Myrm's Ant Nest

Lasius aphidicola
Worker with a larva in the brood nest. Vermilion River Observatory, Illinois, USA (Photo: Alex Wild)
lasius-black
Lasius americanus A young Lasius foundress queen raises her first crop of workers sealed in an underground chamber. She feeds the developing larvae with reserves from her own body. South Bristol, New York, USA (Photo: Alex Wild)

Information about the species of ant in Britain and Europe, including how to keep them in captivity

Ants are fascinating creatures, hence they have been studied for thousands of years.  Much of my experience has been with those species of ant found in the UK, namely, Lasius niger, Lasius umbratus and Myrmica rubra.  Therefore, as a result, I aim to provide information about species of ant found in Britain and Europe. Consequently, this will include topics such as how they build their nests, their external and internal anatomy, what they eat, their life cycle, and how to keep a captive ant colony of your own.

I try to add articles about ants on a regular basis (usually once a week, on a Friday), which can be on a wide range of ant-related topics.  The articles will also include ants outside of the UK and Europe. See the Articles, News and Colony Journals page.

Furthermore, you can read regular updates on my captive ant colonies, though these may be sporadic in the winter months, when the ants become far less active.

Although this site mainly concentrates on the ants found in the UK, I do also provide some information about ants in Europe and the rest of the world.

I have tried to provide lots of useful information about species of ant in Britain, which is both interesting and informative, but, above all, easy enough for younger readers to understand.

Finally, if you have any questions about ants, you can contact me.  I do my best to answer questions on any species of ant.  Click the Contact tab on the far right of the menu bar at the top of the page.  Mobile users will find the Contact tab by clicking the MENU button in the navigation bar at the top of the page.

Site Index

By clicking on the options on the menu bar above, you will be able to navigate to the main pages and articles centre.

For a complete site index, click on the button below.

“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise.”

– Proverbs 6:6

An example of ants in the UK

Empire of Ants - a new and fascinating book about ants

Empire of Ants
Empire of Ants by Susanne Foitzik and Olaf Fritsche

Myrm's Ant Nest - Information about species of ant in Britain

Contact Myrm

Do you have any further questions about ants that have not been answered anywhere on this website? Or do you need other facts about ants? Then please feel free to contact me by either clicking the button below, or the Contact button on the top menu of this page. 

In addition, you can also use this method of contact to inform me of any errors or problems with the site. Similarly you can make other suggestions, for instance, on how to improve the site.

I endeavour to reply as soon as I can, usually within an hour or so, depending on the time of day.

If the contact form fails to work for you, or you have not had a reply within 24 hours, then you can email me direct on my**@an*****.uk

If you are using a VPN, your message may be flagged as spam. If this happens then feel free to email me direct at the address given above.

My Ant Farms (Oct 19)
My current ant farms as of October 2019