Ant keeping
A queen ant caught after her mating flight and a test tube half full of water. The first month is waiting in the dark; then the first workers appear and the colony begins.
What it is like
An ant colony starts with one queen, and so does ant keeping. After a mating flight, newly mated queens land, drop their wings and look for a place to dig. Catch one, and she can found a colony in a test tube on your shelf.
The tube is simple. Half of it is water held back by a cotton plug, which keeps the air inside humid; the queen lives in the dry middle, closed in by a second ball of cotton. Left in the dark, a claustral queen lays eggs and raises her first small workers on her own reserves, which can take a month or more.
Once workers appear, the colony needs food, sugar for energy and protein for growth, and later more room: a formicarium of acrylic, plaster or 3D-printed parts, joined to an outworld where the ants forage.
USDA APHIS sets the rules in the US. Local ants need no permit; moving, importing or selling ants across state lines does, and a colony must never be released.
- A session
- A few minutes to feed and look, once or twice a week.
- A week
- Little at first: the founding queen is best left alone.
- Season
- Queens are caught when the local species fly; colonies develop faster when the nest is warm.
Indoors · Solo, With kids
Kinds and styles
A single queen and her first brood in a water-and-cotton tube.
Built for colonies with a queen, with no tunnels to collapse.
Chambers moulded or carved into an absorbent block that holds moisture.
Soil or sand between two thin panes; the classic worker-only type.
Is it for you?
You will probably love it if
- You like watching small things change slowly over weeks
- You can catch a local queen after a mating flight, so no permit is needed
- You are patient with a pet that mostly wants to be left alone in the dark
Maybe not, if
- You want a pet to handle
- Someone at home is allergic to insect stings
What to buy first
- 01Glass test tubes, 16 by 150 mmThe classic founding nest; Stateside Ants lists a 16-pack at $31.99Find it on Amazon$32
- 02Cotton ballsOne pushed in to the water line, one to close the tube; plain cotton from the bathroom cabinetFree
- Everything you need to beginAbout $5 a month after that$32
Typical US prices for entry-level gear, rounded. Last checked October 2026. How we get the numbers
The Amazon links open a search for that type of item, not a product chosen for us, and the prices in the list are our typical figures, or the listing of the shop a line names, not Amazon's price for any listing. If you buy through one we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you; as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
What to buy next
- 01A small formicariumTar Heel Ants lists its Mini Hearth XL from $46.95Find it on Amazon When the tube gets crowded
- 02A liquid feederSugar water without drowning ants; a small one costs $3.95 at Tar Heel AntsFind it on Amazon Once there are workers
- 03Fluon (PTFE) escape barrierMost ants cannot walk on it (Wikipedia)Find it on Amazon Before you add an outworld
- 04A heat cableWarmer colonies develop faster; Zoo Med's 11.5-foot cable costs $28.95 at Tar Heel AntsFind it on Amazon For faster growth
- 05A hand lensBrood is tinyFind it on Amazon To see eggs and larvae
These are later buys, and what to spend depends on how far the hobby has taken you; where a line names a price, it is that shop's or maker's listing when we checked, not Amazon's price. The Amazon links work like the ones above: a search for the type of item, and a possible commission for us at no extra cost to you.
From a queen in a tube to a colony in a nest, step by step
The formicarium began with Charles Janet's two panes of glass at the 1900 Paris exhibition; today USDA APHIS calls catching a local queen the best way to start, and she begins in a test tube. This guide goes from timing a mating flight and the legal rules through the test tube setup and the long wait to the first workers, feeding and the move to a formicarium.
Warning: Before you start USDA APHIS regulates the import and interstate movement of all ant species, because non-native ants can become serious plant pests. Moving ants between states, importing them or selling them interstate needs a PPQ 526 permit; buying is legal only from a supplier whose permit covers that species and your state, which you can check by emailing [email protected]. APHIS calls catching local ants the best way to start, with no permit needed. Never release ants into the wild, whether caught, bought or imported; APHIS advises ending a colony by placing it in a freezer for over 24 hours. Keep escape barriers such as Fluon (liquid PTFE) on the outworld walls. Avoid stinging species as a first colony: some people can have anaphylaxis from fire ant stings, and harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex) have the most toxic venom documented in any insect (Wikipedia). We do not give medical or legal advice.
After the flight, mated queens land, drop their wings and look for a place to dig; USDA APHIS points to AntFlights.com, a worldwide register of ant mating flights.
A wingless queen walking alone on a path or wall; local ants need no USDA permit.
Fill the tube half with bottled water and push a cotton ball in until it reaches the water.
Put the queen in, close the tube with a second cotton ball and leave it in the dark for a month or more.
A claustral queen lives on her own wing muscles until her first workers emerge.
The test tube setup
A glass test tube lying flat in section: the closed end at the left half full of water, a cotton plug pushed in to the water line, the queen with a few eggs in the dry middle, and a second cotton ball closing the open end at the right.
- A Water Half the tube Bottled water. Step 3 →
- B Wet cotton At the water line Keeps the air humid. Step 3 →
- C Queen and eggs The dry middle Leave her alone. Step 4 →
- D Dry cotton The open end Lets air in. Step 5 →
Steps 1-2Before the queen
- Step 1 of 8 · Before the queen
Know the rules
Warning: CAUTION Never release ants into the wild. To end a colony, APHIS advises the freezer for over 24 hours.
Catching local ants needs no USDA permit; moving, importing or selling ants across state lines needs a PPQ 526 permit.
- Step 2 of 8 · Before the queen
Time the flight
Mating flights need clear weather; AntFlights.com, a worldwide register of flights, shows when local species fly.
Most people: catch a local queen (most beginners).
Start here Catch a local queenBest forMost beginners
No permit, and you learn the local species.
