“The most exciting, really, is to see all the interactions they have between them all day long. I love to see them interact with each other, it’s an observation game, to learndetails Timothy. Ants have an interaction game at the level odors. They capture smells with their antennas, communicate with each other, know how to warn an alert … I could talk about the hours! There are species that go to carnivorous plants, others that compete with cows by cutting the leaves … and we can observe all this in a nest! We can develop this nest to enlarge it, put several hunting areas, make beautiful setup. When people know what they are doing, (they generally find out about the Internet before), they know how much to go, the needs for humidity, if they owe hibernate … These are insects that need confined space because they feel more safe as well. They will compress in galleries, they like this compact space. ” To feed them? “Cricks, honey, small pieces of fruit sometimes, slightly sweet liquids but you have to find out about the species; some eat only proteins, fodder will look for seeds …”
The arrest of two young Belgians in Kenya reveals the Boom de la ant “company” at 600 euros each
Risk of looting
To get his ants, Tim goes to insect scholarships, which take place regularly in Wallonia, where individuals sell to other individuals. “I have French species, nothing very exotic.” But many breeders rather lead this business via their own small website. Ants of common species in Belgium or France can sell there at 10 euros per queen (which will then develop her colony). While other rarer or exotic species can sell “at 200, 500 euros, or even more” for a queen and there, which leads there risks “pillage” In countries of origin, confirms Timothée. “They can for example try to take it at the time of swarming (abandonment of the colony to found a news, editor’s note), Which hurts the local ecosystem especially if we take 5000!“
In general, Timothée regrets the lack of control of the ants of ants or insects in Belgium. “I find the laws sometimes a little lax. When you want to buy a domestic animal, recently you need a permit in the town. Here, it is from specific to particular, it is a package sent by post, there is no control. But I think there are more honest breeders than the reverse. Many are enthusiasts who do this for pleasure.”
