29 replies to this topic

[Hightlyze]

Not sure exactly how i would get answers here since this is an ant keeping forum. maybe like your parent's opinion on it or friend's opinion idk. or random family/family friends to came over and saw your ant farms.

[DDD101DDD]

Most parents are probably:No, ants are pests, and refuse to change their mindset.

My friends kind of think its cool, but don't really care too much.

[MrPurpleB]

Similar to what DDD101DDD said. Others that know about my hobby find it interesting, but are more neutral about it. I guess they were slightly surprised, but mostly a neutral attitude about it. My parents don't care too much as long as I don't make a mess or let them escape.

[Guy_Fieri]

My situation is the exact same as the two posts above mine.

[Wa.Va]

Some friends of mine always ask if I can show them the setups when they are around. My gf don't like that I can tell for hours about my setups dx she listens, but not for a long time.

[ponerinecat]

Most people think I won't get anywhere in life, friends think its interesting but get really bored if I bring it up, so no one to talk to, parents are okay with it but mom hates feeding insects as prey and dad sees them as pests. Relatives see it as a phase that'll pass, cousin finds it mildly interesting but likes coleoptera and lepidoptera primarily.

[ponerinecat]

And no one cares to know eveything, most apply they're own bias to it, father sees no point in feeding protein, thinks they can live off bread and honey.

Edited by ponerinecat, September 22 2019 - 9:17 AM.

[ANTdrew]

It's a struggle. I don't bring it up to people unless they are close friends. Mostly they just find it funny/odd. One buddy of mine finds me queens from time to time. My wife tolerates it, but I've learned not really to talk about it. My brother loves ants, but not as much as I do. He had a colony a while, but he had to give up on them because of mites. I'm currently raising up a new Tetramorium colony for them. All of us are lucky to have this forum to share with people who get it, that's for sure.

 

Ponerinecat, have you thought about getting a Pogonomyrmex colony that could just live on seeds?

[ponerinecat]

I have one, recieved from silq for free.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

It's a struggle. I don't bring it up to people unless they are close friends. Mostly they just find it funny/odd. One buddy of mine finds me queens from time to time. My wife tolerates it, but I've learned not really to talk about it. My brother loves ants, but not as much as I do. He had a colony a while, but he had to give up on them because of mites. I'm currently raising up a new Tetramorium colony for them. All of us are lucky to have this forum to share with people who get it, that's for sure.

 

Ponerinecat, have you thought about getting a Pogonomyrmex colony that could just live on seeds?

Or better yet, Veromessor. Those are even better at living off just seeds.

[ponerinecat]

I have vero near me and got a queen but she died.

[Manitobant]

I made the mistake of telling lots of people at school that I keep ants. Most people just think its weird but some think its interesting. The real reason I regret telling everyone is that random people will come up to me and know me as "the guy who keeps ants" and ask me a million questions about it. This gets really annoying and makes me have to go down the long rabbithole about nuptial flights, how different types of queens start colonies etc.

Edited by Manitobant, September 22 2019 - 11:02 AM.

[ponerinecat]

I made the mistake of telling lots of people at school that I keep ants. Most people just think its weird but some think its interesting. The real reason I regret telling everyone is that random people will come up to me and know me as "the guy who keeps ants" and ask me a million questions about it. This gets really annoying and makes me have to go down the long rabbithole about nuptial flights, how different types of queens start colonies etc.

people just say "Did you see that antscanada guy?" every week.

[NickAnter]

My parents are fine with it, as long as no colonies escape, amd and somewhat interested. Some of my friends at school are interested in ants, but not in keeping them. When I was camping in the Sierras, and the Lasius flight was going on, everyone must have though I was insane, as I was either looking up, or down. One person even asked if I was looking at bats in the air, as there is a large population there.

[Major]

My mother finds my ants fascinating, and particularly loves my Pheidole Bicarinata and Tetramorium Immigrans. She loves to watch them. Once while she was watching I added a mealworm and she immediately left with a look of disgust. She can't tolerate me feeding them so I've learned my limits. I only feed when she's not watching my ants. Othe than that she loves them. My 4 year old brother finds my ants fascinating as well. He has an extremely keen eye and found me a bunch of queens. My sister is fine with them (age 7) and looks at them time to time. My dad goes blacklighting with me and finds it fun. I'm extremely lucky to have an ant loving family. My Mom loved my mantids, and I would find her feeding or even handling them. My family except my brother hated my tarantulas, and I ended up hating them as well later on haha. 

 

My friends at first thought it was strange. After a year or so it became a bit of a joke among us of how I made more money selling ants in one summer than they all made off chores and actual work, over a course of a year. We occasionaly talk about it and some of them are a bit interested now. 

[ponerinecat]

My mother finds my ants fascinating, and particularly loves my Pheidole Bicarinata and Tetramorium Immigrans. She loves to watch them. Once while she was watching I added a mealworm and she immediately left with a look of disgust. She can't tolerate me feeding them so I've learned my limits. I only feed when she's not watching my ants. Othe than that she loves them. My 4 year old brother finds my ants fascinating as well. He has an extremely keen eye and found me a bunch of queens. My sister is fine with them (age 7) and looks at them time to time. My dad goes blacklighting with me and finds it fun. I'm extremely lucky to have an ant loving family. My Mom loved my mantids, and I would find her feeding or even handling them. My family except my brother hated my tarantulas, and I ended up hating them as well later on haha. 

 

My friends at first thought it was strange. After a year or so it became a bit of a joke among us of how I made more money selling ants in one summer than they all made off chores and actual work, over a course of a year. We occasionaly talk about it and some of them are a bit interested now. 

You have a nice family, very supporting community.

[AntsDakota]

My friend and I got into ant keeping together, and we always share it with other friends, hoping to grow a small pocket of ant lovers.... over a couple years, the grand total of our efforts is....

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           1 PERSON!!!

 

The rest are nice and just tolerate it, but they most likely do think of it as strange....

[AntsDakota]

My parents are fine with it, as long as no colonies escape,

Mine are in the garage; I don't have to worry about that. 

[Hightlyze]

My mom doesn't understand how ants work. She keeps telling me to use the stuff I bought (materials for formicarium) She keeps complaining that I didn't use them yet. They haven't laid their eggs yet!

[Pumpkin_Loves_Ants]

My mom doesn't understand how ants work. She keeps telling me to use the stuff I bought (materials for formicarium) She keeps complaining that I didn't use them yet. They haven't laid their eggs yet!

She hasn't laid eggs yet? Oh this story just keeps getting better and better