Planted ANTS Story - How we began selling ants online.

It began with an ant named bob.

Going back to 2015, Kushal saved an ant during his college years that his roommate was about to squish and named it bob. Bob lived a lavish and great life.

Due to bob's death weeks later, Kushal wanted to start an ant colony and he eventually figured out that bob was actually a girl, as all worker ants are. It was quite the shock to him, so he renamed her bobette.

Meet the Team

Meet Kushal

Kushal's first experience with ants was his 7th grade science fair, in which he fed carpenter ants some mealworms. He was hooked after that, and has collected different species of ants ever since. He attended UC Berkeley, spent some time working on startups, and eventually ended up at a desk job. After deciding that desk jobs weren’t for him, he started plantedANTS as a way of turning his passion into a career. In his spare time Kushal enjoys vegetable gardening and reads too many Chinese novels.

Meet Pan.

Pan is the head graphic designer for Planted ANTS. She loves watching insects since she was just a little kid. She loved drawing them growing up and decided to keep them later on. Now, she helps Kushal with many graphic design projects for Planted ANTS.

Our First Convention

As timed passed, on January 8th, 2017, was a bone-chilling winter Wednesday, he began selling queen ants at a reptile convention. An insect that was all but unheard-of in California at the time.

View our Ant-Keeping Bundles

The Accidental Beginning.

Much to our surprise, a number of people did trek through the cold to visit us on that first day at the reptile convention, not all of whom were our parents. In fact, so many others ventured in that we sold our entire inventory of ants by the end of the day.

As we watched a community form around ants in our clear glass tubes, our mission took shape. We set ourselves the task of offering widespread, sustainable access to ant-keeping and ant queens of the highest quality. That meant building a proper incubation center, and taking care a whole lot of ants.

100%

Satisfaction Guaranteed. The Highest Quality.

Here at Planted ANTS, your satisfaction is our #1 policy. Kushal and Pan are committed to not only making ant keeping a fun and rewarding hobby, but make these little ants part of your family. Our team consists of very experienced keepers and we are committed to providing you with the most top quality and healthy ants or your money back in credit. Seriously, no loop holes.

Learn about our guarantees

Our mission is to offer widespread sustainable access of ant-keeping and ant queens of the highest quality.

Kushal — Founder and CEO of Planted ANTS

01

Going National

Seven years, an ant-based incubation room, over 15 different ant species, and a lot of innovation later, we are now an licensed biological company and are able to provide ants outside of California to 46 out of the 48 states and sell these organisms on a state by state basis. All you have to do is purchase, and the ants will arrive within 24-48 hours after your purchase.

We're still a small start-up, but every day we're getting closer to our mission. Meanwhile, the little ant named bobette, which inspired our company and our name after dying next to a plant, remains in our heart -- and now she gets a good night’s sleep.

01

Going National

Seven years, an ant-based incubation room, over 15 different ant species, and a lot of innovation later, we are now an licensed biological company and are able to provide ants outside of California to 46 out of the 48 states and sell these organisms on a state by state basis. All you have to do is purchase, and the ants will arrive within 24-48 hours after your purchase.

We're still a small start-up, but every day we're getting closer to our mission. Meanwhile, the little ant named bobette, which inspired our company and our name after dying next to a plant, remains in our heart -- and now she gets a good night’s sleep.

Cared with love in California.

When we say "cared with love," we mean that we are very intentional about our processes and how we take care of our ants: health come first.

Our ants are taken care in large glass tubes with a water and food supply access to them all the time. We also use specialized cut blue sponges to make sure that it does not mold, keeping the queen and the babies safe and sound.

Our History

2016: Our First Pet Ant

Kushal takes care of bobette.

In high-school, we took care of bobette for a couple months in a small container.

2017: The start of a journey.

Beginnings of the brand.

It all began with Kushal's deep intrigue for these cute insects. Entranced by their cooperative societies and behaviors, he yearned to unlock the secrets of these tiny architects.

Armed with an unwavering commitment to excellence, Kushal set out on a mission to provide the finest ant colonies and ant farms and founded Planted ANTS.

2018: Reptile Conventions

Our First Convention.

With a leap of faith and a passion for both reptiles and the mesmerizing world of ants, we eagerly embarked on a novel adventure – selling ants at reptile conventions!

The reptile conventions not only provided a platform to show our ants but also became an avenue to promote responsible antkeeping and conservation. Through discussions and educational materials, we sought to foster a deeper appreciation for these tiny yet essential creatures and their vital role in our ecosystem.

2020: The Pandemic

COVID hit harder than a truck.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic dealt a crushing blow to vending at conventions. The absence of in-person gatherings meant losing a vital platform for engagement with potential customers and fellow enthusiasts.

Amidst the disappointment and hardships, we had to adapt to survive. This is where our online shop plantedants.com was born.