Best Ants UK
in the Press

Best Ants UK and our founder, Pat Stanchev, have been quoted by BBC News, The Guardian, The Times and Dialogue Earth for expert insight into ant keeping and the ethical live-ant trade. When journalists cover the hobby, or the illegal trade that threatens it, they come to us for practical knowledge from ant-keeping specialists since 1997.

Practical experience.

Responsible ant keeping.

A trusted voice in the conversation.

Ant-keeping specialists since 1997, based in Staines-upon-Thames and trusted by schools, parents and educators across the UK.

Explore the coverage

QUOTED IN

BBC NEWS

The Guardian

The Times

Dialogue Earth

THE COVERAGE

Read the original reporting

The articles featuring Best Ants UK and Pat Stanchev, newest first.

Dialogue Earth

9 October 2026

Demand for pet ants fuels Kenya's illegal trade

By Temwani Mgunda

Pat explains that everything Best Ants UK sells is legal, captive-bred stock or UK-native species, and that we don't source or sell any ants from Africa. He also sets out why responsible ant keeping should go hand in hand with conservation.

Read the full report on Dialogue Earth ↗

The Guardian

13 May 2026

Smuggled in syringes: how Nairobi became a nexus for the black market in giant harvester ants

By Carlos Mureithi

Pat explains why collectors prize giant African harvester ants, and makes clear that Best Ants UK does not support or take part in wild collection or the illegal trade.

Read the investigation on The Guardian ↗

The Times

19 March 2026 | Subscriber article

How a Covid-era hobby started epidemic of illicit ant smuggling

By Jack Denton

Pat describes ant keeping as "a very low-cost, calming and educational hobby" whose sales tripled during Covid, and tells The Times that giant harvester ants are the dream species for collectors. The paper introduces Best Ants UK as a popular hobby blog and online store for collectors, and reports that Pat is offered illegally smuggled African ants almost every other day.

Read the article on The Times (subscription required) ↗

BBC News

14 April 2025

Ant smugglers caught with hundreds of prized insects in Kenya

By Damian Zane

After a landmark smuggling case in Kenya, the BBC asked Pat why giant African harvester ants attract collectors. He explained the appeal of their size and spoke about people trying to pass on illegally imported ants.

Read the story on BBC News ↗

Read the original reporting

OUR APPROACH

Responsible ant keeping starts with responsible sourcing

We believe learning about ants should go hand in hand with respect for the habitats they come from. Everything we sell is legal: captive-bred stock or UK-native species, with no ants sourced from Africa.

Ants shape soils, feed birds and mammals and keep grasslands healthy, which is why we never take part in wild ant mining. Find out more about how we look after ants and the environment.

"The hobby done properly means captive-bred colonies and native species kept well; not stripping insects from the wild."

Pat Stanchev, founder of Best Ants UK

Quoted in Dialogue Earth | 9 October 2026

Start ant keeping the responsible way

The calm, educational hobby the papers write about starts with the right setup. Our Lucas Ant Farm Starter Kit, made for black garden ants (Lasius niger), and our Angie Ant Farm Starter Kit, made for harvester ants (Messor barbarus), both come with a pre-installed digital humidity and temperature meter, so beginners can monitor conditions inside the nest from day one.

Every live colony is covered by our live arrival guarantee.