Where to Buy Queen Ants | Getting Started in Ant Keeping 101

Summary

This video from AntsCanada introduces viewers to the hobby of ant keeping, focusing on the importance of starting with a queen ant. It covers the basics of catching a queen, the ethics of keeping exotic versus native species, and the potential ecological impact. The host discusses the ant black market and introduces the Global Ant Nursery (GAN) Project, an ethical alternative for buying local ant colonies. The video also touches on the benefits of keeping native ants and the joy of observing an ant colony's growth from its founding queen.

Takeaways

• 🐜 The video introduces the AntsCanada channel and encourages viewers to keep ants as pets, highlighting the importance of starting with a queen ant.
• 👑 The queen ant is crucial for the growth and survival of an ant colony, as she is responsible for laying eggs.
• 🌐 The video discusses the upcoming ant nuptial flights season in the Northern Hemisphere, which is a prime time for starting an ant colony.
• 📚 The script provides a beginner's guide on how to catch a queen ant, emphasizing the challenges involved in finding, capturing, and nurturing her.
• 🌳 The video touches on the ethics of ant keeping, particularly the debate between keeping exotic versus native ant species.
• 🌎 #TeamExoticAnts supports keeping exotic ant species, arguing that they are more interesting and that responsible care can mitigate risks.
• 🏡 #TeamNativeAnts, including scientists, opposes keeping non-native ants due to potential ecological damage, disease transmission, and disruption of local ecosystems.
• 🚫 The script mentions the existence of an ant black market, where queen ants are illegally smuggled and sold, highlighting the legal and ethical issues involved.
• 🌱 The speaker shares his personal journey from supporting exotic ants to advocating for native ant keeping, emphasizing the importance of ecological responsibility.
• 🌐 The Global Ant Nursery (GAN) Project is introduced as a solution for ethically obtaining ant colonies, acting as a local marketplace for queen ants and colonies.
• 🏆 The video concludes by encouraging viewers to participate in the ant keeping hobby, either by catching their own queen ants or through the GAN Project, and by joining the AntsCanada community.

Q & A

What is the first step in starting an ant colony according to the video?

The first step in starting an ant colony is to obtain a queen ant, who is essential for the colony's growth and survival.

Why is the queen ant important in an ant colony?

The queen ant is important because she is responsible for laying eggs, ensuring the colony continues to grow and does not die out.

What is the ethical debate among ant keepers regarding the keeping of exotic ant species?

The ethical debate is between those who support keeping exotic ant species (#TeamExoticAnts) for their interest and those who oppose it (#TeamNativeAnts) due to potential ecological harm and the risk of spreading diseases.

What are some of the risks associated with keeping exotic ant species as mentioned in the script?

Risks include the transmission of diseases to local flora and fauna, the potential for alien ants to outcompete or kill native ants, and the possibility of destabilizing the entire ecosystem.

What is the 'AntsCanada Ant Channel' and what does it aim to do?

The 'AntsCanada Ant Channel' is a platform that shares information about ant keeping, aiming to educate viewers on how to start and maintain an ant colony ethically and responsibly.

What is the 'GAN Project' and how does it work?

The 'GAN Project' (Global Ant Nursery) is a project that allows ant keepers to buy and sell ant colonies locally, ensuring that ants stay within their native ecosystems and are not subjected to stressful mail transport.

Why is it considered more ethical to catch queen ants from your local area?

Catching queen ants from your local area is more ethical because it prevents the potential ecological damage that could be caused by introducing exotic species, and it supports the local ecosystem.

What are some of the challenges in starting an ant colony from a queen ant?

Challenges include finding the queen, being at the right place and time, ensuring she has mated, and capturing her before she finds a place to lay eggs.

What is the role of 'GAN Farmers' in the GAN Project?

GAN Farmers are enthusiastic ant keepers who catch queens in their area, raise them until they have a sufficient number of workers, and then sell the young colonies to local buyers through the GAN Project.

What are some of the benefits of joining the GAN Project as a buyer or seller?

Benefits include supporting local ecosystems, avoiding the stress of mail transport for ants, easy adaptation to local conditions for the ants, and fostering a local community of ant enthusiasts.

How can one get involved in the ant keeping hobby as suggested by the video?

