Ants as pets: a new trend is conquering the world

In terms of the degree of coherence, they occupy a leading place among insects living in groups. Their states are a single organism. In the colonies of ants, which are among the oldest inhabitants of our planet, all social roles are clearly distributed: there is a queen queen who lays eggs, there are her guards who ensure the safety of their queen, there are soldiers who are ready to die for society, there are workers who work without straightening up. backs, there are breadwinners who provide food for society.

According to ant collectors, you can watch the life of the ant state for hours. It calms, relaxes, distracts from problems. The trend has been going on for more than a decade: people are buying colonies of ants and keeping them as pets. Ant fans communicate with each other on various Internet platforms, in special chats. And on YouTube there is even a special channel where you can get information about the rules for keeping these insects. Exotic species of ants are especially popular. But isn't this dangerous? And how can it affect the environment?

An unusual hobby of a future biologist

Creating a colony of ants at home is quite simple. In one of the many online stores, you order one or more queen ants, along with workers and larvae. Buying Central European ants will cost only a few euros, but prices for exotic species can amount to several tens of euros or more. The ants will be sent by mail in a test tube. After receiving the parcel, they are placed in a formicarium - a special sealed terrarium with soil or sand for keeping ants. And then through the glass they watch how insects build tunnels, create nests, transport food, and dispose of waste.

Benedict Rastetter

“Watching ants is very interesting. For me it’s a kind of meditation,” Benedict Rastetter, a student at the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection at the University of Greifswald and a big fan of ants, admits in an interview with DW. He has been studying them since childhood - formicariums with these insects occupy almost an entire room in his home. According to Benedict, most people have no idea how exciting his hobby is.

“You just have to try it to understand it. However, I under no circumstances advise beginners to purchase exotic species of ants. Special conditions must be created for them so that they can survive the winter here. In addition, if exotics somehow get out of the formicarium and begin to reproduce in nature in Europe, this is fraught with disruption of our ecosystem,” warns the future biologist and ecologist.

Leafcutter ants

Of all the ant species, Benedict is especially interested in the leafcutter ants, which are common in America. “They have the most complex social system. Their colonies work like clockwork. A special caste of these insects chews the leaves into a pulp. Ants flavor it with enzyme-containing saliva. Based on this mass, which releases moisture and heat, ants in greenhouse conditions grow mushrooms in their underground plantations - practically their only food. This is an amazing example of symbiosis,” says the student.

What do ants get sick with in a formicarium?

To save insects, it is necessary to relocate to another formicarium and disinfect the individuals. To prevent the disease from entering the new farm along with insects, it is necessary to place cotton wool moistened with Antibak 250 into the arena. A test tube is placed next to such cotton wool. As soon as 20 individuals get into it, they must be moved to a new place of residence. Most often, ants die due to microclimate disturbances. This is facilitated not by a decrease or increase in temperature, but by fluctuations in humidity.

What do ants suffer from in a formicarium?

• Ticks . They appear in the form of formations on the bodies of insects, similar to droplets. There may be several such drops on the ant's abdomen and head. To get rid of the parasite, it is necessary to reduce the temperature and humidity levels. Of course, this will have a negative impact on the ants, but the mite is more sensitive to such microclimate changes than the ants. Often, professionals use a predatory mite for these purposes, which destroys the parasite. However, this is also a dangerous parasite; only professionals resort to this method of control.
• Fly rider . For soldiers or breadwinners, she does not pose any danger by defeating the queen. Such a parasite lays a larva in its interior. After a while, the queen lays a large red-yellow cocoon. After a while the uterus dies. Take a closer look at the uterus, before laying the cocoon of the fly, it increases significantly in size. It is very difficult to fight the parasite, so such a family will die. It's time to prepare a new queen.

Goosebumps

The man who makes money from ants

“The King of the Ants” is how Berlin-based entrepreneur Martin Sebesta is often called. And not without reason: the company he created more than 20 years ago called Antstore (“Anthill”) specializes in the sale of ant colonies. This is the first and only large enterprise of its kind in Germany. The total area of ​​its premises is 1000 square meters. There are more than 20 employees on staff: anthill care specialists, glaziers and plastics technology specialists, salespeople, logisticians, developers, as well as management personnel.

Martin Sebesta

“We notice that the demand for ants is constantly increasing. I usually have 20-30 thousand ant colonies. True, there are fewer of them now, since due to the pandemic it is impossible to travel to buy them,” Martin Sebesta tells DW. Colonies, according to him, are very different: “There are very small ones - from several insects that fit in the acorn. And there are large ones that make nests with an area of ​​50 square meters and eight meters deep - in fact, this is an entire apartment.”

