For many they are simply a pest, but for Singaporean entrepreneur John Ye his personal interest in the humble ant led him to launch a business selling insects that he believes have a lot to offer us.
Ye opened the city-state’s first shop specializing in pet ants, Just Ants, in late February as lockdown measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 came in.
Despite the initial obstacles during the pandemic Ye says sales have picked up since July.
Photo: Reuters
“The ant itself is just really amazing,” said Ye, 41, who started raising ants as a hobby in 2017.
Ant farms are a rarity in Singapore and Ye is trying to change negative images associated with the insects.
“They are so important in the ecosystem, they are actually here for a reason, and then if we could actually just learn from the humble ant, there are so many things that the ant could teach us, like perseverance, being headstrong,” Ye said, adding that he hopes to collaborate with schools to teach children about ants.
The ants he sells are locally acquired by him and his staff around Singapore, noting they often emerge after rainstorms.
His shop offers 30 species of ants sold in starter kit ant farms, or formicariums, which include ants and a queen. Prices range from S$13.90 (US$10) to S$200 to S$300 depending on the type of formicarium and ant species.
His business also sells live worms as food for ants, although Ye said they are also fond of honey and fruit.
Ye’s shop has drawn ant-lovers and curious onlookers alike.
“It’s crazy, definitely it’s crazy,” shopper Alvin Teng said.
OPTIMISTIC: A Philippine Air Force spokeswoman said the military believed the crew were safe and were hopeful that they and the jet would be recovered A Philippine Air Force FA-50 jet and its two-person crew are missing after flying in support of ground forces fighting communist rebels in the southern Mindanao region, a military official said yesterday. Philippine Air Force spokeswoman Colonel Consuelo Castillo said the jet was flying “over land” on the way to its target area when it went missing during a “tactical night operation in support of our ground troops.” While she declined to provide mission specifics, Philippine Army spokesman Colonel Louie Dema-ala confirmed that the missing FA-50 was part of a squadron sent “to provide air support” to troops fighting communist rebels in
PROBE: Last week, Romanian prosecutors launched a criminal investigation against presidential candidate Calin Georgescu accusing him of supporting fascist groups Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Romania’s capital on Saturday in the latest anti-government demonstration by far-right groups after a top court canceled a presidential election in the EU country last year. Protesters converged in front of the government building in Bucharest, waving Romania’s tricolor flags and chanting slogans such as “down with the government” and “thieves.” Many expressed support for Calin Georgescu, who emerged as the frontrunner in December’s canceled election, and demanded they be resumed from the second round. George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), which organized the protest,
ECONOMIC DISTORTION? The US commerce secretary’s remarks echoed Elon Musk’s arguments that spending by the government does not create value for the economy US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Sunday said that government spending could be separated from GDP reports, in response to questions about whether the spending cuts pushed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency could possibly cause an economic downturn. “You know that governments historically have messed with GDP,” Lutnick said on Fox News Channel’s Sunday Morning Futures. “They count government spending as part of GDP. So I’m going to separate those two and make it transparent.” Doing so could potentially complicate or distort a fundamental measure of the US economy’s health. Government spending is traditionally included in the GDP because
Hundreds of people in rainbow colors gathered on Saturday in South Africa’s tourist magnet Cape Town to honor the world’s first openly gay imam, who was killed last month. Muhsin Hendricks, who ran a mosque for marginalized Muslims, was shot dead last month near the southern city of Gqeberha. “I was heartbroken. I think it’s sad especially how far we’ve come, considering how progressive South Africa has been,” attendee Keisha Jensen said. Led by motorcycle riders, the mostly young crowd walked through the streets of the coastal city, some waving placards emblazoned with Hendricks’s image and reading: “#JUSTICEFORMUHSIN.” No arrest
RSS