One can get involved by subscribing to the AntsCanada channel, visiting the 'Queen Ants for Sale' tab on Antscanada.com, and joining the GAN Project to buy or sell ants locally.

Outlines

00:00

🐜 Introduction to Ant Keeping

The script starts with a warm welcome to the audience interested in ants and nature, highlighting the curiosity about keeping ants as pets. The narrator discusses the importance of starting an ant colony with a queen ant and touches on the ethics of ant keeping, including the debate between keeping exotic versus native ants. The video promises to guide viewers through the process of acquiring a queen ant, the ethics debate, and even a look into the ant black market. It encourages viewers to subscribe and join the community of future ant keepers.

05:02

🌏 The Ethics of Ant Keeping: Exotic vs. Native

This paragraph delves into the ethical debate surrounding the keeping of exotic versus native ant species. It presents two sides: #TeamExoticAnts, who believe in the excitement of keeping non-local species, and #TeamNativeAnts, which includes scientists and ant enthusiasts concerned about the ecological impact of introducing foreign species. The narrator outlines the potential risks of alien ants, such as disease transmission, displacement of native species, and ecosystem destabilization. It also discusses the black market for ant colonies, highlighting the illegal activities and the narrator's personal journey from supporting exotic species to advocating for native ones.

10:05

🌱 The GAN Project: A Solution for Ethical Ant Keeping

The narrator introduces the Global Ant Nursery (GAN) Project, established to provide a solution for ethical ant keeping. The GAN Project operates like a local marketplace for ant colonies, allowing enthusiasts to buy and sell ants within their own ecosystems, thus avoiding the stress and risks associated with transporting ants. The paragraph explains how the GAN Project works, emphasizing its benefits, such as no illegal export, reduced stress for ants, and the ability to release ants back into the wild if necessary. It also mentions the perks for GAN Farmers and encourages viewers to join the project or buy ants through it.

15:09

📚 Resources and Encouragement for Aspiring Ant Keepers

The final paragraph offers resources for those interested in ant keeping, including a tutorial for catching queen ants and a discussion on the environmental benefits of keeping native ants. The narrator addresses the ongoing debate about the ethics of keeping exotic ants and suggests that those who are passionate about exotic species consider moving to regions where they naturally occur. The video concludes with thanks to the viewers, acknowledgment of contributors, and an invitation to participate in the AC Question of the Week. It also promotes the AntsCanada shop's new t-shirts and encourages viewers to subscribe for upcoming videos on various ant colonies.

Keywords

💡Ant Colony

An ant colony is a group of ants living together and typically consisting of a queen, male ants, and worker ants. In the video, the theme revolves around starting and maintaining an ant colony, emphasizing the queen ant's role in colony growth and the importance of ethical practices in ant keeping.

💡Queen Ant

The queen ant is the reproductive female in an ant colony responsible for laying eggs and ensuring the colony's continuation. The script discusses the process of obtaining a queen ant as the foundation for starting an ant colony, highlighting the significance of the queen in the ant-keeping hobby.

💡Nuptial Flight

Nuptial flight refers to the mating ritual of ants where winged ants leave the nest to mate. The video mentions the nuptial flight season as an optimal time for catching queen ants, indicating a natural method for starting an ant colony.

💡Ant Keeping Ethics

Ant keeping ethics pertain to the moral principles guiding the practice of keeping ants as pets. The script delves into a debate between keeping exotic versus native ant species, discussing the ecological and legal implications of each approach.

💡Exotic Ants

Exotic ants are ant species that are not native to the keeper's local environment. The video presents a debate on the ethics of keeping such species due to potential ecological harm and legal issues associated with their importation.

💡Native Ants

Native ants are species found in the local environment of the ant keeper. The script advocates for the keeping of native ants as a more ethical and sustainable practice, minimizing ecological disruption and legal concerns.

💡Ant Black Market

The ant black market refers to the illegal trade of ant colonies and queens. The video discusses the prevalence of this issue, particularly in Europe and Asia, and the associated legal and ethical concerns.

💡Global Ant Nursery (GAN) Project

The GAN Project is an initiative mentioned in the script that aims to provide a legal and ethical way for hobbyists to obtain ant colonies. It operates by connecting local sellers (GAN Farmers) with buyers, promoting the keeping of native ants and reducing the stress of mail-order transport.