Martin began to be interested in ants at the age of five: he really loved watching them in the garden. “I was curious about how their life works underground, where their nest is located. And later I made a home for the ants in an old aquarium. I constantly followed them, took photographs, made notes, and in the late 1990s I began to post these materials on a specially created website on the Internet,” he recalls. It turned out that there are many people interested in the life of ants. “They left their reviews on my website, sent me messages, shared their experiences. And over time, I realized that I wanted to make this hobby my life’s work,” says the entrepreneur, who has found his niche in the market.

According to him, he quickly established the necessary contacts with people who specialized in breeding ants. I also traveled a lot around the world, visited Latin America, Africa, Asia, Australia - and on the spot communicated with those who are interested in collecting ants. Now he has a wide network of contacts.

Insect symbiosis: why do they need each other?

Ants bring aphids and place them on the leaves of garden or vegetable crops . By absorbing plant juices, leaf aphids obtain proteins and remove sugars from their bodies in the form of sweet drops called honeydew or honeydew.

What is the essence of the union of insects, how do ants milk the symbiont (aphid) and do they eat it themselves? The ant tickles the aphid with its antennae, and it secretes a drop of sweet liquid. Some aphids secrete a drop of honeydew almost every minute.

For this, the ants herd or protect aphids from ladybugs, lacewings and birds and even build clay shelters for them on plant stems, and also transfer aphids to other, younger and succulent plants after the diseased plant begins to wither.

For the winter, ants even take aphids into their anthills , where they take care of them and the eggs they lay all winter.

In conditions close to natural

A very important criterion for the work of his company, Sebesta emphasizes, is to create conditions for ants in which they have enough space to move and develop a colony - after all, the life expectancy of some species of these insects can be up to three, four or more decades. “We are constantly improving when it comes to keeping ants. Currently, we use spacious formicariums where ant colonies can be maintained for years and even decades,” he notes.

Watching ants through the glass of the formicarium is very exciting, fans of this hobby assure

According to the businessman, his clients include people of all age groups - from children to pensioners. Ant colonies are also purchased by various companies, natural history museums, artists for certain art projects, film and television studios, medical practices, law offices, zoos, universities, and schools.

“People are interested in observing how ants live, how everything is organized, and what strategies they use. Here, for example. The diameter of the hole through which the ants enter their nest is about 5 millimeters. But as a group of ants approach him, transporting the large beetle they found, the hole expands to 13 millimeters. That is, they somehow inform their brothers that they have large prey. But how? The answer to this question has not yet been found,” Martin Sebesta shrugs.

Lifestyle of aphids

Aphids themselves are small insects, not exceeding a few millimeters in size . Their oval-shaped bodies are covered with a tuberous, half-transparent shell. Thanks to their long legs, aphids can crawl and even jump from one plant to another. Read more about where aphids live and what gardeners and gardeners need to know about the pest here.

They live in colonies, and in each of these colonies there are both wingless insects and individuals with wings. The winged trait in aphids is not related to gender: both females and males have wings. An adult insect has antennae on its head, thanks to which it distinguishes sounds, and it also needs antennae for touch.

The eyes of aphids with a complex multifaceted structure come in different colors : from red to dark brown, almost black. Wingless insects may have three simple eyes in addition to them.

This is interesting! Aphids see better than most other insects, they can even distinguish some colors.

The aphid's mouth opening is a small proboscis consisting of four segments. She uses it to pierce the skin of the plant and suck out the juices from it (you can find out more about what aphids feed on here). The leaves of plants affected by aphids begin to wither, the shoots stop growing, and hollow projections called galls form on the roots. Aphids can infect any part of the plant without exception , which makes it a particularly formidable and dangerous pest.

The life cycle of aphids begins with the female laying eggs in the fall, which hatch into larvae in the spring. Having become adults, they begin to reproduce by parthenogenesis, that is, without fertilization. At this stage, the offspring of aphids are only wingless females. In a month their number can reach hundreds of thousands.

As soon as the colony is overcrowded, among the offspring there appear individuals with wings that can fly to other plants. At the end of summer, winged males appear among the offspring of aphids .

When they become adults, individuals of both sexes participate in reproduction. The female now lays much fewer eggs. But fertilized eggs will be able to survive the winter, while all aphids hatched from the first, unfertilized clutches do not survive until the cold weather.

