Goldmine: Messor Cephalotes ants crawling their way to riches!

Spot an ant colony, and you’ll likely hop, skip, or jump to avoid their bites. Deemed useless pests, ants are often ignored or squashed.

Yet, a delightful surprise awaits: ants boast a lucrative market, with queen ants commanding top prices, especially in Western countries.

An estimated quadrillion (1,000,000,000,000,000) ants inhabit the planet.

Messor cephalotes, the ants at the heart of the trial at JKIA court, star in this trade. According to Antrus.com, they sell for £99.99 (Sh16,800), while antontop.com lists them at Polish Zloty 979.90 (Sh33,394). Antderground.com prices them at Sh25,786, with ualityants.nl, fourmiculture.com, estheticants.com, and antshq.co.uk also offering varieties.

In Mexico, labeled “insect caviar,” they fetch $50–$200 per kilo, proving their culinary appeal.

Antrus suggests feeding Messor cephalotes sugar shake or honey water—one or two drops every two weeks—before workers hatch, aiding colony growth. The sensitive queen requires minimal disturbance. These ants dine on cockroaches, crickets, and plant seeds. Antontop.com recommends acrylic, cork, plaster, or aerated concrete nests to replicate their wild homes, where colonies stretch 2–4 meters.

Marked by sand and gravel craters, these nests dot low shrubs and ground plants. Beyond the pet trade, ants are a delicacy.

Far from trivial, Messor cephalotes blend utility and value. Their diet aids pest control and seed spread, while their elaborate nests showcase engineering prowess. The online ant market—spanning Europe to East Africa—turns a backyard nuisance into a prized commodity.

Whether as exotic pets or gourmet fare, ants challenge our instinct to leap away, revealing a world where even the smallest creatures carry big worth.