Ant keepers may choose to keep ants in captivity for the purpose of documenting ant behavior (in the case of an ant species which is difficult to observe in the wild). This field of study is called myrmecology. Ant keepers may also choose to keep ants as a casual hobby; i.e., as pets.

Can I keep an ant as a pet?

Without the queen you cannot keep ants in a functional nest as a pet. Some ant species are protected by law from disturbing them. Do not release foreign ant species into nature! This will disturb the natural balance in nature and in some states or countries this even against the law.

Can ants detect humans?

Social insects, like ants, detect each other’s smells using sensors in their antennae. It was initially thought that ants used these smells to distinguish between friends and foes, but the new study suggests the insects’ abilities go further than this.