeping ants is an inexpensive hobby, with the potential to create an ant farm for less than $1 using household materials.

Ant keeping can be an educational experience for children, teaching them about responsibility and the life of ants.

Ants are easily found in various environments, including backyards, parks, and sometimes even inside homes.

A nuptial flight is a mating behavior where male ants fly high to attract females, crucial for ant keepers to catch queen ants.

Nuptial flights are influenced by factors such as temperature, humidity, and time of day, and often occur after rainstorms.

To catch a queen ant during a nuptial flight, positioning downwind of the swarm and using a plastic container can be effective.

A test tube setup with water and a cotton ball provides a suitable environment for a queen ant to lay eggs and start a colony.

After catching a queen, it's important to transfer her to a test tube setup rather than keeping her in a small plastic container.

The feeding needs of a queen ant depend on whether she is fully claustral or semi-claustral, with the former not requiring immediate food.

Patience is key in ant keeping, as the growth of a colony can be slow initially and requires a quiet and stable environment for the queen.

Beginners in ant keeping should avoid common mistakes such as insufficient research, frequent checks on the queen, and moving the colony too soon.

Starting with a local ant species is recommended for beginners to learn the basics before considering more exotic species.

Transcripts

Do you want to start keeping ants as pets,  but you have no idea where to start? Well,

I have some good news for you!  You just found the right video!

Let’s get right into it!

Hi guys! I hope you’re doing well!  Welcome back to the BRUMA Ants channel!

As you saw in the intro, today we’re going to  go through everything you need to know about ant

keeping! What is ant keeping, how to start an ant  colony, how to catch a queen ant, and much more!

By the end of this video, you will have all the  information needed to start an ant colony from

scratch, starting from a newly mated queen ant,  all the way to a large and prosperous ant empire!

But no more talk! Let’s start exploring  this fantastic and underrated hobby right

from the beginning! What Is Ant Keeping?

In a nutshell, ant keeping is nothing  more than a term to indicate the hobby

of keeping ants as pets. Yeah, you heard  right! Ants as pets! All around the world,

more and more people are starting to  join this amazing and underrated hobby!

This unusual hobby started to become mainstream in  the mid-1950s, thanks to the famous entrepreneur

Milton Levine. As a kid, he liked to watch  the ants work relentlessly all day long,

digging tunnels in his backyard and going  up and down the driveway in search of food.

As an adult, he created one of the best-selling  toys of all time: the uncle Milton's ant farm!

The ant farm was built using the  so-called sandwich ant nest setup,

which consists of two transparent panels  placed together, separated by a small space

filled with dirt. With this cool type of  setup, the ant keeper can watch the ants

dig tunnels in the dirt, and can clearly see  everything that happens inside the formicarium!

The toy was so successful, that during the

next two decades Levine sold  over twelve million of them!

Since then, the hobby of ant keeping has  grown at a steady pace, evolving from a

simple kid pastime, to an actual hobby enjoyed  by thousands of people all around the world!

In the last decade, the hobby saw an  unusual explosion in popularity among

the general public. The viral contagion  was so big, that now there are actual

companies specialized in building and selling  products dedicated to ant keeping! Nests,

ant food, accessories, and  even the ants themselves!

Every year more and more companies  start to dedicate their entire time to

facilitating the job of the ant keepers,  creating amazingly engineered products,

and attracting more and more people to the hobby!

But why this obsession with  keeping ants as pets? After all,

there are much better animals to keep as  pets! Right? Well, if you’re not already

completely sure about this, let me try  to convince you why you should keep these

tiny lovely creatures as your pets! Why You Should Keep Ants As Pets

To better understand why ants are considered  to be extremely cool and interesting pets,

let’s list five important points  in favor of this unusual practice!

Reason Number 1: Ants are fascinating to watch!

One of the biggest reasons to keep ants  as pets, is that they are incredibly

interesting to watch! Ant colonies are one of  the best-organized systems of the animal kingdom!

Ants like to work together to do all  the activities needed to properly run

a formicarium! They build intricate nests and  amazing structures, go outside to forage for food,

and take care of the brood, which one day  will turn into the next generation of workers!

Lots of scientists and myrmecologists consider  ant colonies to be like giant single organisms,

in which the various components  play different key roles in the

well-being of the colony! Watching an ant  colony go about its daily activities can

be really mesmerizing! And  also extremely educational!

Reason Number 2: Ants are low-maintenance pets!

