At the moment, a lot of the rules against illegal trading of ants are autonomously enforced by the community, which frowns upon such actions. However, due to the recent increase in interest surrounding this hobby, many illegal markets surrounding ants have also popped up. Due to such activity, in the past, the Department of Agriculture has also cracked down on innocent hobbyists because of these suspicions. Ant-keeping is a growing hobby around the world, but it's still important to make sure that it stays a trustworthy hobby in the eyes of the government and the public. The government is also more likely to be open to issuing permits to ant-keepers if the community can continue to prove itself to be reliable.

Because of this, it's important for keepers to uphold and encourage regulations. Interstate trading of ants without a permit is illegal with the sole exception of Pogonomyrmex occidentalis in a few select states. Even if vendors claim that they have a permit to sell, buyers themselves have to apply for a PPQ-526 permit for the specific species to be able to import live specimen from other states or countries. This not only includes queens, but also workers, males, brood, and all other live ants. Please also reference the links to other resources for more information.

Most terrestrial invertebrates (including ants) are exempt from needing a permit for collection. With the exceptions on this list, collection of other terrestrial invertebrates is permitted on land controlled by the Bureau of Land Management. Information on Scientific Collecting Permits can also be found here. While there are no laws against collecting native species of ants right now, over-collection and disturbance of queens and colonies is still generally frowned upon. Over-collection may encourage illegal activity because many people collect with the intent to sell, and they may be tempted to look for buyers outside of their own region if they don't have enough people who want to buy them in their state.

Collection of invasive species is also frowned upon, as this could lead to further propagation of these invasive species and also result in the displacement of native ants. Certain counties in California have laws against the collecting and keeping Solenopsis invicta, the red imported fire ant as well. In addition, once a colony has been in captivity, it could have contracted diseases which would be potentially harmful if released back into the wild. Because of this, it is recommended that ant-keepers who are unable to continue to care for their colonies either find them a new home or euthanize them. This is further dissuasion against over-collection, which will inevitably lead to such problems arising.

Every species has its own way of founding a new colony. Here, I'll go over the basics and the mistakes that people usually make when keeping new queens. There are usually two different types of lone queens that you can find founding a new colony: fully claustral and semi claustral queens. Fully claustral queens do not need to eat during the founding stage, and they survive and feed their brood by metabolizing their wing muscles and consuming stored fat. Semi-claustral queens will have to hunt or forage for food to feed their brood. Whether or not a queen is fully or semi claustral is species dependent, and certain characteristics can distinguish the different types.

While semi-claustral queens need to be fed every once in a while to lay eggs and develop their brood, it is still important not to stress them out too much. Many semi-claustral queens in California are harvester ants and can sustain themselves solely on seed diets during the founding stage. In these cases, their setups would still be very similar to fully-claustral setups, with the exception of the addition of seeds. Other queens, like cryptic ants, might need more complicated setups suited to them.

The most common mistake I've noticed in new ant-keepers is over worrying or over caring for their queens. They really do not like to be bothered too much, and it will only stress the queens out. Ant-keepers also spend quite a bit of time worrying about whether their queen is actually fertile or not, but the truth is, you simply can't tell until they get workers or developed pupae. The best thing to do is to just leave the queen alone after the first week and give her time to lay eggs and nurture them.

Another common mistake I see is when ant-keepers force their ants out of their tubes or given setups and throw them into a dirt setup without any prior experience or knowledge of how to maintain them. Most species of ants will be able to survive in test tube setups or modified test tube setups until they get their first workers. Tanks may look pretty on YouTube, but there's also a lot of work behind maintaining them which isn't necessarily beneficial for founding queens.

One of the most important tips for feeding ants is to be sure of the source where the food comes from. Certain foods could contain poisons or organisms that could ultimately hurt colony growth. Ant-keepers have reported poisons such as pesticides in the fruit or feeder insects that they have caught from the wild. Most insects that are good feeders are often ones that are targeted as pests and possibly treated with insecticide. Because of this risk, arthropod and reptile keepers often choose to start their own feeder colonies or cultures for feeding their pets. Some great feeder insects that can also be maintained include fruit flies, springtails, mealworms, superworms, roaches, and crickets. Pet shops will often sell these insects, which can be used to start cultures. Other enthusiasts might also be able to provide starter colonies of larger insects for hobbyists who are just starting out.

I, personally, have never had a problem feeding wild caught insects, but I also live in a suburban area where the spraying of pesticides is less common. Counties in California will regularly spray certain areas in cities and near marshes to prevent the proliferation of mosquito-borne diseases such as the West Nile Virus. County vector control websites will usually post their spraying schedules and maps which can help you better understand whether what you're feeding them might be dangerous or not.

Carbohydrates are also an important part of ants' diets. Ants are part of the order Hymenoptera, and sugar makes up the main portion of the diet of adult Hymenopterans. I would recommend obtaining a source of sugar like hummingbird nectar or sugar water instead of relying on fruits unless you have absolute confidence in it. Hummingbird nectar is sugar water with some added preservatives (making it easier to store), and my ants usually prefer it over other sugary liquids.

Some species of ants are harvesters and their diet primarily consists of seeds. Ant-keepers have had the most success with feeding grass seeds to their ants. However, grass seeds sold commercially are not really meant for feeding ants. They often have water saver coatings or coatings of fertilization to encourage germination. These may also poison the ants or discourage their feeding, and I would ask around the communities for different product recommendations before buying anything.