EST 2020 • UK ANT KEEPING SPECIALISTS
JOIN THEANT KEEPINGREVOLUTION
Grow an ant empire at home. Watch your colony build, farm, engineer and create its own miniature world. Discover thriving ant colonies and queens, with thoughtfully designed homes and everything you need to help them flourish.
1M+
Ants delivered
100%
Live Arrival GUARANTEE
4.9
Keeper Rating
Find Your Path
WHAT KIND OF KEEPER AREYOU?
Beginner
First Time Keeper
Start With a Kit
Intermediate
Grow Your Colony
Expand Your Setup
Expert
Ant Parent
Shop Ants & Nests
CURIOUS MINDS
For Someone Else?
First Time Friendly Kits
The Ant Provider You Need
WHY ANTS HQIS THE MOST TRUSTED
- UK Ant Keeping Specialist
- Live Arrival Support
- Beginner Friendly Guidance
- Complete Setups Available
- Trusted by Real Keepers
New to Ant Keeping?
HOW TO START
Starting your own colony doesn’t have to be complicated. We’re here to guide you as you watch their civilisation grow.
Step 1
Choose Your Colony
Step 2
Select Your Nest
Step 3
Connect Your World
Step 4
Feed and Hydrate
Step 5
WATCH THEM GROW
Ready to start a colony?
KEEPER FAVOURITES
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Curious Minds
FOR SOMEONE ELSE?
Know someone who’s always been fascinated by nature? Help them discover a world they can nurture and grow. Ants HQ has everything you need to get started.
Live Arrival, Handled With Care
WE MAKE SURE YOUR ANTS TRAVEL SAFELY
Whether it’s your first colony or your latest addition, we tailor the packaging to the needs of each species, ready for their journey home.
Step 1
We Receive Your Order
Step 2
Your colony is prepared
Step 3
Ready for the journey
Step 4
Welcome them home
Good to Know
FAQs
What do I need to start ant keeping?
To get started, you need a suitable queen or colony, secure housing that matches the colony’s size, fresh water, species-appropriate food, feeding tools and effective escape prevention. Many very small colonies are best kept in a hydrated test tube at first, with an outworld added when needed. Some species also require controlled warmth. An ANTSHQ starter kit can make choosing compatible equipment easier.
Are starter kits suitable for beginners?
Yes. ANTSHQ starter kits are designed to make starting out easier by bringing together compatible housing and essential equipment. Choose a beginner-rated ant species and a kit sized for your colony; a young colony may still be best in its test tube until it needs more room. Check each kits included contents before buying, as a live colony is not necessarily included.
Can I buy live ants online in the UK?
Yes. ANTSHQ sells live ant queens and colonies for delivery within the UK. Choose a species suited to your experience and setup, and check its care requirements before ordering. Standard international retail orders do not include live-ant shipping outside the UK; contact ANTSHQ separately about specialist export enquiries.
How are live ants delivered safely?
Live-ant orders are carefully prepared and dispatched using suitable tracked delivery services, with transit time kept as short as reasonably possible. ANTSHQ normally dispatches Monday to Friday and aims to send orders within 24 hours; orders placed before 1 PM may go out the same day where possible. Dispatch may be delayed if conditions are unsuitable for transporting live animals. If a queen arrives dead, contact ANTSHQ within 24 hours of delivery with photographs so the Live Arrival Guarantee can be reviewed.
Is an ant farm a good educational gift?
Yes. Ant keeping is a fascinating hands-on way to learn about animal behaviour, cooperation and colony development. It can make an excellent long-term educational gift for someone who genuinely wants to care for ants. They are living animals, so the recipient needs suitable housing, food, water and ongoing care; a responsible adult should supervise younger keepers. If you are unsure which species or setup to choose, an ANTSHQ starter kit or gift card is a good place to begin.
COMMUNITY
TRUSTED BY REAL KEEPERS
My go to place, large selection of ants and top quality service. My ant empire is slowly growing with the latest edition of Acromyrmex octospinosus which was well packed and the fungus has next to no die off from the shipping.
I recieved my lovely Myrmecia nigriceps queen in haste. Box was well packaged; Temperature was well defended against, and disturbance was well reduced with 2 layers of loose packing peanuts, one outside of the polystyrene box, and one inside...
We bought this for our granddaughter, as she had a pet garden ant that sadly passed way. We got The formIiLab (nano) ant nest starter kit. The ant colony is Messor barbarus with one queen and 2/5 workers and there are brood too! Everything you need to get started...
A wonderful company bringing ants to the masses. My son and I attended a workshop with Cesar today. He was wonderfully knowledgeable and handled 8 children so well who were excited about being ant keepers....
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ENTHUSIASTS
GROW YOUR COLLECTION
Farmers, hunters, seed collectors and hundreds more civilisations to discover. What will you keep next?
YOUR EMPIRE STARTS HERE