About Us

Meet our Founder - Erin

Erin Funnell

Meet our Founder - Erin

As a mum, finding the balance in life is becoming harder and harder…

I struggled to juggle work, kids, home, husband. And don’t even start on getting the elusive ‘me’ time…

We parents struggle with guilt when our kids are on their screens for too long. We have so many other competing priorities that have to get done. When we engage with nature, it grounds us into reality and gives us a sense of peace. These days our kids are lacking that connection.

For this reason, I started Queen of Ants.

I was so sick of all the plastic rubbish from gifts. Half of it going straight to landfill after breaking within the first 5 minutes.I asked myself; What if I could find a gift or hobby with meaning? Something that would last more than a few minutes. Something that would hold our kids attention for more than a day. Then I discovered ant farms. Our ant farms are not toys, but legitimate pets, that if cared for properly, can live for many years. It all starts with a single, fertile Queen ant. She will raise the entire colony of worker ants, all working together for the good of the colony, like bees. 

You will be able to raise your ant colony with your child. It will encourage them to get outside and explore the world for themselves.

I now spend many hours exploring the great outdoors with my son. It provides us with great opportunities to connect, learn and build confidence and resilience.

What Makes Ant Farms Such Fascinating Pets?

What Makes Ant Farms Such Fascinating Pets?

In our crazy digital world it is all too easy for kids to spend far too much time on their screens. They disconnect from the world and us as parents.

Ant farms are small, secure and low-maintenance pets. They change, evolve and grow, keeping young minds engaged and curious about the world.

Children will be able to nurture their colony from a single ant queen through to a thriving colony. Observe all the life cycle stages and feel the excitement of seeing the birth of new worker ants!

Our aim is to provide our kids with a meaningful hobby. Through our Ant Farms we teach them about the importance of nature. They will grow a sense of responsibility and empathy towards other living things.

Most pet owners report that their pets have a positive influence in their life. Pets give them purpose, support, relaxation and companionship. Pet ownership is very important.

But research shows that there are barriers preventing some people from owning a pet. Not enough room in the home or landlord restrictions. Lifestyle restrictions such as frequent travel.  Ongoing cleaning and maintenance and cost.

Pet ant farms are ideal for all these reasons, and more!

They have low upfront and ongoing costs, and they are quiet

Australia’s #1 For High-Quality Ant Farms

They have low upfront and ongoing costs, and they are quiet

  • Pet ant farms are very small. Ants do not like having space and much prefer to be in a tight area where they feel safe and protected. Ants are very tidy creatures and need minimal cleaning. They are very low maintenance and won’t mind if you’re away on holiday for a week or two…

  • Along with all that, they are fascinating creatures. Watch the entire lifecycle, from egg through to adult worker. Watch all the jobs they are busy doing every day and watch your colony grow as new workers emerge.

  • But beware! You may lose hours of your day watching what your ants get up to!

Sustainability is our present and our children’s future

Sustainability is our present and our children’s future

It is our mission to teach people about the complex micro world of ants and the vital role they play in our environment.

When people care about the smallest inhabitants of our world, the bigger things start to take care of themselves. To care about something, we have to take notice and understand it. When we appreciate the importance of these tiny empires we can work to protect their environment. This will benefit all the flora and fauna in the area.

We are a registered Wildlife Trade Operation with the Department of Environment. You can rest assured that all our queen ants are collected in a sustainable manner. We conduct population surveys and report to the Department every six months. This ensures our collection of queen ants is ethical and sustainable.

We do not support digging up wild ant colonies, damaging ant nests in any way or the over collection of queen ants. Every day we work towards reducing our waste impact and carbon footprint. We use 100% biodegradable and recyclable shipping packaging for all Australian orders.

Our mission is to leave this world a better place than when we started. This is a continuous process that underlines every decision we make.