The 7 Best Ant Farms of 2023
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For learning, exploration, and play
The Spruce / Sabrina Jiang
Ant farms make excellent gifts for kids—and even some adults—who are fascinated by bugs or biology. These low-maintenance ecosystems make it easy to observe and feed the colony inside.
We researched today's best ant farms, factories, castles, terrariums, and decorative observatories, evaluating each by size, cover security, features, and overall design. Most don't include actual live ants, but we narrowed it down to starter kits for all ages and budgets.
Best Overall: Educational Insights GeoSafari Ant Factory
What We Like
Crystal-clear viewing
Lockable, escape-preventing habitat
Includes voucher for live ants
What We Don't Like
Sand not included
Can't connect to other farms
If you ask us, the best ant farm is the Educational Insights GeoSafari Ant Factory. The escape-free habitat has a crystal-clear viewing panel that makes it easy to see the insects at work, while the stand can be placed on any flat surface. And the brightly colored features aren't just appealing to a child's eye—they actually serve a purpose. The blue locks ensure the ants stay confined to the farm, and they can slide open when it's time for feeding. The red grips at the base prevent the entire thing from toppling over. Though it'll stay securely shut with the locks, this is definitely something you want to avoid.
Perfect for amateur entomologists, the set includes a canal-starting tool, a water dropper, and a comprehensive guidebook. Unlike other ant farms, the GeoSafari Ant Factory can't be connected with other farms, but it's a great standalone observatory for curious kiddos.
While this ant farm kit doesn't come with live ants, it includes a voucher to order ants and have them shipped to you within two weeks. Also, it calls for two cups of sand, which you'll have to buy separately. So if you're giving it as a gift, you might spring for a pack of sand too.
Price at time of publish: $40
Dimensions: 15 x 9.5 x 3 inches | Weight: 1 pound | Recommended Age: 5 and up
Best for Kids: Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm
What We Like
Large viewing area
Self-locking, escape-proof design
Included tube for connecting multiple farms
What We Don't Like
Ants not included
Shopping for a kid? The Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm might be your best bet. With double the viewing area of the brand's original version, it gives children a substantial look at the underground world of ants. They can use the included stick tool to dig tunnels, build bridges, and create and move hills, then watch the colony workers navigate the habitat.
This ant farm observatory is self-locking, escape-proof, and break-resistant, so you can have peace of mind knowing the insects won't get out and end up loose in your home. But even with the secure design, it's still easy for kids to provide food and water to the colony. The set comes with two bags of sand, a digging stick, and a handy connector tube for linking multiple habitats together. While it doesn't include any live ants, it comes with a voucher for ordering them for free. However, shipping the ants isn't free, and it may take a few weeks to get them, so you might consider ordering a couple of tubes from Amazon instead.
Price at time of publish: $20
Dimensions: 13 x 9 x 2.5 inches | Weight: 1 pound | Recommended Age: 6 and up
Best With Lights: Dan&Darci Light-Up Ant Terrarium Farm Kit
What We Like
Space-inspired blue gel
Light enhances viewing and encourages digging
Cordless design with rechargeable battery
What We Don't Like
Live ants not included
The Dan&Darci Light-Up Ant Terrarium is filled with gel instead of sand. According to the brand, this is the same substance used when scientists sent harvester ants to space in 2003, and again when pavement ants left our orbit in 2014. The bright blue gel is easy for these insects to dig through and create tunnels and routes. Meanwhile, the contrast of their black bodies enhances the view, and as the name of the product suggests, it lights up to give you an even better look at the action.
What's more, the illumination can encourage the ants to dig deeper into the habitat. The light-up feature could double as a nightlight for a child's bedroom, but it's pretty bright and may be too stimulating to leave on all night. This ant terrarium is powered by a lithium-ion battery that recharges through the included USB cable, so you don't have to keep it plugged in all the time or worry about replacing the batteries. The set also comes with a digging tool, a magnifying glass, and a comprehensive guidebook. But just a heads up, you'll have to buy the ants separately.