💡Ecological Impact

The ecological impact of keeping exotic ants is a central concern in the video, with discussions on how non-native species can disrupt local ecosystems, transmit diseases, and potentially become agricultural pests.

💡Formicarium

A formicarium is an artificial nest or habitat for ants, used in the hobby of ant keeping. The script mentions transferring a growing ant colony to a formicarium once it has a sufficient number of workers, illustrating the progression of ant colony development.

💡Ethical Ant Keeping

Ethical ant keeping is the practice of maintaining ant colonies in a manner that respects ecological balance, legal regulations, and the well-being of the ants. The video emphasizes the importance of this approach, contrasting it with the potential harm caused by the black market and the keeping of exotic ants.

Highlights

Introduction to the world of ant keeping for those who love ants or are curious about nature.

The importance of starting an ant colony with a queen ant for its growth and sustainability.

The upcoming ant nuptial flights season in the Northern Hemisphere and its significance for starting new colonies.

Ethical debate on ant keeping, focusing on the controversy between keeping exotic versus native ant species.

Introduction to the 'Uber for Ants' concept, a service facilitating the ethical acquisition of ant colonies.

The existence of an ant black market and its implications for the ecosystem and legal issues.

Personal stance on the ethics of ant keeping, shifting from a fascination with exotic species to a commitment to native species.

The GAN (Global Ant Nursery) Project, a solution for ecologically sound acquisition of ant colonies.

Benefits of the GAN Project for local ant communities and the environment.

How to join the GAN Project as a buyer or seller of ant colonies.

The ethical arguments against shipping ant colonies through mail due to stress and environmental adaptation challenges.

The joy and educational value of owning an ant colony and the insights it provides into nature.

A tutorial on catching queen ants during the nuptial flight season and recommended species per region.

The ongoing debate about the ethics of keeping exotic ants and a personal suggestion to experience them in their native habitats.

Invitation to join the ant keeping hobby and the蚁 community for shared learning and discovery.

Acknowledgment of contributors to the video, including animators and a nature photographer, and their contributions to the content.

Engagement with the audience through the 'AC Question of the Week' and the opportunity to win a free ant t-shirt.

Closing remarks, expressing gratitude for the viewers' support and anticipation for future ant-related content.

Transcripts

Greetings, AC Family!

If you love ants or have a curiosity for nature, you’re in the right place!

After watching videos on this channel, have any of you ever considered possibly keeping

ants yourselves?

Based on your comments on all our videos, it seems a lot of you have.

Well, getting your ant colony started requires one important thing - a queen ant, and this

video will show you how to get one!

Your queen ant is the one member of your colony who keeps laying the eggs so your ant colony

continues to grow and not die out.

She is the mother to your whole ant keeping experience.

With this video being our first video of the year, and with ant nuptial flights season

starting up again in just a few more weeks in the Northern Hemisphere, I wanted to break

things down to the very beginning, and bring us back to the ant basics, especially for

those who might be new to the channel and the whole idea of keeping pet ants.

This video will answer all your questions on where you can buy ant colonies with a queen,

we'll go over the very heated ant keeping ethics debate, I'll introduce you to the world's

Uber for Ants, and we even take a look at the ant black market, and yes there is one!

So keep watching until the very end because this video is packed with really cool info

that will surprise you.

AC Fam, let's delve into the intriguing world of the ant keeping hobby, in this episode

of the AntsCanada Ant Channel.

Please subscribe to my channel, and hit the bell icon, too.

Welcome to the AC Family, future ant keeper.

Enjoy the video.

The best and easiest way to start an ant colony is to collect a queen.

The queen ant will be your seed from which will blossom your big functioning ant colony

with its workers, brood, and eventually alates.

Now let's have a quick rundown AC Lesson on catching a queen ant.

Ok, chalk board.

Collect a Queen.

Catching a queen ant sounds easy, right?

Well, not so fast.

This first step can be a challenge!

The whole challenge of finding your queen ant means:

1) Finding your queen!

2) Being at the right place... 3) ...at the right time...

4) ...after she’s mated...

5) ...before she’s found a place to hide and lay eggs.

If you can do all this, then your queen is ready to be started in a test tube setup.

Nurture your queen as she lays eggs, and once you get 20-50 nanitic workers, or even better

more, only then is it time to transfer to a formicarium.

Don't worry, guys.

