Small insects, big damage: The global ant trade is booming
Legal or not, the trade in African ants bound for Europe is booming. What do hobbyists find appealing about these insects, and what risks does
Legal or not, the trade in African ants bound for Europe is booming. What do hobbyists find appealing about these insects, and what risks does the trade pose to ecosystems, including power outages? They are unusual pieces of evidence that regularly appear in Kenyan courtrooms: thousands of ants packed into tiny containers. Since 2025, such finds have been presented in court several times. Staff from the Kenya Wildlife Service discovered them during baggage inspections. In multiple cases, they identified thousands of specimens of the sought-after Messor Cephalotes species also known as the Giant African Harvester Ant. A single queen can fetch more than €200 ($230) on the market. The export of wild animals is generally prohibited in Kenya. Due to high levels of poaching — particularly involving elephants and rhinoceroses — many African countries have introduced tough laws against wildlife trafficking. Kenya has also tightened its legislation. Under these rules, a Chinese national who attempted to export ants was sentenced last April to one year in prison for biopiracy. Given the growing scale of smuggling and its ecological consequences, the judge said the sentence should serve as a deterrent. It was already the second major ant-smuggling case in 12 months. The previous year, the wildlife service stopped four men who referred to themselves as the "Ant Gang." Among them were two 19-year-old Belgians who were trying to smuggle 5,500 queens to Europe. They were fined around €5,000 each. The complex organization of ant colonies also fascinates animal keepers in Germany Image: Simone Schlindwein/DW Whenever such cases arise, authorities often call entomologist Dino Martins to the airport.
"I was shocked," he said. "Not only by the sheer number of ants, but also because they were queen ants." The seized insects were young queens that had been dug up from nests in the ground, according to Martins, who has led several research institutes in Kenya and is regarded as one of Africa's leading ant experts, These queens have wings that allow them to fly away and establish new colonies. "When you collect queens at this critical moment, you interrupt a key stage in the creation of new colonies," he said, adding that Kenya's ecosystems are also affected because ants transport grass seeds, helping to regenerate the savannah. A new niche hobby In Europe, keeping ants as pets has become increasingly popular, particularly among young people. Colonies are housed in glass terrariums where a queen produces offspring and establishes an entirely new population. One person who keeps ants as a hobby is Michael Meier, who asked not to be identified by his real name. While at university, he wanted a pet that required little attention. "With ants, it doesn't really matter whether I feed them today or tomorrow," he said. At one point, Meier kept almost 30 colonies in a room specially set up for them. Today, he has four. He admits that exotic species are considered especially attractive to ant enthusiasts because they do not hibernate. "That way, you can enjoy the animals all year round," he said. Thousands of ants were intercepted at the airport in Nairobi in 2025 Image: Monicah Mwangi/REUTERS On the websites of numerous online shops, ants can be ordered through the mail with just a few clicks.
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