ANTS HQ

ANTS HQ Ants HQ - specialist supplier for all things concerning ants. Live ants, formicariums, accessories & more!
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06/06/2026

One of the most fascinating things about false weaver ants is that their nest isn’t built in the way we usually think of ant nests. There’s usually no excavation and no tunnels carved into soil. Instead, they create their home above ground by weaving together bits of debris, leaves, twigs, and silk produced by their larvae.

It starts with workers gathering materials from the surrounding environment. Piece by piece, they pull everything together, creating a loose framework. Then comes the remarkable part: the larvae become living tools. Workers carefully carry mature larvae in their mandibles and use the silk they produce like a glue gun, binding the structure together and transforming a pile of scattered materials into a secure nest.

What amazes me is how tough these nests are, perfect to protect them from predators, weather, and the outside world.

Looking at the finished nest, it’s easy to see just a bundle of leaves and silk. But every strand, every fragment, and every connection represents countless interactions between workers, brood, and their environment. Ants are truly remarkable 🥰

04/06/2026

Hydrating the nest is one of those small things that ends up being a really big thing. It creates the ambient humidity the colony needs, especially when there’s a growing pile of hungry larvae depending on it. Tiny changes in conditions can make a huge difference when you’re raising the next generation.

After watering, there’s sometimes a very shallow film of water left behind, which is completely normal as the nest quickly absorbs it. But what caught my attention this time wasn’t the water itself, it was the queen.

At first, this Lasius niger queen seemed startled by the sudden change. For a brief moment, she abandoned the brood and retreated to safety, choosing self-preservation over responsibility. But almost immediately, something seemed to shift. She turned back, cautiously checking on her larvae, as if realizing they couldn’t be left behind. Before long, she was back among them, making sure they were safe and almost as if she was counting school children on a trip 😳🥺

Species: Lasius niger
Nest: Myrmeco nano

02/06/2026

Feeding sugar is one of the simplest parts of ant keeping, but it’s also one of the most important. For the workers, it’s their main source of energy, the fuel that keeps the colony running.

Every trip through the nest, every brood check, every bit of excavation, cleaning, foraging, and defence is powered by the sugars they share between one another. It’s easy to overlook just how much work is happening at any given moment until you watch a fresh drop of nectar disappear.

Within minutes, workers are gathering around it, filling up and returning to the nest to distribute it throughout the colony. It’s a reminder that even the smallest tasks depend on a steady source of energy 🐜

Nectar: Anotherswarm Nectar (Flavus)

31/05/2026

𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬: Myrmica rubra
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𝐍𝐞𝐬𝐭: formiLAB I (m)
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For such a large colony it’s vital you feed them twice a week. This colony usually gets:⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
• 3 to 4 chopped mealworms per feeding (more if there is large presence of larvae) ⁣⁣⁣
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• 1 to 2 medium roaches
⁣⁣⁣
• Nectar replenished

26/05/2026

Hydrating the nest is one of those small things that ends up being a really big thing, especially with a young, fragile honeypot colony like this.

The humidity inside the nest is everything for developing brood, and even the tiniest shift in conditions can make a huge difference when the colony is still so small and vulnerable.

Sometimes after watering there’ll be a very shallow film of water left behind, which is completely fine as the nest absorbs it. But what gets me every time is how quickly the workers react. Even with so few of them, instantly they’re moving brood, carrying tiny droplets themselves, and carefully picking up each egg and larva to tuck them somewhere just a little drier and safer.

It’s honestly amazing to watch. Before anything even looks different to us, they’ve already sensed the change through their antennae, picking up shifts in humidity and temperature and responding immediately.

This little colony is still so delicate, but they’re doing everything they can to protect the next generation 🥹🐜

Species: Myrmecocystus mexicanus
Nest: Myrmeco nano

23/05/2026

Deep beneath the surface, the colony waits while workers venture out from the nest in search of food.

As they explore, they leave behind chemical trails called pheromones, allowing other workers to follow and quickly communicate the location of a food source.

In this case, it was a wax worm. A huge source of protein (and fats) and exactly what the colony’s growing larvae need.

The workers quickly swarmed it, working together to overpower and carry it back underground.

But the interesting part is that most of the adults won’t actually eat much of it themselves. Protein is mainly for the brood, the tiny eggs and larvae hidden deep within the chambers of the nest. These developing ants need enormous amounts of nutrients to grow into the next generation of workers.

It’s incredible to watch. Every worker has a role, and through nothing more than touch and chemical signals, thousands of individuals function like a single organism 🐜

Nest: formiLAB (m)
Ants: Aphaenogaster swammerdami

18/05/2026

Hydrating the nest is one of those small things that ends up being a really big thing. It creates the ambient humidity the colony needs, especially for developing brood. Tiny changes in conditions can make a huge difference when you’re raising the next generation.

Sometimes after watering there’ll be a very shallow film of water left behind, which is completely fine as the nest will absorb it. But what gets me every time is how fast the workers (and queens) react. Instantly they’re moving brood, moving water droplets themselves and picking up each egg and larva and tucking them somewhere a little drier.

It’s kind of amazing. Before anything looks different to us, they’ve already sensed the change through their antennae, picking up shifts in humidity and temperature and responding straight away.

In the next few weeks this queen will have her first workers 🥰🐜

Species: Camponotus ligniperda
Nest: Myrmeco nano

17/05/2026

There’s a whole quiet, beautiful world right under us we just have to see it.

That’s the magic of ant keeping. It’s a relaxing, endlessly fascinating hobby that somehow speaks to everyone. Kids as young as 6 can sit for hours mesmerised by a tiny colony building its world, while 50 year old senior directors are out there dedicating entire sheds to intricate setups and thriving formicariums (ant farms)

No matter your age, there’s something grounding about slowing down and watching a hidden civilisation unfold.

12/05/2026

Feeding ants some nectar. Wait until you see the soldier at the end 🥹

09/05/2026

Day 1 of info dumping about the wonderful world of ants and ant keeping in London. Whilst coming to the mainstream is a little bit daunting it’s so rewarding when people who think of ants as ‘nasty little things’ suddenly turn around and say “ey, ngl it’s not for me but I get it now, I can see my brother loving this” or “next time I see an ant, I promise I won’t squish it”

Mission accomplished ✅
Where do you want to see ants next?

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