Towards the end of this video, I will direct you to a helpful step-by-step tutorial which

will further assist you with finding a queen ant.

To me, though it takes some time, raising your ant colony from just its originating

queen, is the most fulfilling way because you're there to experience the entire founding

process and be with the colony at every exciting stage.

It's like raising any pet.

The bond is greater when you've been there with them from the very start.

However, sometimes catching a queen may be hard for some of you or you may have had several

failed attempts at getting your queen past the founding stage, or perhaps you’re not

exactly the patient type and want a colony ASAP.

So where can you buy queen ants?

Before I talk about that, I would like to talk first about the big ant keeping ethics

debate.

There is a huge ant debate among ant keepers globally.

Perhaps this will be your first time to hear about it, but it is certainly a heated topic

involving ant keepers and even the scientific community.

I will also share what I think about the debate after I go over what both teams are about.

So on one side of this Ant Keeping Ethics debate is #TeamExoticAnts, ant enthusiasts

and collectors who seek to keep exotic ant species, ant species of which are not found

locally where the ant keepers live.

For instance, there are ant keepers in Europe who are keeping ants like Leaf-cutter Ants

from South America, Asian Weaver Ants from Southeast Asia, Bull Ants from Australia,

and Honeypot ants from North America.

#TeamExoticAnts Hobbyists feel it's ok and an awesome thing to keep these imported ants

because these exotic ants are much more interesting than the ants they might be able to find in

their yard.

They feel there's nothing ethically wrong with keeping ant species imported from other

places in the world and they feel as long as they're responsible and don't allow the

ants to escape into the environment, keeping alien ant species is fine.

Besides, most tropical ants can't survive in non-tropical climates anyway right?

So these hobbyists purchase these alien queen ants and/or starting ant colonies with a queen

from certain places online and the ants are shipped to them in the mail.

Now on the other side of this Ant Keeping Ethics Debate, is #TeamNativeAnts, comprised

of ant enthuisiasts and the scientific community, i.e. myrmecologists, biologists, taxonomists,

and such, who do not support the whole idea of keeping ants from other countries or ants

not caught in the ant keepers' area.

In fact, many senior biologists and myrmecologists condemn this practice of keeping alien ants.

Let’s look at why.

First, alien ants may transmit disease, foreign fungi, or other pathogens to other plants,

animals, or ants.

Second, if the colony escapes, it can push out the native ants!

This has happened many times in history.

Third, the alien ants could outcompete other native ants.

Fourth, the alien ants could outright kill the other native ants.

Fifth, the alien ants could destabilize the entire ecosystem!

The alien ants could become major agricultural pests!

Next, let's look at laws.

Believe it or not, there is a black market for ant colonies and queens.

Ant black market operations are most prevalent in Europe and Asia and are operating right

now as we speak.

And yes, people are busted all the time in the ant black market.

And these black market queens are smuggled out of their native countries or shipped to

vendors who sell them to other customers!

These customers often have no idea their ants were illegally acquired.

A few months ago someone posted an article to our Facebook about how officials just busted

someone transporting hundreds of queen ants in test tubes from Germany to a location in

China, the two top countries involved in this ant black market, by the way.

The fellow who shipped the live queen ants lacked the foresight to realize that the metal

scrub he used instead of cotton for the test tube setups would be picked up by border scanning

machines.

The ants were seized and Chinese officials had no idea why anyone would ship queen ants,

but of course we do.

Fact is, this ant black market does exist.

The entering and leaving of live animals like ants and plants are closely regulated by most

countries' governments, and in most cases the flora and fauna are not allowed to leave

or enter their respective countries without some kind of permit.

Many of these ant suppliers do not have such permits, so the queen ants are captured from

their natural habitats and smuggled out of their native countries to be sold to distributors

who sell them to hobbyists.

Now where do I stand in all of this?

What team am I on?

Well, when I first started to get into pro ant keeping, as a newbie in the hobby, of

course I was #TeamExoticAnts.

I mean who wouldn't want to keep an awesome colony of Leaf-cutter ants or Asian Weaver

ants?

They're so cool!

Besides, I was also an avid reptile enthusiast and I had a good background knoweldge on caring

for tropical animals.

How hard could keeping a tropical ant colony be?

What harm could it be?

But as I did more research and learned more about how alien ants could potentially destroy

ecosystems, and as I learned about the ant black market.