Price at time of publish: $25
Dimensions: 14 x 9.5 x 2.5 inches | Weight: 1.7 pounds | Recommended Age: All ages
Best With Sand: Tigerific Real Sand Ant Park
What We Like
Easy for ants to find and carry food and water
Can be viewed from multiple angles
Guide with pictures and ant facts
What We Don't Like
Lid doesn't lock
Ants not included
We also like the Tigerific Ant Farm. This kit comes with two bags of real sand you can use to create mazes, tunnels, and food routes. The ants appreciate the sandy environment, too, as it's easy for them to find and carry food and water. Made of clear acrylic, the habitat allows you to view the colony from multiple angles. It comes with a dropper for adding water to the farm, and you can easily remove the lid when it's time to feed.
This ant farm can be placed on any flat surface. But since the lid doesn't lock, you'll want to make sure it's in a spot where it's unlikely to get knocked over. Though it doesn't come with live ants, the set includes a voucher for ordering the harvester species at a discounted rate. Recommended for ages 4 through 16, the Tigerific Ant Farm includes an extensive learning booklet filled with colorful pictures and cool facts about ants—did you know they can swim?
Price at time of publish: $22
Dimensions: 9 x 7 x 2 inches | Weight: 1.7 pounds | Recommended Age: 4–16
Best With Gel: Nature Gift Store Live Ecosystem Gel Ant Habitat With 50 Ants
What We Like
No food needed with nutrient-rich gel
Includes 50 live ants
Comes with grass seed and starter tools
What We Don't Like
Smaller than it looks online
If you're interested in a habitat with gel instead of sand, go with the Live Ecosystem from Nature Gift Store. The clear blue gel contains special nutrients to promote a healthier colony. According to the brand, it's actually enough to sustain the ants, so you never have to add any food or water. The kit includes a pack of grass seed to plant in the gel. When the roots form, you can watch the ants work their way around the underground ecosystem.
This ant farm set also comes with decorative colored rocks, a tunnel starter tool, and a magnifying glass. Unlike most others, it even includes two tubes of live ants (50 ants in total). The brand guarantees live arrival of your ants as long as the outdoor temperature is above 40 degrees and below 85 degrees where you live. At just 6 and a half inches wide and 5 and a half inches tall, the observatory is smaller than it looks online. Still, we think the price is more than reasonable for such an innovative, comprehensive set.
Price at time of publish: $30
Dimensions: 6.5 x 5.5 x 1.5 inches | Weight: 2 pounds | Recommended Age: 8 and up
Best for Beginners: NavaDeal Sand Ant Farm Castle
What We Like
White sand for better viewing of ants
Secure lid with easy feeding access
Suitable for all skill levels
What We Don't Like
Smaller than most farms
Ants sold separately
For ant farm novices, we recommend the NavaDeal Sand Ant Castle. In addition to the acrylic "castle," this exploratory kit comes with a pack of white sand, which makes it easier to see the ants than with regular-colored sand. You'll also get a pair of tweezers, a magnifying glass, and a pipette dropper for adding water. Though the habitat is smaller than most other ant farms, it's a perfect desktop size, plus it comes with two plastic tubes for connecting the habitat to other farms.
This beginner-friendly set allows you to tend to the colony and watch the workers dig tunnels, create routes, and find the food and water you provide. We also like how the secure lid prevents the ants from escaping while still making it easy to access the feeding and watering system. While live ants aren't included, the brand recommends getting harvester or carpenter ants. All things considered, we think the price is more than reasonable.
