Short answer: the best pet ants for most people in Canada are black garden ants, pavement ants and carpenter ants. They're tough, easy to feed, and forgiving of beginner mistakes. If you want something different, harvester ants eat seeds, chestnut carpenter ants stay active all winter, and acrobat ants are fast and fun to watch.
Every ant on this list is one we keep and ship across Canada. Before you pick, there are two things worth knowing:
- Hibernation: most ants from Canada need a winter rest in the cold, like a long nap in a fridge at about 5–10 °C. Ants from warmer places don't, so they stay active all year. See our hibernation guide.
- Speed: small ants usually grow into big colonies faster. Big ants are easier to watch but grow more slowly.
The list starts with the easiest, cheapest ants and moves toward the bigger and more unusual ones.
1. Black garden ant (Lasius niger)
This is the classic starter ant, and the one we sell the most. Black garden ants are small, brown-black and very hardy. Once a colony gets going, it can grow into thousands of workers, which makes for a busy ant farm. They eat sugar water and small insects, and they need a winter hibernation.
Best for: first-time keepers who want fast growth. See black garden ants
2. Pavement ant (Tetramorium immigrans)
If black garden ants are the classic, pavement ants are the toughest. They're the little ants you see on sidewalks in summer. They eat almost anything, including seeds, sugar and insects, and they can be kept without hibernation, though they do best with about 3 months of cold. Colonies grow fast and get big.
Best for: beginners and kids who want an ant that's hard to kill. See pavement ants · Care sheet
3. Labour Day ant (Lasius neoniger)
A close cousin of the black garden ant, this one gets its name from its mating flights, which often happen around Labour Day. It's just as easy to keep, grows quickly, and is one of the most common ants in Canadian lawns. It needs hibernation.
Best for: beginners who want a native Canadian ant. See Labour Day ants · Care sheet
4. Cherry acrobat ant (Crematogaster cerasi)
Acrobat ants are named for the way they lift their heart-shaped back end into the air when they're upset. They're small, fast and full of energy, and they love sugar. They're good escape artists, so keep your escape barrier fresh. They need hibernation.
Best for: keepers who want a lively, active colony. See cherry acrobat ants · Care sheet
5. New York carpenter ant (Camponotus novaeboracensis)
Now we move to the big ants. Carpenter ants are some of the largest ants in Canada, and as colonies grow, they make "major" workers, extra-large ants with huge heads. The New York carpenter ant has a red-brown middle and is a favourite with keepers. Like all carpenter ants, it grows slowly in its first year and needs hibernation.
Best for: patient beginners who want big ants. See New York carpenter ants · Carpenter ant guide
6. Eastern black carpenter ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus)
This is the big, all-black carpenter ant many people see on trees and picnic tables. Workers can be over a centimetre long. It's calm, easy to feed and great to watch up close. It needs hibernation.
Best for: anyone who wants a big, classic-looking ant. See eastern black carpenter ants · Care sheet
7. Chestnut carpenter ant (Camponotus castaneus)
Most Canadian carpenter ants sleep through the winter. The chestnut carpenter ant doesn't. It's a bright, golden-brown carpenter ant that stays active all year, so you can watch it grow even in January. It likes a warmer nest than most carpenter ants.
Best for: keepers who don't want to deal with hibernation. See chestnut carpenter ants
8. Black winnow ant (Aphaenogaster picea)
Winnow ants are medium-sized, long-legged ants that are great climbers. In the wild, they help plants by carrying their seeds to new places. They need lots of protein, and they don't need hibernation. Colonies can have more than one queen.
Best for: keepers who want something a little different, all year round. See black winnow ants · Care sheet
9. Western harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex occidentalis)
Harvester ants are the ants made famous by old-school ant farms. They collect and store seeds as their main food. Western harvester ants love warmth, don't need hibernation, and are very hardy. Their queens need a small foraging area with food while they start their colony. They can sting, so handle the setup with care.
Best for: keepers who want seed-eating ants. See western harvester ants · Harvester ant guide
10. Guinea ant (Tetramorium bicarinatum)
The last pick is a tropical ant. Guinea ants are small, golden-brown and come from warm places, so they never hibernate and must never be chilled. Unlike most ants, colonies can make new egg-laying queens of their own, so they can grow very large and live a very long time.
Best for: keepers who want a colony that keeps growing, all year. See guinea ants
How to choose
- Cheapest and easiest: black garden ant, pavement ant or Labour Day ant
- Biggest ants: New York or eastern black carpenter ant
- No hibernation: chestnut carpenter ant, black winnow ant, western harvester ant or guinea ant
- Seed-eaters: western harvester ant or pavement ant
Not sure yet? An Ant Colony Voucher lets someone pick their own colony later. You'll also need a place for them to live: see the best ant farm kits in Canada, or browse all ant colonies.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest ant to keep?
Pavement ants and black garden ants. Both are hardy, cheap and grow fast.
What ants don't need hibernation?
Chestnut carpenter ants, black winnow ants, western harvester ants and tropical ants like guinea ants.
Do pet ants bite or sting?
Most beginner ants are harmless. Big carpenter ants can give a small pinch. Harvester ants can sting, so they're better for older kids and adults.