I was forced to revisit my ethics, including some business ethics.

Because you see, around this time, I was also in the process of founding the AntsCanada

Ants Store, because I really wanted to provide others with easy-to-use formicariums and ant

keeping equipment, others like myself who were passionate about ants.

Now in the "ant industry", if you would call it that, the most dominant ant shops at the

time, were selling these alien, imported live ant species to their customers, shipping them

in the mail.

It seemed at the time selling exotic ants was where the money was.

People were willing to pay the big bucks for ants they couldn't readily collect in their

own yards.

So I had to choose.

Was AntsCanada going to be #TeamExoticAnts and take advantage of the great money-making

opportunity of shipping live ants around the world, but possibly risk the destruction of

ecosystems if our customers had accidental escapes or even intentional release, or were

we going to be #TeamNativeAnts and simply sell formicariums and equipment, potentially

make less money, but encourage the idea of keeping ants from our yards.

I looked to our tagline which was the basis for starting this whole AntsCanada channel

and our website in the first place.

"Ant Love forever", and the choice became so simple.

I chose green, and not money green, but eco-green.

I asked myself "Did I really love ants, as in all ants, and do I love them enough to

want to protect them and their entire ecological homes in the wild in which they live?" or

did I just love "keeping ants, and was I just passionate about keeping and collecting the

world's most unqiue and exotic species in my home"?

Of course, I chose the former.

I am so glad I did, because what shocked me was how many people, ant lovers and enthusiasts,

hobbyists, and respected members of the scientific community shared the same ideology and code

of ethics.

Today, so many of you continue to insist on keeping native ant colonies, ants caught in

your backyard, and it is just so amazing to see.

You may not know that in you catching your own quen ants in your yard, it has really

changed the game in this ant keeping hobby.

Sure, it means less business for those ant shops selling alien ants and the ant black

market, but it also means we save the ants and the planet a bit more.

It's responsible ant keeping, so thank you to all those out there keeping your locally

caught ants.

There are more ethical arguments for not keeping exotic ants species.

Let's go over them.

Many ant lovers feel it is cruel to ship ant colonies through the mail to new areas, due

to the stress of transport...

...the challenges of a new environment with a different climate…

...food…

… and even water chemistry!

On average, we over at the AntsCanada team answers nearly 200-500 emails daily from you

guys who write to us, from our cherished AC customers, and other ant keepers from around

the world, and when they say they have ordered non-native ants from the mail and have questions

wondering why the colony isn't doing well right from the get go, we always deduce it

to their transport and to their inability to adapt to new conditions or diet.

All these factors, and all of these complications just to keep an exotic species, when local

species like Lasius niger or Camponotus species are equally as desirable and interesting,

not to mention perfectly adapted to the climate, food, etc of the ant keeper.

OK, so keeping alien ants due to ecological, legal, and ethical repercussions is not the

best.

What if it is too hard to find queen ants in your area, or you don't have time to go

out into the field looking for queens, or perhaps it's not the season the queens are

flying?

Where can one buy queen ants then?

Well, we have just the answer.

Remember how in some of our videos we mention the QUEEN ANTS FOR SALE tab on our website?

This is the GAN Project, and GAN stands for the Global Ant Nursery.

The GAN Project was started in 2010 to offer a solution for us ant keepers to obtain an

ant colony with a queen ant in a way that was ecologically, legally, and ethically sound.

So here is how it works.

Basically, the GAN Project is like the UBER for ant colonies.

We recruit enthusiastic ant keepers around the world to sell ants to buyers in their

city.

These GAN Farmers as we call them, catch queens in their area, raise them until they have

nanitic workers, and we find customers from their area to buy these young starting colonies.

Or if you're looking for an ant colony to buy we help connect you with any of our GAN

Farmers in your area.

The GAN Project is a great way to sell and buy ants because it involves ants staying

within the ecosystems they already are a part of, there is no illegal export of ants, and

the ants are picked up in person which means there's no stressful, prolonged transport

in the mail.

The ants also won’t have to adapt to a new climate, and at any time, if you no longer

can keep the ants, you can choose to release them back into the wild safely, or offer them

for sale again through the GAN project and pass them along.

You can even offer your ants for free.

Plus, it helps ant enthusiasts meet other ant enthusiasts in the area, fostering local

ant communities of ant hobbyists.