Price at time of publish: $18
Dimensions: 4 x 4 x 4 inches | Weight: 1.5 pounds | Recommended Age: Kid or adult
Best for Adults: UniverseOfDecor Designer Vertical Ant Farm
What We Like
Sophisticated, thoughtful design
Built-in gypsum water supply
Can connect to other farms
What We Don't Like
Ants not included
Expensive shipping
Ant farms for adults aren't necessarily all that different than those for kids, except they often have a more sophisticated appearance. If you're shopping for someone over the age of about 15, consider the Designer Vertical Ant Farm from the Etsy shop UniverseOfDecor. This decorative habitat is made by hand out of high-quality plywood and food-grade acrylic. It comes pre-filled with sand and stabilized moss that doesn't require any maintenance to keep it alive.
The clever design also has built-in gypsum drinkers in the center. Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral that absorbs water from the environment (as well as water you add). According to the maker, this helps the colony grow faster. You'll also get a pipette dispenser, tweezers, and a silicone tube for connecting two farms. There are two sizes available, one 9 and a half inches tall and the other 13 and a half inches. Like many other ant farms, live ants aren't included, so you'll need to buy those separately. The other thing to note is that shipping is $30, which will add to the already relatively steep cost. Still, we think it's a good value for such a thoughtfully designed, aesthetically pleasing kit.
Price at time of publish: $70 for small
Dimensions: 4.5 x 4.5 x 9.5 inches, 6 x 6 x 13.5 inches | Weight: 2.5–4.5 pounds | Recommended Age: Teen or adult
Final Verdict
Our top choice is the Educational Insights GeoSafari Ant Factory, a lockable, escape-preventing habitat with crystal-clear viewing. But if you're looking for something that comes with live ants or uses gel instead of sand, we recommend the Nature Gift Store Live Ecosystem Gel Ant Habitat.
What to Look For When Buying an Ant Farm
Size
Be sure to check the dimensions before buying an ant farm. Most are small enough to be placed on a desk, shelf, or countertop, though they vary in size. The beginner-friendly NavaDeal Sand Ant Farm Castle is the smallest we found at just 4 x 4 x 4 inches. If you want a slightly bigger-than-average observatory, consider the Dan&Darci Light-Up Ant Terrarium.
Species
Most ant farms don't include live ants, though the Nature Gift Store Live Ecosystem Gel Ant Habitat does come with 50. If you buy your own, the best species to get are carpenter ants or harvester ants. But bear in mind ants can't be shipped to certain places, including Oregon and Hawaii, so check the laws in your area.
Observation Options
As with the Educational Insights GeoSafari Ant Factory, ant farms are generally made of acrylic to provide a clear view of the colony from various angles. That said, some feature white sand or blue gel to contrast the black ants and make it easier to see them.
Cover Security
An ant farm should have good cover security to prevent the ants from escaping or getting out in the event it's knocked over. A lockable lid is ideal. The Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm is self-locking, break-resistant, and escape-proof to give you peace of mind knowing the ants will stay inside.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best ants to start an ant farm?
The best ants to start an ant farm are usually carpenter ants or red harvester ants. Since they're not super small, these species are easier to see as they move through the sand or gel. Paratrechina longicornis ants (aka longhorn crazy ants) are also a good beginner-friendly option, as they tend to be very adaptable to new environments.
How many ants should you put in an ant farm?
An ant colony in nature can have as many as 100,000 to half a million workers. However, an indoor ant farm will house much fewer insects. Though it depends on the size of the habitat, experts often suggest starting with 20 to 40 ants, which will begin to multiply into a larger colony.
How long can you keep ants in an ant farm?
With proper care and maintenance, ants will stay alive in an indoor ant farm for about three months. Theoretically, they would last longer with a queen, but the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) generally prohibits selling and shipping queen ants to prevent colonies from being established where they don't belong.
Why Trust The Spruce?
Theresa Holland is a freelance writer specializing in recreation, gifts, children's products, and home goods. For this story, she searched for today's best ant farms and considered dozens of options before narrowing it down to those that stood out for viewing features, included tools, security, and overall quality. She also researched various ant species, laws, and regulations for buying and shipping live ants. Theresa has been contributing to The Spruce since 2019. You can read more of her commerce articles on People, Travel + Leisure, and Byrdie.