Buy from a permitted supplierBest forA species you cannot find
Check the supplier's permit covers your state.
Steps 3-6Founding
- Step 3 of 8 · Founding
Fill the tube
Fill a test tube half with bottled water and push a cotton ball in until it reaches the water line.
- Step 4 of 8 · Founding
Add the queen
Put the newly mated, wingless queen in the dry part of the tube.
Goes wrong: A queen that still has her wings. In most ants, mated queens remove their wings after landing (Wikipedia).
- Step 5 of 8 · Founding
Close and darken
Seal the tube with a second cotton ball and keep it in the dark for a month or more.
- Step 6 of 8 · Founding
Wait
A claustral queen needs no food; a small drop of honey before she lays can help (Wikipedia).
Steps 7-8Growing
- Step 7 of 8 · Growing
Feed the first workers
Once workers appear, offer sugar and small protein foods in a test tube outworld.
- Step 8 of 8 · Growing
Move to a formicarium
Warning: CAUTION Coat outworld walls with Fluon or a similar barrier; some species bridge barriers, so many keepers use two.
When the tube is crowded, connect it to a nest and an outworld with escape barriers.
In shortIf it goes wrong
- A queen that still has her wings.
- Step 4 · Add the queen
How you get better
- First monthFounding
A queen in a dark test tube, left alone.
- First workersFeeding
Sugar water or honey and small insects, in a test tube outworld.
- A few dozen workersA formicarium
Connect the tube to a nest and outworld.
- LaterA second species
Another local queen, in her own setup.
- Spotting a newly mated queen
- Setting up a test tube
- Feeding sugar and protein in small amounts
- Keeping the nest humid
- Moving a colony into a formicarium
- Escape-proofing with barriers
Small things that help
- Catch local queens; they need no permit (USDA APHIS).
- Keep the founding tube in the dark and check it rarely.
- Feed sugar for energy and protein for growth (Wikipedia).
- Never release a colony outdoors (USDA APHIS).
- Put a barrier on every outworld wall.
Beginner mistakes
- 01Disturbing the queenLight normally means a broken nest; keep her in the dark.
- 02Feeding a claustral queen too muchShe needs no food; at most a small drop of honey before laying.
- 03Ordering queens from another stateInterstate shipping needs a PPQ 526 permit (USDA APHIS).
- 04Releasing unwanted antsNever do it; APHIS advises the freezer for over 24 hours.
Words ant keepers use
From Wikipedia's articles on ant-keeping, the formicarium and the nuptial flight, and USDA APHIS.
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Nuptial flight | The mating flight: winged queens and males fly out, queens mate in the air and land to start a colony |
| Alate | A winged queen or male before the flight |
| Claustral | A queen that raises her first brood sealed in, without food |
| Semi-claustral | A queen that needs protein food while founding |
| Formicarium | An ant nest made for watching, of acrylic, plaster or 3D-printed parts |
| Outworld | A separate container where the ants forage for food |
| PPQ 526 | The USDA permit needed to move ants between states, import them or sell them interstate |
Why people quit
- 01The queen eats her eggsWikipedia notes that a small drop of honey before she starts laying gives her energy and makes this less likely.
- 02Nothing seems to happenA founding queen can take a month or more to raise the first workers; check rarely and keep her in the dark.
- 03The colony grows slowlyAnts are cold-blooded and colonies develop faster when the nest is warmer (Wikipedia).
Words you will meet
- Queen
- The colony's egg-layer; she mates once, on the flight, and stores the sperm for life.
- Worker
- A sterile female that forages, nurses brood and digs.
- Brood
- Eggs, larvae and pupae.
- Nanitic
- One of the first workers to hatch, smaller and weaker than later ones (Wikipedia, Ant).
- Moat
- A shallow water barrier around a nest to stop escapes.
Questions people ask
Is it legal to keep ants?
Catching local ants needs no USDA permit. Moving ants between states, importing or selling them interstate needs a PPQ 526 permit, and buying is legal only from a supplier whose permit covers the species and your state (USDA APHIS).
Why do most ant farms come without a queen?
In the US it is usually illegal to ship live queens across state lines without a permit, so most ant farms sold there contain only workers (Wikipedia).
What do ants eat?
Sugars, such as fruit, sugar water or raw honey, and protein, such as mealworms or bits of egg (Wikipedia).
How long does a queen take to raise workers?
A month or more, depending on the species; Wikipedia gives Camponotus as an example.
How long can a queen live?
She stores the sperm from her mating flight for life, which can be as long as 20 years (Wikipedia).
Where to go next
- 01Raising butterfliesAnother insect life cycle to watch, outdoors in summer. $48 to start
- 02TerrariumsA small closed world on a shelf, without animals. $52 to start
How it compares
| Ant keeping | Raising butterflies | Terrariums | Worm composting | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start cost | $32 | $48 | $52 | $71 |
| Each month | $5 | $10 | $2 | Free |
| Space | A dark shelf | A tabletop | A shelf | Under a sink |
| Noise | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet |
| First result | First workers after a month or more | About 3 weeks | 1 afternoon | About 3 months |
| Mess | Crumbs of food in the outworld | Frass and old leaves | A little soil | Damp bedding |
Where to learn more
- 01USDA APHIS: Invertebrate pets (a message to ant keepers)Permits, buying, release and disposal.
- 02Wikipedia: Ant-keepingThe test tube method, food and conditions.
Sources: USDA APHIS: Invertebrate pets · Stateside Ants: Glass Test Tubes 16 Pack · Tar Heel Ants: Mini Hearth XL, liquid feeder, Zoo Med heating cable · Wikipedia: Ant-keeping · Wikipedia: Formicarium · Wikipedia: Nuptial flight
Researched and written by the Fjords Team.