Unlike traditional pets, such  as dogs, cats, and birds,

ants do not require much maintenance. Actually,  they barely require any! As long as they have

a proper environment and access to food,  they will thrive without much intervention.

Ants only need to be maintained  approximately once a week,

during which you need to feed them and, if  desired, clean their setup. For this reason,

this makes them the perfect pet option  for busy individuals and families!

Reason Number 3: Ants are inexpensive to keep!

Another great advantage of keeping ants as pets,

is that they are very inexpensive to  care for! In fact, you can make your

own ant farm for less than $1 using materials  that you probably already have lying around

your house! This makes them a great pet choice  for individuals or families on a tight budget!

Reason Number 4: Ants are great for kids!

If you have kids in your house,

keeping ants as pets can be a really  fun and educational experience for them!

It allows them to learn about  these fascinating creatures,

understanding every aspect of the life  of a worker ant inside the colony!

It can even help to teach them about  responsibility and caring for others!

Reason Number 5: Ants are easy to find!

Unlike some other exotic pets,  ants are relatively easy to find!

As you know very well, you can find ants  almost everywhere! In your own backyard,

in a nearby park, under the pavements,  and sometimes, even inside your house!

As you can see, there are plenty of good  reasons to keep ants as your pets! They

are one of the most fascinating animals to  watch, they require very low maintenance,

are inexpensive to keep, are great for  kids, and are extremely easy to find!

After this long list of convincing reasons,

I’m pretty sure you can’t wait to start  growing your own ant colony all by yourself!

Now that you know what ant keeping is,  and all the reasons to love this hobby,

we can jump to the most important part of this  guide! Finding the first member of your future

ant empire, the queen ant! How To Catch A Queen Ant

As you probably already know, she is the most  important component of an ant colony, and in

order to start our own little ant empire, we first  need to get our hands on a newly mated queen ant!

But how do I catch a queen ant?

To answer this important question, let's  start by explaining what a nuptial flight is!

What Is A Nuptial Flight?

A nuptial flight, also known as a mating flight,  is a behavior exhibited by certain species of

insects in which the males fly high into the air  in order to locate and attract potential mates.

This behavior is most commonly seen in ants,  termites, and some species of bees and beetles.

During a nuptial flight, the males release lots  of pheromones, which are particular types of

chemicals that are used to communicate  with other members of their species,

in order to attract females. The  males often fly in large groups,

creating a "swarm" that can be  easily spotted by potential mates.

Once a female has been located and attracted  to the swarm, she mates with one or more of

the males, before returning to the ground to  start a new colony. In some species, the males

die shortly after mating, while in others they  continue to live and mate with multiple females.

Nuptial flights are a crucial part of the  reproductive cycle for the majority of

species of insects, and play a crucial  role in their ability to reproduce and

populate new areas. For us ant keepers,  this is an extremely important phase,

as it provides us with an opportunity  to catch lots of queen ants!

One important thing to point out is that  not all ant species have nuptial flights,

and not all areas will experience them at the same  time. These mating flights happen under rare and

specific circumstances, such as the right humidity  levels, temperatures, and time of the day.

Now that we know what a nuptial flight is,

let’s discuss how to spot them,  and what factors make them happen.

How Do I Know When A Nuptial Flight Will Happen?

Predicting the exact timing and  location of a nuptial flight can

be a very challenging activity.  However, there are a few general

indicators that can help you determine  if a nuptial flight is likely to occur.

Many species of insects are sensitive  to changes in temperature and humidity,

and will only engage in nuptial flights  when conditions are favorable. For example,

some species of ants only mate when the  temperature is above a certain threshold,

while others mate when there’s a  high level of humidity in the air.

As a general rule, most species of ants tend  to swarm during hot and humid summer nights,

which typically occur after strong and  persistent rainstorms. In these conditions,

the environment is typically very wet and humid,

making it an ideal time for ants to engage  in this spectacular mating behavior.

In these rare circumstances, you will  likely see massive swarms of winged ants

flying near street lamps, attracted  by their strong and bright light.

Now you may be wondering:

OK, but what should I do when I see a  swarm like the one you just described?

Let’s jump to the next phase!

What Should I Do During A Nuptial Flight?

This is finally our chance  to get our first queen ant!

From personal experience, I would suggest you  catch more than one queen at a time, as it’s very

likely that not all of them will be fertile, and  not all of them will survive the founding stage.

