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lol Thanks, guys! :P

It's funny. I used to really be an advocate FOR the "other side" saying that keeping exotic ants like Atta spp in a place like Toronto, Canada would be harmless considering the very adverse conditions with which the species would have to contend. I heard many arguments against the view at the time which did not convince me enough to support the myrmecologists who were condemning the pet keeping of exotic ant species. Although, my opinions regarding some of the supporting arguments against the keeping of exotic ants have still not changed, what ultimately changed my mind on the matter one day, was a sudden change in perspective.

Before my argument was "Why be so against exotic ant species especially if they are unable to invade"? Then I began to realize as the AntsCanada Ants Store Ant Nursery began caring for more and more colonies of various species, that:

1) The species we have in our homeland are just gorgeous!

2) The species we have are used to our climate, season change, photoperiod, air pressure, and food. We really began to realize more and more that the ants we cared for had specific requirements and were flourishing under specific conditions, most of which were environmental. I also began to recognize suddenly as I traveled to tropical places like Cuba, that the ants there truly were bound to the ecology of their home area, and I could only imagine how difficult, costly, impractical, and complicated it would truly be to perfectly duplicate an optimal environment for say an Acromyrmex octospinosus colony to flourish. I realize ant keepers in Europe do this all the time, but I wonder how many times an attempt fails, an idea which saddens me.

3) Keeping species from home territory naturally brings about an attachment to one's local habitat/ecosystem (I fully believe in thinking globally, acting locally)

4) We began to learn from our dealings with companies abroad that there are places in Europe like Germany, and I assume other parts of the world, where native ants are protected by law. As a North American, it makes me feel lucky that I am able to legally make local collections and study, learn from, and enjoy the wildlife from my area.

5) The more the store began shipping our products overseas and to other parts of North America we began to realize the challenges of postal shipment, and how ROUGH postal service can be with the packages (regardless of how well it's packed and marked "fragile"), and that postal-shipped ants truly take a beating! The one and only time I ever ordered ants from Uncle Milton Industries Inc, all ants (Pogonomyrmex sp) but one arrived dead in their tube, and the surviving ant which was limited to a slow crawl died that afternoon.

6) It's just such a rewarding experience to culture a colony from just a single gravid queen. The experience is also much more educational and hands-on!

Hey guys,

@Flavus the forum is one of several large scale projects launching in the near future.

@Byron, strange! You should have received the package weeks ago as it was mailed out on the 15th last month. Just checked the tracking and it seems the parcel is stuck somewhere. We're on it! Hang tight and thanks for being patient