The beginner formicarium is the small one.

The Scout, $24, is the default. It takes a 16 mm test tube. Buy it for the moment the first workers are out.

Free US shipping, no minimum. Pre-orders open November 24 for the December 1 launch. Launch orders: expected postal delivery December 1–5. *Starts 12/1.

The tube goes in. A cover makes it dark. Workers come out into the nest as the colony grows.

Water for the tube comes from the test tube and cotton, $6. The watering guide shows how to keep it damp.

The Scout is built for 16 mm. If your tube is 18 or 20 mm, follow the tube path on the start here page. The tube adapter, $8, connects a 16, 18 or 20 mm tube to a nest port.

Do not move a queen with no workers into a big nest. A queen alone in a large space has nowhere dark and damp to settle. Keep her in the tube until workers are out.

Bigger is not safer. A big nest is harder to keep damp and harder to feed. The size guide explains the order to buy in.

Queens are caught by the keeper. We do not sell live ants. The catching guide covers what to bring and what to do when you find one.

Start here lays out the whole path in order.

When the Scout fills, the next room is the Founder, $42. The moving guide shows how a colony crosses over.

You do not need to buy it today. Buy the next room when the colony asks for it.