Ant Keeping Kits for Sale — Complete Sets with Live Colony, Formicarium & Accessories

Year-round shipping across Europe and the UK

Other ant shops stop shipping when it gets too cold or too hot. We do not. ANTonTOP ships ant keeping kits 12 months a year, because every order leaves Poland in seasonal thermal packaging matched to the destination weather. Winter orders include a 72-hour heat pack that keeps the contents above 18 °C even when outdoor temperatures drop below freezing. Summer orders include a cool gel pack and ventilated packaging that hold the contents below 28 °C through heat waves.

Inside Poland we ship via InPost parcel locker (1 to 2 business days). Across the EU and to the United Kingdom we ship via DHL Express (2 to 3 business days for EU destinations, 4 to 7 business days for the UK). No import paperwork is required from you — we handle every shipment the same way as inside the EU.

Delivery times by country

Poland — 1 to 2 business days via InPost parcel locker.

Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium — 2 to 3 business days via DHL Express.

Spain — 3 to 4 business days via DHL.

Italy, Czechia, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, all other EU countries — 3 to 5 business days via DHL.

United Kingdom — 4 to 7 business days via DHL Express. No import paperwork from your side.

Direct from a Polish ant breeder, not a reseller

Every kit is assembled by hand at our Poland workshop. The colony in the box is one we founded, the formicarium is one we built or tested, and the food and accessories are the same ones we use ourselves. No drop-shipped boxes from a third-party warehouse.

Questions about which kit fits your room temperature, your time budget, or your species curiosity go straight to the breeder by message — reply within 24 hours.

Kit types — 4 paths to a working colony

Kits for Beginners. 8 sets with a beginner-friendly species (no hibernation, robust queen, simple feeding), a small acrylic or gypsum formicarium, sand, sugar source, and care sheet. The simplest possible start for someone who has never kept ants before.

Starter Kits. 11 sets with a wider species choice and a slightly larger formicarium, designed for keepers who want room for the colony to grow without an immediate upgrade.

Kits without Ants. 6 sets — the hardware bundle only (formicarium, arena, sand, accessories, food) without a live colony. Perfect for keepers who already have a queen, or who want to prepare the setup in advance of catching a queen during nuptial flight season.

Mystery Kits. 5 surprise sets where the exact species is chosen by us from current healthy stock. Discount on the bundle price in exchange for the surprise element. Always a beginner-friendly species, always with full care advice.

How to choose your first kit

For someone who never kept ants: a Beginners kit with a tropical species like Camponotus nicobarensis or Lasius emarginatus. The colony reaches 30 to 50 workers in four months, no hibernation to manage, simple feeding routine.

For someone with experience but new to the hobby in this region: a Starter kit with a European hibernating species (Lasius niger, Messor barbarus). Realistic annual rhythm and a colony you can scale.

For someone who wants the surprise factor: a Mystery kit. You name your preference (display vs active vs colourful), we pick the best species from current stock.

For someone who already has a queen waiting: a Kit without Ants. Receive the hardware ready to use, transfer your existing queen at the right moment.

What every ant kit includes

• The colony (if applicable) — a founding queen or established colony in a humid test tube, packed for transit.
• The formicarium — nest and arena matched to the colony's stage and species.
• Substrate — sand for the arena, decor where included.
• Food starter — sugar source and protein source for the first weeks.
• Accessories — tweezers, drinking plate, humidity tube where applicable.
• Care sheet — species-specific instructions covering temperature, humidity, feeding, hibernation.
• Live arrival guarantee on the colony, quality guarantee on the hardware.

Trusted by 4,000+ ant keepers

Follow the work behind the catalogue on YouTube (colony videos), Instagram (queen photography), TikTok (short-form clips), and Facebook. Join 4,000+ ant keepers following ANTonTOP across these channels.

Frequently asked questions about ant kits

What is included in an ant keeping kit?

The complete starter package: live queen or colony, formicarium (nest + arena), sand, sugar and protein starter food, basic accessories (tweezers, drinking plate, tubing). A Kits-without-Ants version excludes the live colony.

Which kit is best for a first-time keeper?

A Kit for Beginners with a tropical, no-hibernation species like Camponotus nicobarensis or Lasius emarginatus. Simple feeding, robust queen, fast visible colony growth.

Do all kits include the queen ant?

Yes, except the Kits without Ants category, which is the hardware bundle only. All other kits ship with a living founding queen or established colony inside.

How long does delivery take?

1 to 2 business days inside Poland via InPost. 2 to 3 days to Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium via DHL Express. 3 to 5 days to other EU countries. 4 to 7 days to the United Kingdom via DHL Express.

Can I swap the species in my kit?

Within the Beginners and Starter ranges, yes — message us before checkout with your preferred species and we will confirm availability. Mystery Kits keep the surprise factor by design.

What is a Mystery Kit?

A surprise kit where we pick the species from current healthy stock based on a short preference brief from you (display, active, colourful, hibernating, etc.). Bundled at a discount to the standard kit pricing.

Do you sell kits without ants?

Yes — the Kits without Ants category. Hardware bundle only (formicarium, arena, sand, accessories, food starter). Useful for keepers who plan to catch a queen during the local nuptial flight season.

How big is the formicarium in a starter kit?

S to M size, sized for a founding queen to first-year colony (up to roughly 200 workers). Connects to a larger nest via standard 16 mm tubing once the colony outgrows.

What food is included with the kit?

A small sugar source (honey or sugar water in a feeder) and a starter protein source (mealworm or cricket). Harvester ant kits include a seed mix instead of protein.

Live arrival guarantee on kits?

Yes, full coverage on the queen or colony. If the live element does not arrive alive, send a photo or video on the day of receipt and we re-ship the colony portion of the kit at our cost.