The Crimes within Antkeeping

Antkeeping may seem like an interesting hobby, BUT an overwhelming majority of exotic ants in the UK have been smuggled into the country. Here we are going to take a look at how, why and what you can do about it.

Ant Smuggling in the UK

Ant smuggling is a real issue. Most stores in the UK do not import legally. We do not say this lightly and Ant Antics is on a mission to change the shape of the industry. By raising awareness, offering a better way and spreading the word, we can work together to force the hand of the stores you trust to sell responsibly sourced stock.

First let's look at the "how" and "why"

Importing ants is a complex process. Unlike dogs, cats, fish or even tigers; there is no easy to find way of doing it. It means you have to appoint an agent, apply for your own permits and pay the import inspection fees.

Ants are not allowed to move in regular couriers, people like DHL, FEDEX, UPS and so on do not permit live animals in their network. So companies lie and mark them as other items to slip past customs. This is a literal crime.

Importation in the correct way take time (up to 2 weeks for each species to have a licence approved to import) plus the fees of around £1.2k plus for a modest size box. Then there is the VAT, that 20% gets added on to the entire box too. If everyone was importing legally, a simple camponotus would have a 30% margin, but without legality, we can see 120% to 150% margin. There is the Why.

But they are just ants... right?

Ants may be small, but the law does not see them as trivial - and neither should we. The only opposition to this we receive is people active in the crime. Would we be having this chat or debate if it was baby turtles being smuggled, or the claws of an illegally poached tiger? So they are just ants.... right?... well, no.

Lets look at the crimes the Ant Seller is committing when selling smuggled ants:

Customs and Excise Management Act 1979

Section 50 & 68 - Improper importation of goods (importing goods subject to prohibition or restriction without declaration or licence) - 7 years imprisonment.
Section 167 - Knowingly making a false customs declaration (e.g. mislabelling insects as something else) - 2 years imprisonment.

Fraud Act 2006

Section 2 - Fraud by false representation (knowingly providing false information on a customs declaration to gain a benefit or avoid a duty) - 10 years imprisonment.

Animal Health Act 1981 / Plant Health Regulations

Animal Health Act 1981, Section 73 - Importing animals or invertebrates without the required licence or authorisation - 2 years imprisonment.

Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 2018 (if CITES species)

Regulation 8 - Importing a protected or endangered species without a valid CITES permit - 7 years imprisonment.

Postal Services Act 2000

Section 85 - Sending prohibited items through the postal system (knowingly internationally posting restricted biological material through a postal courier) - 2 years imprisonment.

And if the customer knew the ants were smuggled, they commit crime too:

Each offence below carries a 7 year imprisonment.

Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, s.170 / s.167

Knowingly being involved in the fraudulent evasion of import restrictions
Possession of goods illegally imported (with knowledge or intent to evade customs)
COTES Regulation 8 - Knowingly possessing endangered species imported without a CITES permit (if applicable)

What can you do to check your ants are Legal?

Before parting with any money for any species you see online (or in person at a trade show), this bit is completely simple - Ask the seller.

You are looking for a few key questions:

Ask "whats the CHED-A Reference number". This will be linked to the import and can be verified with a quick call to the APHA, Customs or DEFRA. Your species name will have an identifier on the import paperwork that can be checked. - Note, when checking you will be asked the name of the store you are purchasing from. If it unfolds they are not legitimate the authorities will investigate.
Can you give me "A Copy of the import document". Like we do at ant antics, we photocopy the import certificate for you, this will also have the key information which can be checked.
"What is your EORI Number". Every business needs an EORI number to be able to import goods into the UK, this number is linked to the company and to any live animal imports they have received. This number will be a very easy thing for a seller to provide, yet without it they have no import permits. with it, you can check them easily.
"What inspection station did you import too". You can phone the station directly with the EORI and get confirmation of the import.

If the company you are looking at does not have this very basic proof of import. It is safe to assume it is not legal stock and you can refrain from funding illegal trade.

Exceptions to the rule:

Any stock purchase from another store through Ant Antics will be issued an identifier. This can be cross checked with us directly too, that means your purchase can be verified easily.

If you are unsure:

Purchases from the UK - Although the probability is high, speak with the seller and do not purchase anything which cannot be verified legal by your eyes.

Purchases from overseas - Unless you are being quoted the £1k+ for shipping, irrelevant of what paperwork the seller has, then it is not legal and it is not being shipped or inspected correctly. Never purchase ants from another country unless you are appointing your own agent and dealing with customs and apha yourself.

We can check for you.

If you have a purchase, you are about to click go and you want to verify its legal... email us the evidence you have to foundation@antantics.wales and out not-for-profit will check it over for you.

I want to buy ants for my store.

Great, the reach out to us by emailing trade@antantics.wales

The Ant Antics foundation has spent years developing the contacts and accounts needed. You are welcome to join our orders for the retail store and we can share the import fees fairly. We do not even mark up the species we sell and we have the best collectors in the world who ship monthly.

Why do we care?

Because this is bigger than business.
Because this isn’t about profit, competition, or who sells the most ants - it’s about responsibility, ethics, and the future of a hobby we love.

At Ant Antics Foundation, we welcome competition. A healthy industry needs more than one seller. Competition builds communities, sparks innovation, and pushes us all to do better. We don’t fear other stores selling ants - our service, our care, and our standards speak for themselves.

What we do care about is how those ants are treated before they ever reach a customer. We care that colonies are being hidden inside parcels and smuggled through customs. We care that they are spending five to ten days in dark, uncontrolled shipping conditions, often dying in transit or being incinerated when they’re seized. We care that living animals are being treated as disposable products - and that this reckless behaviour threatens not only the ants but also our ecosystems, our reputation, and the future of the hobby itself.

Our approach is different because it’s built around respect and responsibility. Every colony we import travels in temperature-controlled storage aboard reputable carriers such as Thai Airways, Qatar Airways, or British Airways. Their total journey from collector to our hands is no more than 14 hours. They are handled by people, not machines - no conveyor belts, no lorries, no freezing airport warehouses. Just careful, safe handling from the moment they leave their native habitat to the moment they arrive here.

And that’s what this is really about. It’s not about stopping people from selling ants. It’s about stopping them from selling animals this way - illegally, irresponsibly, and inhumanely.

We care because this hobby deserves better. The animals deserve better. And if we truly want antkeeping to flourish - if we want schools, scientists, conservationists, and the public to embrace it - then we must build an industry that is legal, ethical, and worthy of the creatures we care for.