36 replies to this topic

[Devi]

Today I was going anting and found a massive pogonomyrmex occidentalis ant hill that had hundreds of drones and queens getting ready to take off for their nuptial flight and captured six queens that are hopefully all fertile.  I only need to keep one, and don't really need any others so one of my options is the GAN project.  I wanted to see what experiences you guys have had with the GAN project and if you recommend it.  

[TechAnt]

Oh my goodness, you have no idea what you just started by saying ‘I wanted to see your experiences with the GAN Project’ so..prepare for this thread to be a bit of a war zone.

Aside from some unkind words I could say about it, it seems like a decent (but needs more regulation and communication and development) way to sell ants. Honestly I would reccomend selling on Formiculture, it seems honestly like the best way (currently) to be selling ants in America and other places.

[NickAnter]

You didn't take them straight from the mound did you? Then they wouldn't have flown, and would then not be mated. Sorry, it was just the way I read your above statement.

Edited by NickAnter, July 27 2020 - 8:10 PM.

[TechAnt]

Today I was going anting and found a massive pogonomyrmex occidentalis ant hill that had hundreds of drones and queens getting ready to take off for their nuptial flight and captured six queens that are hopefully all fertile.  I only need to keep one, and don't really need any others so one of my options is the GAN project.  I wanted to see what experiences you guys have had with the GAN project and if you recommend it.

You didn't take them straight from the mound did you? Then they wouldn't have flown, and would then not be mated.

Oh yeah, if you took them all straight form the mound and they looked like they were ready to fly. Then they are not mated and you’d certainly be selling unmated queens.

[SleepyAsianAnter]

I don't think you can sell single queens on GAN

[TechAnt]

I don't think you can sell single queens on GAN

Or unmated ones, they require at least one worker. But moderation on GAN is not good and people do that all the time unfortunately.

[Devi]

I didn't just get them from the mound...  I'm not that inexperienced, lol.  There were more mounds in the vicinity and I waited until all of the ants took flight and then started mating with eachother and then I collected them from the ground.

[Devi]

Yeah, you can only sell a queen with at least one worker. Oh, and thanks for the feedback.

[ANTdrew]

I just signed up for GAN this year. So far my experience has been very positive. You DON’T have to follow all their silly rules like paying them a 10% commission or any such nonsense. There aren’t any GAN enforcement agents going around busting people.
I’ve mostly dealt with parents of youngsters, so I’m not certain the colonies I’m selling will get stellar care. That’s the only downside, IMO. You could always just put an ad in the market place here in FC, but you’ll get less traffic because people think AC is the be all, end all of ants. I charge FC customers way less because I’m happier knowing the ants won’t just be fed peanut butter and cookie crumbs or other such neglect.

[AntsDakota]

I’ve mostly dealt with parents of youngsters, so I’m not certain the colonies I’m selling will get stellar care. e fed peanut butter and cookie crumbs or other such neglect.

Then you should mostly sell them Tetramorium, which are pretty hard to kill. 

[ANTdrew]

Good point. I made $100 dollars on a Tetramorium queen with nanitics. The parent paid me double out of generosity. Cha ching!

[Temperateants]

Good point. I made $100 dollars on a Tetramorium queen with nanitics. The parent paid me double out of generosity. Cha ching!

Good point, I also don't sell my ants too cheap (about 45$ for a small Camponotus colony) since money=more accountability, and even if the child kills the colony the money you made will allow for even better care for your other colonies. I always liked selling more to young adults, since they always knew what they were doing. Parents of small children always asked questions about what they ate, how to care ect. info they can easily find online, and a short GAN meeting is not enough time to explain it all. 

[to_be_announced]

I've just started selling through GAN this year and had only positive results so far.

 

I get an email from GAN stating someone wants to purchase one of my ants.  They email me directly then and we setup a meeting time and place.  I meet, sell ant, done.

[Spazmops]

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis are selling for like $60 on THA, and I caught 6 with Devi. Is that a fair price?

[ANTdrew]

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis are selling for like $60 on THA, and I caught 6 with Devi. Is that a fair price?

That’s a pretty special ant. You could probably go higher. I’ve seen clowns selling Tapinoma sessile they dug up under a rock for $100 on GAN.

Edited by ANTdrew, July 28 2020 - 8:20 AM.

[Spazmops]

Oh sweet. I know that they’re deregulated, so that’s great. Yeah I saw someone on the GAN project selling tetramorium queens with around 4 workers for $75. I’d be willing to sell mine for the price of the test tube they’re in.

[SuperFrank]

Yeah GAN is chill af, most of my sales are through it. None of the rules apply, like they say no shipping, no single queens etc and most of my listings have "free shipping" or "single queen with brood" etc in the description and I've never been flagged or anything in multiple years of selling. Once I got an email that said "gan doesn't support shipping ants" or something but that was it.

[AntsDakota]

 a short GAN meeting is not enough time to explain it all. 

What I would do is either write up a care guide that you can print off and give your customers or write a list of some good online resources for them. If they have the whole 'I don't need instructions, never have' attitude, then too bad for them. 

[Temperateants]

 

 a short GAN meeting is not enough time to explain it all. 

What I would do is either write up a care guide that you can print off and give your customers or write a list of some good online resources for them. If they have the whole 'I don't need instructions, never have' attitude, then too bad for them. 

 

Same. It gives me peace of mind, since I've done my end of the deal. So if the parent has that bad attitude then they will be punishing themselves, and hopefully learn the lesson.

[BlueLance213]

This actually answers a bunch of questions I was gonna ask about it XD

 

Personally I am not good at all with meeting people, Online sure no problem, in person, boy am I gonna need to work up courage... Personally I would rather post them in the same way I got one of mine posted to me, on a flat piece of card, with brown tape to stop the test tube rolling about and padding to help keep it safe, They got to me in perfectly fine condition which I was honestly pretty chuffed with. I understand the less stress by being hand delivered, but like I mentioned, i'm just not good with that sorta thing XD

 

Also what is THA? I have seen it mentioned a few times before.

Edited by BlueLance213, August 3 2020 - 10:18 PM.