Aphids can live from several days to a month . Cool temperatures, 8-10 °C, extend the life of the female to two months.

Scientists' warning

Recently, scientists from the University of Lausanne decided to establish what types of ants are offered on the Internet. Invasive species were found to be disproportionately traded. If this continues, they will spread throughout the world, and this is a serious threat to the environment, experts warn. According to Martin Sebest, his company has nothing to do with this.

“We do not acquire invasive ant species. There are people who bring them back from vacation and then exchange them with other hobbyists. There are even special groups on Facebook where ant fans gather. But we never sell dangerous species of ants,” the entrepreneur emphasizes.

See also:

• Dangerous animals in Germany

Traveling ants

Stray ants Ecitons do not have their own home and are constantly on the move. They carry their entire complex ant economy with them. Most Etsitons are ruthless and ferocious soldiers. They are located at the edges of the column, providing its protection. Worker ants carry larvae on their bodies when they travel. They and the uterus move in the center. For about 20 days, the colony of ecitons moves non-stop, at high speed, hunting and feeding as they go.

Long roads of Etsitons

There are no obstacles for such a multimillion-strong army, and it acts like one flawlessly tuned machine. To cross rivers, ants build “bridges” and “ladders” from their own bodies. On the way, they eat everything they find: all kinds of insects, mice, helpless chicks. In Argentina, people even leave villages for a while, seeing that the path of the Ezitons will pass through them, because it is impossible to turn around or stop the column.

Fire salamander

The fire salamander (lat. Salamandra salamandra) is one of the most common and prominent representatives of the salamander genus. The tailed amphibian, reaching 23 cm in length, prefers a cool, moist environment. The amphibian's venom is not dangerous for humans, but even a light touch to it causes a burning sensation - the salamander's coloring warns of toxicity.

Enemies and protection of ants

Ants have many enemies. Some of them penetrate inside the anthill, stealing supplies and eating the offspring. In addition to internal enemies, ants have many external ones. Thus, brown bears love to feast on these insects. Birds, wasps and predatory flies also feed on ants; lizards, moles and toads eat them. And in the tropics, anteaters feed on ants.

Giant anteater native to South America

The giant anteater is a large animal: its length including its tail reaches 230 cm. An elongated muzzle and a long, 60-centimeter tongue help it in hunting. When an anteater sticks its nose into an anthill, it begins to quickly work with its tongue: in one minute, the tongue protrudes and retracts 160 times. And since the anteater's saliva is sticky, ants stick to it - so it can eat about 30,000 insects per day.

Another enemy of ants is the antlion. This beautiful insect, similar to a dragonfly, feeds on pollen, and the enemy of ants is its larva. She makes a funnel out of tiny grains of sand, and she hides in its neck. An ant that lands on the slope of a funnel inevitably rolls straight into the lion's mouth.

Predatory antlion larva

Antlion trap in sand

However, ants do not always give themselves offense. They know how to defend themselves using poison - formic acid. With their jaws they can even bite through the skin of a person or large animal. Ants also know how to pretend to be dead in case of danger. But the main defense of ants is their number. Even after a fire, several ants remain alive.

Self-test questions

1. Why are ants harmful?
2. How are ants useful?
3. Which animal is a “cow” for ants?
4. Why was an insect similar to a dragonfly called an antlion?

Mite

Among the huge number of species of ixodid ticks (lat. Ixodida), living in forests, parks and even in vegetable gardens in Germany, there are carriers of dangerous diseases - tick-borne encephalitis and tick-borne borreliosis. Therefore, you should always be wary of the bite of these bloodsuckers measuring from 2.5 to 4 millimeters, because the consequences may be irreversible.

Sea Dragon

Those who like to swim in the waters of the North and Baltic Seas, washing the coastal zones of northern Germany, are in for some unpleasant surprises: sea dragons (Latin Trachinidae) love to burrow into the sand and sting swimmers who step on them. In this case, the victim may develop a fever and vomit... To neutralize the poison, you need to remove the sting and immerse your leg in hot water.

What to feed

Feeding these insects is easy. To do this, just remove the lid and add food. There are 2 types of feeders - for protein and grain. The main thing is to know what you can give to ants. In this case, the feeding process takes 5 minutes per week. Food should be given in small portions so that it does not remain and rot.

Ants use plant or animal food to feed them. First of all, they need carbohydrates, which are required to produce energy. Ants also require protein to allow the insects to reproduce.

The choice depends on the type of insects kept in the farm. Be sure to ask what family they belong to and what they can eat. You can buy food on our website.