In order to catch our queen during  the nuptial flight, it is essential

to have the right equipment on hand. A little  plastic container like this one is essential

for capturing the queen, and will function  as a momentary home for our precious ant.

Once you have your equipment ready, it is  time to head out near the swarm. If possible,

try to position yourself downwind of the swarm,

as this will give you a better chance of  intercepting the queen as she flies by.

Queen ants are very easy to identify.  They are usually a lot larger than males,

and they also have a bigger gaster and thorax.

When you spot a queen on the  ground or on some nearby plant,

gently sweep your little container in front of  her, and try to capture her without hurting her.

If you are successful, congratulations!  You just caught your first queen ant!

Now it’s time to find her a proper house, where  she can settle down and start her little ant

empire! Let’s jump to the next chapter! How To Prepare a Test Tube Setup

The test tube setup is probably the  easiest and most effective way to

create a comfortable and safe space for  a newly mated queen ant! In a nutshell,

the test tube setup is nothing more than  a normal test tube filled with water,

with a cotton ball dividing the water section  from the living chamber! Yeah, it’s that simple!

In the wild, after mating with a male, the queen  starts searching for a small and quiet space,

probably in the soil, where she can  start to lay eggs. This tiny space

is called “claustral chamber”, and it’s  the starting point of every ant empire!

This simple type of setup creates an environment  very similar to the one they experience in nature

inside the claustral chamber, replicating the  same amount of humidity, space, and light.

The test tube setup also gives the ant  keeper the chance to see inside the chamber,

facilitating the monitoring of the situation and  progress of your beloved founding queen ants!

But no more talk! Let’s see how we can make  this very powerful type of ant keeping setup!

For preparing a test tube setup,  we’re going to need a test tube,

a pipette, some cotton, and  a long stick of some sort.

Test tubes come in a lot of sizes. The main  factor for deciding which size is right for you,

is the size of the queen you want to  put in there. For most species of ants,

a standard-size test tube will do the trick.

Don’t worry if you don’t have the exact  recommended size for your species, the queen

is very adaptable, and will surely lay eggs even  in a slightly smaller or slightly larger chamber!

When you have your test tube, the  first thing you have to do is fill up

about half of it with clean cold water.  You can do it directly from a bottle,

from the faucet, or by using a  pipette, just like I am doing.

Once you have the water in the  test tube, you can then insert

a little piece of cotton. To push the  cotton ball all the way to the water,

you can use a wooden skewer or some sort  of plastic tool, like the one I am using.

This way the cotton will keep the  water from drowning your queen,

whilst supplying the chamber with the right amount  of moisture! The queen will also be able to drink

from the cotton with no problem, eliminating  the need for an external source of water.

Be sure to wash your hands carefully  before touching the water or the cotton,

we don’t want bacteria and mold to  start infesting the nest! If you want,

you can make the test tube feel even more similar  to a real claustral chamber by wrapping it with

some type of dark paper! I like to use  tinfoil, which does the job swiftly!

If you like the idea of storing all of  your test tubes in the same location,

I would suggest you check out  this other tutorial! In this one,

I explain in detail how to make a test tube  holder out of cardboard, just like this one!

In the event you mess up the process, or  you just need to retrieve the cotton plug

inside the test tube, you can take it  out by using a pair of long tweezers,

like the one commonly used in fish tank setups!

Simply insert it inside the test tube and  close it, pulling out the cotton ball!

One thing I’ve learned from experience, is that  if you put the cotton ball into the test tube very

slowly, you will probably end up having some  air bubbles between the water and the cotton.

To avoid this issue, simply insert the cotton  pretty fast, blocking the bubbles from forming!

If you are wondering how the ants are  gonna breathe, don't worry, there will

be sufficient airflow through the cotton for  the ants to survive for a very long time!

That’s it! You just made  a perfect test tube setup!

Now we can jump to the next chapter, where  you're gonna learn all the steps you need to

do after catching your first queen ant! What To Do After Catching A Queen Ant

Catching your very first queen ant can be an  amazing and fulfilling experience for an ant

keeper, especially if you are new to this  fantastic hobby! Watching the queen care

for the first generation of workers is an  extremely relaxing and enjoyable pastime,

and makes you really appreciate how cool  and smart these tiny animals can be!

But what should you do after catching your very  first queen ant? Let’s start with the first step!

Where Should I Put Her?

