I'd like to share some of the other critter hobbies i have besides fish lol
Trigger warning, they're bugs, if you may be scared of insects or such.
I keep ants and isopods as pets, exotic and native! (Any marked * are non-native/exotic)
I also catch queen ants as a supplier for a company that sells them as pets to others. Winter is down-time for that since they hibernate here and new queens only fly at specific times of the year. And many of my pet colonies are currently in hibernation as well from November to March, with the exception of a couple non-hibernating species.
I keep more species than what's shared in photos here. I can only upload so many at a time haha.
But ant species I keep:
Carpenters:
Camponotus Pennsylvanicus
Camponotus subbarbatus
Camponotus nearcticus
Camponotus nearcticus "orange"
Camponotus castaneus
Field:
Formica argentea
Acorn:
Temnothorax schaumii
Temnothorax curvispinosis
Lasius:
Lasius americanus
Tetramorium:
Tetramorium Immigrans*
Spine-waisted:
Aphaenogaster sp, likely rudis
Only the Aphaenogaster, Tetramorium, and c. castaneus don't hibernate, so the rest are all tucked away for the winter months.
Yes they're contained in ant proof homes for them. If they did by chance escape, no they cannot survive longterm without the queen, who does not leave the nest in most cases. They're fairly easy to feed, they take a carb source and a protein source. For carb it's easiest to feed them a sugar water mixture, honey, or maple syrup and for protein I usually do meal worms or crickets, or in summer I offer what I catch outside from pesticide free sources. Aphaenogaster are more specialized, being picky eaters and also eating grains, mine love walnuts but hate pecans lol they also are unique in feeding habits as they lack a social stomach so are not able to store food internally to share in the nest, they must carry all food and sugar sources back with them.
Typically small young colonies are housed in test tubes as they're fairly compact and what the ant prefers for space and meets their needs with hydration as water is blocked off at the closed end with a cotton ball. After a few workers, you can introduce an "outworld" where the workers can exit the nest to and forage for their foods needed.
Isopods (aka rolly pollies, woodlouse, pill bugs, sow bug, etc) are actually crustaceans, like shrimp, and behave a lot like shrimp do except on land. Probably among the easiest things to care for. Some good quality soil, a calcium source, and leaf litter mixed in kept humid enough. Some rotten wood is also enjoyed. Feed them just about anything. Some species like it more damp, some drier. They're actually quite cute and are often used as clean up crews in reptile enclosures because they'll eat dead leaves off terrarium plants, droppings from the animals, and shed skin.
I keep many species of these as well, many exotic, many found local. Any marker * are domestic fancy bred or exotic
Isopods kept:
Armadillidium nasatum
Armadillidium vulgare
Armadillidium vulgare "albino"*
Armadillidium maculatum *
Armadillidium espanyoli *
Porcellio laevis "dairy cow"*
Porcellio laevis "orange"*
Porcellio scaber (mixed varieties)
Porcellio haasi*
Oniscus asellus
Hyloniscus riparius
Haplophthalmus danicus
Trichorhina tomentosa*
Armadillidium scaberrimum*
Platyarthrus hoffmannseggii
Trachelipus rathkii
Cubaris murina "little sea"*
Cubaris murina "papaya"*
Cubaris sp panda king*
Photos, obviously not of everything lol
Ants:
Camponotus nearcticus "orange"
Camponotus castaneus
Camponotus subbarbatus
Formica argentea
Temnothorax curvispinosis
Isopods
Armadillidium maculatum
Cubaris sp panda king
Cubaris murina "papaya"
Armadillidium espanyoli
Porcellio laevis "dairy cow"
Trigger warning, they're bugs, if you may be scared of insects or such.
I keep ants and isopods as pets, exotic and native! (Any marked * are non-native/exotic)
I also catch queen ants as a supplier for a company that sells them as pets to others. Winter is down-time for that since they hibernate here and new queens only fly at specific times of the year. And many of my pet colonies are currently in hibernation as well from November to March, with the exception of a couple non-hibernating species.
I keep more species than what's shared in photos here. I can only upload so many at a time haha.
But ant species I keep:
Carpenters:
Camponotus Pennsylvanicus
Camponotus subbarbatus
Camponotus nearcticus
Camponotus nearcticus "orange"
Camponotus castaneus
Field:
Formica argentea
Acorn:
Temnothorax schaumii
Temnothorax curvispinosis
Lasius:
Lasius americanus
Tetramorium:
Tetramorium Immigrans*
Spine-waisted:
Aphaenogaster sp, likely rudis
Only the Aphaenogaster, Tetramorium, and c. castaneus don't hibernate, so the rest are all tucked away for the winter months.
Yes they're contained in ant proof homes for them. If they did by chance escape, no they cannot survive longterm without the queen, who does not leave the nest in most cases. They're fairly easy to feed, they take a carb source and a protein source. For carb it's easiest to feed them a sugar water mixture, honey, or maple syrup and for protein I usually do meal worms or crickets, or in summer I offer what I catch outside from pesticide free sources. Aphaenogaster are more specialized, being picky eaters and also eating grains, mine love walnuts but hate pecans lol they also are unique in feeding habits as they lack a social stomach so are not able to store food internally to share in the nest, they must carry all food and sugar sources back with them.
Typically small young colonies are housed in test tubes as they're fairly compact and what the ant prefers for space and meets their needs with hydration as water is blocked off at the closed end with a cotton ball. After a few workers, you can introduce an "outworld" where the workers can exit the nest to and forage for their foods needed.
Isopods (aka rolly pollies, woodlouse, pill bugs, sow bug, etc) are actually crustaceans, like shrimp, and behave a lot like shrimp do except on land. Probably among the easiest things to care for. Some good quality soil, a calcium source, and leaf litter mixed in kept humid enough. Some rotten wood is also enjoyed. Feed them just about anything. Some species like it more damp, some drier. They're actually quite cute and are often used as clean up crews in reptile enclosures because they'll eat dead leaves off terrarium plants, droppings from the animals, and shed skin.
I keep many species of these as well, many exotic, many found local. Any marker * are domestic fancy bred or exotic
Isopods kept:
Armadillidium nasatum
Armadillidium vulgare
Armadillidium vulgare "albino"*
Armadillidium maculatum *
Armadillidium espanyoli *
Porcellio laevis "dairy cow"*
Porcellio laevis "orange"*
Porcellio scaber (mixed varieties)
Porcellio haasi*
Oniscus asellus
Hyloniscus riparius
Haplophthalmus danicus
Trichorhina tomentosa*
Armadillidium scaberrimum*
Platyarthrus hoffmannseggii
Trachelipus rathkii
Cubaris murina "little sea"*
Cubaris murina "papaya"*
Cubaris sp panda king*
Photos, obviously not of everything lol
Ants:
Camponotus nearcticus "orange"
Camponotus castaneus
Camponotus subbarbatus
Formica argentea
Temnothorax curvispinosis
Isopods
Armadillidium maculatum
Cubaris sp panda king
Cubaris murina "papaya"
Armadillidium espanyoli
Porcellio laevis "dairy cow"