What Ants Are Best for a Ant Farm?

Ant farms are useful for educational purposes, aesthetics and the fun of animal husbandry on a small scale. However, there are more than 10,000 described species of ant. Of this overwhelming number of ants, only a handful are commonly sold for ant farms. There is still a surprising amount of diversity among these common species, giving many choices to a budding ant farmer.

  1. Carpenter Ants

    • Carpenter ants make their homes in rotting wood in the wild.

      Carpenter ants are a relatively common ant throughout the world, and a common ant farm ant. They get their name from the fact that they will chew their way into old wood, honeycombing it to make a nest. They are known for wandering into people's homes, where they form satellite colonies and look for food. Most species tend to be black, though some have red coloration as well.

    Fire Ants

    • Fire ant bites can be extremely painful.

      Fire ants are notorious for their extremely painful sting. These ants are known to attack and kill various animals for food. Some humans are allergic to these ants and may die from the sting. Their nests are typically made in soil, with many smaller holes leading into the colony. Fire ants are a smaller ant. They are usually red, but sometimes black.

    Western Harvester Ants

    • Western harvester ants are common in ant farms.

      These ants are the most commonly sold for ant farms. They hail from the United States, west of the Mississippi. They build larger nest-mounds in soil, up to 4 feet across. They prefer direct sunlight over their mound, and will clear away any vegetation while building their mounds. Like the fire ant, they are capable of a strong sting. Despite this, they are a favorite food of the horned toad lizard, and people who keep this lizard must order these ants as food for their pets.

    Black Garden Ant

    • Another popular ant farm ant is the black garden ant. These are a smaller ant, and they are popular for smaller ant farms for this reason. They are also extremely common in the United States, and are often collected from the wild instead of being purchased online. They rarely bite unless seriously provoked, and are very active, improving their pet appeal. They tend to require less care than most other ants.