How to Capture Queen Ants

Clear tennis ball containers work well for an ant cage, but getting the queen ant is the tricky part. Reveal the location of the queen ant. Learn how to get the queen ant for your ant farm. Put together your own colony. Most colonies won’t last long without a queen ant. Follow these steps on how to capture queen ants.

Things You'll Need

  • Shovel and jar (option 1)
  • Sugar water and jar (option 2)
  • Rotting log (option 3)
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Instructions

  1. How to Capture Queen Ants

    • 1

      Your first option is to dig the old-fashioned way with a shovel. You can dig out an ants’ nest, but you’ll receive lots of bites.

    • 2

      As an alternative to digging, second option, place a jar of sugar and a little water near an ant hill. Wait for the ants to be drawn out. Look for the queen ant. She’s considerably bigger than the others.

    • 3

      In the spring and summer, you can look under rotting logs for ants and wait for them to move their colony, which would be your third option.

    • 4

      Whatever method you use, make sure you have a jar to put the ants in and a farm to place them in when you get home.