Oh, and it's also a great way for ant keepers to make some extra cash doing what they love.

Not to mention if you're a GAN Farmer, you get to benefit from some GAN Farmer perks

and discounts on products from our shop.

So if you guys need to buy ants, visit our QUEEN ANTS FOR SALE TAB at Antscanada.com

or if you’re already keeping ants and have some you would like to offer for sale or for

free, hope you guys can join our growing community of GAN Farmers to sell ants in your city.

Just a note though guys, some conditions apply like you have to be 18 yrs or older to buy

or sell ants, or partner with your parent or guardian, and all those buying/selling

must agree to our terms of agreement.

I'll leave all relevant links in the description box of this video so you can get started and

join this great hobby!

Owning your own ant colony can be a fantastic and fulfilling experience of discovery from

which you and everyone around you can enjoy and learn.

If you've been part of our AC Family for awhile you know that ants bring some pretty incredible

insights into nature, the whole world around us, and ourselves.

So if you're looking to start your ant colony, visit our GAN Project, otherwise catching

a queen ant yourself during nuptial flight season is SUPER fun and easier than you think.

Click this icard here for a helpful tutorial on when to catch queen ants in your area and

some easy-to-keep species I suggest per region.

And about the keeping of alien ants, indeed, it is still a touchy and highly debated topic

because there are still ant keepers out there who swear up and down that it is ethically

ok to order exotic ants from online and keep them.

I don't want to upset anyone following us who may be #TeamExoticAnts, but for me, if

you wanna keep exotic ants that badly, why not move to where they live?

I did it.

Thanks so much for watching this week's video guys, and until next week AC Fam, it's ant

love forever.

Alright, what did you guyts think?

Would you give ant keeping a shot?

I welcome all of you to join this amazing hobby and discover with me on this channel

the wonderful world of ants.

I would also like to give a special thanks to my great friends Adam Lazarus and Topher

Putnam for the cool animations in this video.

Their contact info is in the description box, so be sure to check em out, and special thanks,

as well, goes out to nature photographer and biologist Alex Wild whose stunning photos

appear in our videos on this channel.

Check his work out and order some prints at www.alexanderwild.com Link in the description

box.

He also happens to be a past GAN Farmer, and of course, we can't end this video without

the AC Question of the Week.

Last week we asked: What's the techincal term for insect blood?

Congratulations to Atlantique Sean who correctly answered "Hemolymph".

Felicitations Atlantique, you just won a free ebook from our shop.

And for this week's question of the week we ask: Name one reason why catching queen ants

from your area is a better idea for the enviornment.

Leave your answer in the comments section and you could win a free ant tshirt from our

shop.

Oh yeah and for those of you looking for this week's hidden video, be sure to click here

to watch some very familiar ants native to North America, and in particular Canada, and

speaking of Canada and ant tshirts, I've got a special message for you guys from Toronto.

What's up, AC Fam.

Your ant nerd AntsCanada here and I just wanted to thank you guys so much for watching this

week's video and for watching all of our videos.

It's crazy!

The support has been amazing, um and I look forward to another great year of discovering

ants with you guys.

Thank you for giving ant love a chance.

Now I just wanted to let you guys know we received some new tshirts at the shop, so

pick them up, we've got 5 different cool designs including this one which says "Waiting for

Nuptial Flight" and I know a lot of you guys are waiting for nuptial flight, and it's just

a few more weeks, so for all of you in the Northern Hemisphere experiencing the nuptial

flight season soon, good luck to you, and if you aren't able to catch queens be sure

to check out our GAN Project as I said before and as you saw in this video, we sell queens

year round, and there are queens and starter colonies available right now, um and they

usually come in test tubes like this so they're perfect for starter colonies and to get you

guys started in the hobby, and if you're just beginning be sure to check out our helpful

tutorials.

I'll place that in the end cards now.

See you next week, AC Family!

It's ant love forever.

Buh-bye!

Guys, we've got a lot of great videos ahead so be sure to subscribe to our channel.

I upload a brand new ant video every Saturday at 8AM EST so hit that subscrtibe button and

join the AC Family.

There are so many videos ahead about the Fire Nation, the Golden Empire, the Dark Knights,

and possibly some new colonies.

Happy 2017, AC Fam!