BEcoming an Antivist!

we have petitioned the uk government!

 Starting this petition, I was not even sure it would pass the government standards, I had worried they may of felt it was a hoax or a prank petition, but it passed the standards and now we are really in for the long road ahead! the campaign has started, the word is being spread about the cause to ban gel ant farms, 10,000 signatures is the bench mark to get an official government response, but we want change, we want this debated in Parliament, our society has made huge steps towards, ecological and environmental thinking, other pets and animals are offered protections for their welfare, but gel farms are regularly profited from by companies that have no interest in the welfare of the creatures being housed, they are sold for the enjoyment of the people to watch workers, removed from a wild colony, digging tunnels until they die from a horrific death, the gel farms drown them, the old style uncle Milton's ant farms, slowly become a decaying mass of harmful bacteria from the ants own waste, with nothing to clean or cycle the soil, death is the only out come, some Queens can live up to 30 years, some colonies can live even longer depending on their natural reproduction cycle being able to replace egg laying productive's in the colony for their cycle to continue.

Housing should be adequate to house species, housing should focus on providing the best care and comfort for the creatures housed within them, these gimmick nests do not focus on the ants welfare, they focus on providing short term entertainment at the suffering of living creatures. 

Many of the gel ant farms have instructions to collect wild ants which could be a legal offence within the UK protected by the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981.
A product being sold in B&M depicted Formica rufa as a species to be collected and kept in a gel farm (A species on the near threatened list) Gel that needed a science degree to make, none of the products guarantee that it is the same gel that was created by Nasa for the Ants. regardless the gel Nasa created was for an experiment to get ants safely into space, it was never designed to long term sustainably house a colony. Ants do not have lungs they have "spiracles" on the sides of their bodies that take oxygen directly to the trachea which branch through out the ants body, Gel farms block their spiracles and drown the ants as the gel breaks down, the gels also are quick to harbor mold and harmful bacteria, whilst ants do require humidity, they require a variation of humidity and arid sections in their nest to regulate their bodies and biological needs.

We aim to reform the corporate perception of ant keeping and demand a better standard of products that care for the ants health, we have various hobbyist shops that provide suitable long term housing focused on the ants welfare and still giving enjoyment and viewing access to the keeper. 

I have opened the door to make a change happen, but I need you all to be able to make this change a reality, even if your not an ant keeper, perhaps your just someone who cares about the environment and the planet we live on, Ants are major contributors to the health of our ecosystems, protect them by standing up against this out dated thought process, against these nests that were designed in 1956, when people viewed our wildlife & nature in a totally different light, as a purpose to serve our needs, not as creatures we share this planet with.

it takes a minute to sign the petition and share it with your friends, you can make a change that can have impacts across your entire life time, be the change you want to see in the world, take the time to make a difference, stay legendary!

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/589997