ANTS HQ

When you 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 expand your collection 🤷‍♂️😇

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐟𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐧𝐭⁣ ⁣ 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧: 🌎⁣ ⁣ 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝘈𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘺𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘹 𝘰𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘶𝘴⁣ ⁣ These South American leafcutter ants get their common name due to their tough exoskeleton and not to mention, the sharp, 8 spines 🔪 on their thorax.⁣ ⁣ Mature colonies are often found deep in the rainforest jungle where workers will form uniform trails carrying leaves back to the nest underground where they cultivate their fungus 🍄‍🟫⁣ ⁣ When threatened, workers will not hesitate to use their zinc laden 🗿 mandibles to bite predators or enemies!

𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐬 🕸️🐜⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞: 𝘗𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢 𝘳𝘶𝘧𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘴⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧: 🇮🇳⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Whilst their web is not techincally the same as a spider 🕷️, when disturbed, these ants can release these sticky foam threads more than 10cms in length!⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ These create piles of sticky foam which ultimately stop any enemies in their tracks.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Ant Keepers also refer to them as “foam ants” 💭⁣ ⁣ 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵? 🦸‍♂️

One of the best feelings in the world, right? 🥹🤣⁣ ⁣ 𝘐𝘺𝘬𝘺𝘬

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐲 𝐒𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐫 𝐀𝐧𝐭⁣ ⁣ 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧: 🌍⁣ ⁣ 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴⁣ ⁣ These East African sugar ants get their common name due to their shimmering bodies and fondness of sweet substances 🍯⁣ ⁣ Mature colonies are often found deep underground where they grow and nurture their growing empire 🏡 within intricate chambers and tunnels.⁣ ⁣ When threatened, workers will bite and spray formic acid to ward off predators or enemies 🥷⁣

POSTAL DELAYS : Mini heatwave 🥵☀️⁣ ⁣ We hate to be the bearer of bad news but unfortunately we have decided to postpone deliveries containing live ants and insects for 24/48 hrs as temperatures exceed 30C in London. Unfortunately in this bright weather, vans can get hot very quickly and exceed 40-50C 🤒 which would be detrimental to the ants’ welfare and health. ⁣ ⁣ Orders will resume shipping when cooler weather arrives which should be towards the end of this week ☔️⁣ ⁣ In the meantime, if we can help with anything, please let us know! 🤲⁣ ⁣ Thank you for your understanding and continued support. ⁣ ⁣ Your Ants HQ team

Will you join us on our quest to feed all the ants of London with our new nectar solution 𝘈𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮 (𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐮𝐬)? 😏⁣ ⁣ I think the 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘳 (Common Black Garden Ants) approved ✔️ where should we head next?

𝘖𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘹𝘰𝘴𝘶𝘴 (𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐩 𝐉𝐚𝐰 𝐀𝐧𝐭)⁣ ⁣ A visually striking species of tropical ant due to its large size and peculiar set of wide opening mandibles 🤲⁣ ⁣ Their slender body & ability to jump 🏃‍♀️💨when threatened or hunting for prey, make it obvious as to why this is a hugely popular species of Ponerine ant kept in the hobby 🤝⁣ ⁣ This species is known to exhibit one of the fastest animal movements as scientists have observed jaws clamping down at a whopping 60 m/s ⚡️To put things into perspective, this is x2300 faster than one can blink! 👀

𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝟔𝟎 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ With 𝘯𝘶𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 🫶 soon starting across the UK and the world, it’s a great time to get involved in the Ant Keeping hobby by collecting your very own queen ant who will raise a formidable colony with the right care.⁣ ⁣ Nuptial flights are a pheromone fueled, orgy of sexual ant alates. Talk about kinky 🫢.⁣ This is a phenomena by which different species of ants are able to reproduce & expand territory 🗺️⁣ ⁣⁣ 𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐬 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐃 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬? 📖⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Which species are on your list this year? ⁣ Let us know! 👇⁣ ⁣ ⚠️Al𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴

𝐕𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐒 🧛‍♀️⁣ ⁣ 𝘚𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘮 is typically found in warm and humid habitats within South East Asia. Think forest floors, leaf litter, and underneath decaying logs 🪵🌳⁣ ⁣ One of the most fascinating aspects of this ant species is their specialised 😏 predatory behaviour. 𝘚𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘮 use their elongated, razor sharp and perfectly shaped mandibles to ambush unsuspecting prey 👀⁣ ⁣ These 𝐕𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐬 get their common name as worker ants will typically rely on their own young’s haemolymph (insect blood 🩸)by piercing through their larvae’s skin 🥴… without actually hurting them! 😨⁣ ⁣ Colonies currently in quarantine and being health checked ✅

𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘢 (𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐭)⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Originating from South East Asia, 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘢 is an enchanting species of ants that are sure to captivate both seasoned ant enthusiasts and curious beginners alike. However, due to their high demands 😰 as a subterranean species of ant, one should have previous experience with other tropical ants 🫡⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ The founding stage is known to be challenging and slow, requiring patience and careful observation. However, with the right parameters, one can expect their first 50-100 workers in 4-7 weeks 📈⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Did you know these are also used in some cuisines as a source of food? 🥹🥗⁣ ⁣ 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧 🫶

Say 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨 to some of our queens 😏💅 ⁣ ⁣ Should we make more content like this again? Let us know 👇

𝐂𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐘𝐒 𝐒𝐔𝐋𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐒⁣ ⁣ An aggressive 😡 primitive species of ant, characteristically known for its raiding behaviour and aggressive stinging nature. It is often compared to the true Dorylinae subfamily of ants which are commonly known as Army Ants 📕⁣ ⁣ These slender, shiny black ants are often found amongst low lying shrubs of dipterocarp rainforests that span South East Asia, mainly territories within Thailand. Subsequently, a temperature range of 25-27C is recommended with a relatively high humidity of 50-80% 🤝

What do you think about keeping ants as pets? 🤔⁣🐜 ⁣ Let’s find out what the public at Carfest thought 💡⁣ ⁣ 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨 @bugfestuk @bugfestnick.wadham

Feeding red runner roaches to one of our display colonies 🍖ft. Cerapachys sulcinodis

Fresh Fruit fly cultures back in stock 🪰

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 at Ants HQ at Bugfest, Carfest South @bugfestuk @carfestevent 🏕️⁣ ⁣ No better feeling than talking about ants to the general public and providing an insight to the Ant Keeping hobby 🐜

Holdtight Ants HQ colony, ⁣⁣𝗪𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐨! 👋Not just that but we have been working incredibly hard over the past six months developing the 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 to ensure that you have an even better experience browsing and shopping at Ants HQ. ⁣⁣This year has been our busiest so far and it would not have been possible without each and everyone of you 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦. You might think “oh yeah every business says this” but I truly do mean it from the 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭.⁣⁣We’re only 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 and cannot wait to start releasing more features on the site, more species of ants and more formicarium designs! 🚨 Not only that but some pretty fascinating collaborations with research and film institutions 🤓⁣⁣For those who have been with us from the start - 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮. For those of you just joining us, a 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 - we hope to fulfil your every need surrounding 𝐀𝐧𝐭 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬.⁣⁣Lastly, please bear with us if any teething issues as we will be checking and monitoring closely should any bugs arise 🤞🫶⁣⁣Cesar and the Ants HQ team 💚🐜⁣

What’s your 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘶𝘴 𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴’ favourite food? 🪳🦗🪰⁣⁣How strong is that worker? 👀

𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝟔𝟎 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ 📖