Viper

Only two species of venomous snakes are found in Germany. One of them is the common viper (lat. Vipera berus). The venom of this small (about 65 cm) snake is stronger than that of the American rattlesnake, but the European pit viper has much less of it - fortunately for those whom this timid snake does bite. The bite is painful and can cause vomiting and headaches, but it is not fatal.

Cross

Almost all spiders are poisonous. But the poison of most of them is not dangerous to humans. It is most powerful in the crossweed (lat. Araneus), whose venom contains hemotoxin. For humans, the amount of poison released by the cross is harmless, but the bite can be painful. This spider usually settles in the crowns of trees: in forests and gardens.

Cyanea

Hairy cyanea (lat. Cyanea capillata) is a real disaster for residents of the coastal regions of Germany and vacationers. The slightest touch to the fiery beauty in the water or on the shore responds with burning pain: this is the effect of the poison that is supplied to the stinging cells of the jellyfish’s tentacles. Painful shock can even cause cardiac arrest.

Som

The European catfish (Silurus glanis) feels great in Germany. Some individuals reach 150-190 cm in length. Such a catfish may well bite, especially if the swimmer accidentally steps on the nest or is near it. In small holes in shallow water, before spawning, females build nests, which the males then guard. A catfish bite is not dangerous to health.

Wasp, hornet, bee...

If you have an allergy, the bite of nectar hunters can be fatal. But those who, for example, disturb a nest of wasps or hornets will not be in trouble. It's all about the number of bites, and therefore the dose of poison received. In the picture: the common hornet (lat. Vespa crabro). Despite its impressive size (up to 35 mm), the hornet is considered less aggressive than the wasp.

Why do ants die in an ant farm?

Although ants are very easy to care for, there are a number of diseases that the insects are susceptible to.

Why do ants die in an ant farm:

• Poisoning
• Incorrectly selected diet
• Parasites and diseases
• Disturbance of the microclimate in the formicarium
• Queen Death and Molds

Most often, insects suffer from fungal diseases, as well as parasites. The main signs of infection are high insect mortality and strange behavior. Often such insects walk in circles or crawl, freezing in one place. Ants die in whole groups.

Ants

Boar, wild boar... game

Germany is a country of forests. It is clear that there is plenty of game in them. So, bad luck may come to those who “cross the path” of a wild boar or a wild pig with a litter. Such unwanted encounters are extremely rare - the wild boar usually avoids them himself. But if they happen, it is important not to touch or photograph the brood, avoid fussy movements and try to leave quietly.

We choose a pet - ants.

When people decide to have pets, they are sometimes faced with a difficult choice.
Who should I choose? Cat, dog, rat, fish? Some people decide to get exotic pets. Such as a crocodile, a monkey or a python... But here I want to talk about small harmless insects - ants. It turns out there are many types of them and they are quite domestic. You can watch them and, as psychologists say, they relieve stress just as well as fish. Why ants as pets?

If you want to have unusual pets, ants are a great choice. These are very interesting creatures, a real pleasure to watch. In addition, the following facts speak in favor of ants:

— You don’t need a lot of space, which means you can have them even in a small city apartment;

— Not particularly picky about food;

— Ants do not have an unpleasant odor;

— They take care of their own waste, unlike the great many domestic animals that need to be cleaned up frequently;

— Not dangerous for you, your children, your guests;

— Quite tenacious and practically do not require medical care;

- If you provide them with food and water for a long period of time, you can leave them unattended for a long time;

— The lifespan of one worker reaches a couple of years (which is quite a long time for insects), and the entire colony can function for a very long time;

— A high-quality formicarium in which the ants will create their own tunnels (or you will make them yourself) looks great and will be the highlight of almost any interior;

— If you make a formicarium yourself and find (during the summer) a “ready” queen, then the costs of owning these pets are minimal. And then the main part of the expenses is related to their food, which, in principle, is not much. That is, ants are fairly inexpensive animals to keep;

However , you need to remember that ants are special pets and you need to think about everything before you get them. However, if you decide to get them, you probably won’t regret it.

In online stores that specialize in domestic ants, you can find everything you need. From the formicarium itself, food and all sorts of things to the pets themselves. You need to remember that ants taken from the street will die very quickly. So it’s best to write them out by mail, or buy them at the appropriate store, if you have one in your city.

In any case, if you decide to get yourself some pet ants and become a real keeper, then you need to be properly prepared. After all, your pets will need your care and love. However, like any other.

And here is a short 25-minute video from Wasilisc on the topic. Very interesting.

Source