How to pick an ant farm for grown-ups

Let’s ants.

By Eleanor Cummins

Updated on May 19, 2021 10:30 AM EDT

Casita from Tar Heel Ants
The hardy Messor barbarus is a perfect first subspecies—and this is their ideal starter home. The aerated concrete material holds in moisture, which provides your insects the humid conditions they need to thrive. And a port drilled into the back of the unit allows for a quick water injection via syringe. Ralph Smith

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Keeping ants alive isn’t easy. A typical colony requires regular fruit ­infusions, lots of water, and protein sources such as mealworms, crickets, and fruit flies. Because these pets can’t freely roam your home (that’s called an infestation), you’ll need to set up a formicarium—the technical name for an ant farm. Choose a species appropriate for your skill level, then trust these teensy-weensy towns to ensure your ant experiment is an active success.

Easy

Medium

Gypsum Farm from Ants Kingdom

Hard

Omni Nest from Ants Canada