Where to Buy Ants and Ant Farms: 6 Options Detailed

Petco does not sell ants. You can purchase ants and ant farm kits from various other retailers, including Amazon, or create a handmade ant farm using ants you collect outdoors. For more information about ants and ant farms, see below.

Can You Buy Ants at Petco?

Petco does not sell ants or ant farm kits, a corporate customer service representative said. We also called several Petco stores to confirm this information. While ants and ant farm supplies are not available at many pet supply retailers, there are still many places where you can purchase them.

Websites that sell ants and ant farm supplies include:

Amazon offers a wide selection of ant farms, ant farm accessories, and live ants.
Ants Alive sells live ants and a myriad of accessories.
Nature Gift Store features live ants and ant farms.
Target carries ant farms, but not live ants.
Uncle Milton’s Toys sells vials containing about 30 live ants.
Walmart has ant farms for sale online. Some brands are available for store pickup.

Typically, ant farm kits don’t contain live ants, but some kits include a certificate with instructions for ordering live ants. Check the item description thoroughly from stores like Target and Walmart to know whether the kit you’re interested in includes a certificate.

As an alternative, Education.com offers simple instructions for creating your own handmade ant farm. When making an ant farm with ants you collect on your own, it is best to get the ants from the same area, or colony. You should avoid mixing different ant varieties in your ant farm.

We called many stores to determine which pet stores other than Petco sell ants. Our research revealed that the following pet stores also do not carry ants and ant farm kits:

Pet Depot
Petland
PetSmart
Pet Supplies Plus

If you are interested in owning and raising small animals, our article about buying rabbits can help.

In Summary

While Petco does not sell ants, there are other places to purchase ants and ant farms, such as Amazon and Uncle Milton’s Toys. There are also easy instructions online for creating your own ant farm from familiar household materials. Even in our modern age of technology, ants and ant farms remain a source of entertainment and educational fun for people of all ages.