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Beginner’s Guide to Ant Keeping


An example of a simple, beginner-friendly ant keeping setup at home.

Start your ant keeping journey with confidence

Keeping ants is fascinating, rewarding, and—contrary to what it might look like at first—much simpler than most beginners expect.

Whether you’re still curious or already waiting for your first ants to arrive, this page will help you understand:

  • How ant keeping actually works

  • What you need (and what you don’t)

  • Where to start learning—without information overload

Short Introduction Video

Is Ant Keeping Right for You?

Ant keeping is a great hobby if you enjoy:

  • Observing natural behavior up close

  • Low-maintenance pets (compared to reptiles or fish)

  • Long-term projects that grow over time

You don’t need:

  • Prior biology knowledge

  • Expensive equipment

  • Perfect conditions

Most successful ant keepers start small, learn as they go, and adjust gradually.

The Most Important Thing Beginners Get Wrong

The biggest beginner mistake isn’t feeding the wrong food or using the wrong setup.

It’s trying to do too much too early.

Ant colonies grow slowly, especially at the beginning. Giving them too much space, too much heat, or too many changes usually causes more problems than it solves. Good ant keeping is about patience, not optimization.

 

How to Learn Ant Keeping (Two Easy Paths)

Everyone learns differently. That’s why we offer two complementary beginner resources.

Option 1: Quick, Practical Beginner Guides (Free)

If you want fast answers to common questions, start with our short beginner articles.

These guides cover topics like:

  • What to do when your queen arrives

  • Test tube setups and founding

  • Feeding basics

  • Heating and humidity

  • Common beginner mistakes

They’re designed to be:

  • Easy to read

  • Focused on one topic at a time

  • Perfect when you just need a quick answer

👉 Read the Ant Keeping Beginner Guides


Option 2: Structured, Step-by-Step Learning (Optional)

If you prefer a clear learning path from start to finish, we’ve created structured ant keeping courses on EveryLearn.

These courses:

  • Start at absolute beginner level

  • Explain not just what to do, but why

  • Are self-paced and easy to revisit

  • Go deeper than blog posts

You can explore the basics for free and unlock full courses if you want to go further or learn additional topics.

👉 Explore ANT SHACK courses on EveryLearn

(Use the referral code ANTSHACK on EveryLearn to get free credits and unlock full ant-keeping courses.)


Which One Should You Choose?

Most beginners use both:

  • Blog guides when a quick question comes up

  • Courses when they want a clearer overall understanding

There’s no “correct” path—just choose what feels comfortable.


A Few Reassuring Notes for New Keepers

  • Ants are more resilient than you think

  • Slow growth is normal

  • Mistakes happen and are part of learning

  • You don’t need to get everything perfect

If your ants are calm, fed, and not escaping, you’re probably doing fine.


Ready to Get Started?

If you’re completely new, we recommend this order:

  1. Read one or two beginner guides

  2. Learn the basics of founding and feeding

  3. Keep things simple and stable

  4. Go deeper only when you feel ready

Ant keeping is a long-term hobby—there’s no rush.