Ok, you just caught your first queen ant, and now  she’s probably sitting inside some sort of small

plastic container like this one. These types  of containers are not very good for housing

a small ant colony in its founding stage, and  they can actually create more harm than good!

They lack the right amount of humidity,  and they don’t have a proper water source.

They are also very difficult to maintain, as  the living space of the colony is extremely

limited. For these important reasons, we need  to create a better founding nest alternative,

one which has a water source, some  moisture, and it’s easy to maintain.

And here’s where the test tube we  made before comes into play! Now

that we have our founding nest ready,  we can finally move the queen into it!

To do that, just remove the cotton ball  to open the setup, and gently make your

queen find the path to the test tube.  Try to make this as safe as possible,

as we definitely don’t want to  harm the queen in the process!

When the queen is in, reclose the  test tube with the cotton ball.

Fantastic! Now our queen has a proper home,

where she can start to lay  eggs and raise her own colony!

In the next step, we’re going to  answer another frequently asked

question regarding this important  founding stage! Let’s continue!

Should I Feed The Queen?

To answer this important question, we  first need to understand the difference

between fully claustral and semi-claustral queens.

A fully claustral ant is a type of queen ant that  is able to start a new colony without needing to

forage for food. That’s because this particular  type of queen is able to use the nutrients

she already has in her body to feed herself  and her first few generations of offspring.

This useful characteristic allows the queen to  establish a new colony in a location where food

is not readily available, increasing the  chance of surviving the founding period.

On the other hand, a semi-claustral queen  is a type of queen ant that doesn’t have

this ability, and needs to forage for  food even during her founding stage.

Now that we know the differences between  these two types of founding options,

we need to check whether our queen is  fully claustral or not. To do that,

we have to find out which species  of ant our queen belongs to.

If you don’t know it yet, you can ask a  question in one of the many online forums

dedicated to ant keeping, sending them some  pictures of your newly caught queen. When

you have the name of the species, check online  whether she’s a fully claustral species or not.

As a general rule, you can check the gaster of  the queen. If it’s large and voluminous compared

to the rest of her body, she’s likely fully  claustral. On the other hand, if the gaster is

small and thin, she’s probably semi-claustral,  and needs to be fed during the founding stage.

However, even if the queen you just caught is  fully-claustral, I would suggest you give them

a little drop of honey. This little sugar  boost will help the queen stay energized

during the long founding period, and will also  help her first workers during their first days!

Now we can put the test tube setup and our  little queen ant in a safe and quiet place,

giving her the time to lay her first batch of eggs  and start her own ant colony! This can take from a

couple of days if you are lucky, to up to a couple  of months if the queen doesn’t feel quite safe!

The most important thing right now  is to let the queen do her job in

a comfortable and quiet space,  without any type of loud noises,

vibrations, or rapid light changes.  Remember: patience is your best ally!

Now you have all the information needed to  start your first ant colony from scratch,

starting from a single newly mated queen ant!

I think that one of the most useful pieces  of information that a beginner can get to

get better at doing something, is a list of  the most common mistakes that newbies make!

For this reason, before ending the guide, I want  also give you a list of 5 of the most common

mistakes beginners make when starting this hobby  for the first time! Let’s get right to the list!

5 Most Common Mistakes In Ant Keeping Let’s start by saying this: Everyone makes

mistakes. Every time you start an activity for  the first time, you have a ton of information

to go through! This is the reason I think  this list of mistakes is very important,

and if you are new to ant keeping, I’m sure  you will find it extremely useful! Let’s begin!

Mistake number 1: Don’t do  enough research about a species

As you probably already know, the world  is full of different species of ants!

All around the world there are more  than 12,000 of them! They are a lot!

Some of them live on top of the tallest mountains,

in extremely harsh weather conditions!  Others live at the heart of the hotter

deserts, in an environment with the  highest temperature on the planet!

So, as you can imagine, every ant has their own  specific requirements. Things like temperature,

humidity, and food types can vary a  lot between different species of ants.

Your job, as an ant keeper, is to research  as much as possible all the peculiar

characteristics of the species you wanna  keep. You need to know the humidity levels,

the temperature, what food they like to  eat, and if and when they need hibernation.

If just one of these requirements is  not met, you can instantly lose all the

progress you’ve made! Remember, do your own  research before buying a queen ant online!

Mistake number 2: Checking  your queen ant too frequently

So you’ve done all the needed research and  now you know everything about your queen?

Congratulations! You’re in for an amazing journey!

But now comes the hard part!  When the first queen arrives,

you don’t think of anything but her! I know  the feeling! Every 10 minutes you wanna make

sure that she’s doing ok, getting ready  to create an amazing and giant ant empire!

And there’s the issue: you start to check  her too much! The only thing that a newly

mated queen ant needs right now, is  a quiet and dark space! Nothing more!

Every time you check how your queen is doing  and remove the cover of the test tube setup or

the founding nest, she starts to think that  the chamber she’s in has been compromised!

She might think that the place where  she wants to start her own ant colony

is no longer safe! This creates  a ton of stress on the queen,

and lowers the chance that she will  successfully lay her first batch of eggs!

The best thing you can do when you  have just caught or bought a queen ant,

is to leave her alone in a dark  and isolated spot! By doing this,

you can be sure that she will  successfully start an amazing ant colony!

Mistake number 3: Overestimating  the pace of growth of the colony

This one is very common among  first-time ant keepers. Usually,

when beginner ant keepers  catch or buy their first ant,

they overestimate the pace of growth of the  colony. And in many cases by some margin!

The pace of growth of an ant colony isn’t  linear, but is very similar to an exponential

function. At the start of the life of  a colony, the development is very slow,

and the first batch of eggs takes a lot of time  to develop into fully formed adult workers.

Some species grow a lot faster than others,

but the trend of growth is very  similar for all ant species.

But once the colonies reach a  considerable amount of workers,

they all start to grow a lot faster. This  is probably due to the fact that at the

very beginning, all the work in the  colony is done by one ant: the queen.

When the colony grows, so does the workforce.  With more and more ants doing their part in

the colony, the optimizations of the  various tasks increase dramatically,

enabling the colony to grow a lot faster!

If there’s one thing that  beginners ant keepers need,

it is patience. A lot of it! This is  probably the most important quality

needed in ant keeping, and without it,  it’s very difficult to obtain good results!

The overestimation of the  pace of growth of the colony,

almost always leads to  another very common mistake.

Mistake number 4: Moving the  colony into a nest too soon

This is another very common mistake  made by a lot of beginner ant keepers.

Trust me, I know the feeling. You  just spent an entire day watching

hundreds of videos on YouTube  from your favorite ant keepers,

and now you think It’s finally time to start  your own ant colony! So far, no issues.

The problem starts just after you’ve caught  or bought your first queen ant. Now you’re

all hyped up, and you can’t wait to put  the queen into your amazing new ant nest,

bought from your favorite ant keeping store!  I can’t blame you, I've been there too.

There’s just one small problem in doing  that. The queen hates large spaces! If

you give the queen a nest with too  much space, she will probably start

to feel a lot stressed. In a nutshell, the  smaller the nest, the safer the queen feels!

The claustral chambers that the ants create in  the wild are very small! There is barely enough

space to house the queen! When you have just  caught a queen ant, or you have a very small

colony with very few workers, the best thing  you can do is to keep them in a test tube setup!

Mistake number 5: Buying exotic ants

This mistake is a lot less common  if compared to the other ones,

but nevertheless it deserves an  important place on this list!

If you usually research ants online,

you will almost certainly have  encountered some exotic ant species.

As a beginner ant keeper, it is very  common to be really impressed by very

strange and unusual species of ants.  Usually, that’s because these species

don't live in the same area as you,  and you’ve never seen one of those.

There’s nothing wrong with keeping  exotic species of ants, as long as

you don’t release them into the wild and  provide them with the right environment.

As a beginner, you probably don’t have  the basic amount of knowledge needed to

safely keep an ant colony yet. For this reason,  it’s very important to start this hobby with a

local species. With a local species it is a lot  easier to recreate their natural environment,

simply because you already live in it, and know  the little details that you can’t find online!

You know how the temperature  varies throughout the year,

when the ants start to exit from their nests  in the spring, and what are their favorite food

types. You can get this precious information  just by looking at the ants in your backyard!

So, for this reason, I would suggest you  start ant keeping with a local species of ant,

and start to look at exotic species only  after having accumulated some experience!

So there they are! The 5 most common mistakes

that the majority of ant keepers make at  the start of their ant keeping journey!

This list concludes this long and detailed guide  on how to start your journey in this amazing hobby

called ant keeping! I truly hope you found it  useful and insightful, and I’m sure you can’t wait

to start growing your own little ant empire! I  wish you the best of luck with this new adventure!

See you soon in another video!