Discover the origin of Fourmiculture and our first artificial anthill
What is Fourmiculture?
A French company present on the web since 2008 whose aim is to design Artificial Anthills of the highest quality to respect ants and promote their breeding among enthusiasts and professionals. Now the oldest company in France in its field, Fourmiculture became a registered trademark with the National Institute of Industrial Property in 2011 in order to authenticate our work.
Thanks to our quality approach and our know-how, we are able to support many passionate individuals, but also schools, zoos, film companies and audiovisual productions, art or research centers (CNRS) and any professional looking for ants for their needs.
Where is Fourmiculture located?
Our advice space welcomes you by appointment in Grenoble near Grand Place.
A unique service in the eastern half of France.
Logistics department: 69400 Arnas.
Head office and post office box: Quartier la Charge, 26190 Léoncel
How it all began ?
Fourmiculture, initially resulting from the young passion of its creator, slowly matured into an innovative company from a house in the Vercors... The activity was created 9km from Léoncel in the Drôme, and was based around his workshop to the manufacture of anthills, installations adapted to the breeding of ants and a storage and packaging part.
In 2008, the company was created without borrowing or financial aid, which were difficult to obtain. The first online store was opened thanks to a solution offered by KingEshop. The first products sold were handmade and the ants from queens harvested on site. Once a few hundred euros had been collected, a first stock of products, including artificial Plexiglas anthills, was purchased in Poland.
Always wanting to do better, these products were abandoned and a more advanced range was developed in 2010. Based on the experience already acquired and tests carried out upstream, Fourmiculture and a design agency gave life to the first Minora Anthills , Medium, Artémis and Majora, manufactured on site.
A new, more professional shop has opened with the help of a Finnish graphic designer for his touch of Nordic design.
From the beginning, Fourmiculture 's raison d'être has been to refine the technologies and knowledge in the design of Fourmilières in order to produce products of which we can be proud by respecting the needs of ants and the transmission of educational and scientific interest.
Fourmiculture takes the time to develop while respecting its quality approach, even if it means voluntarily limiting quantities to better share the passion for ants and respect for their needs.
A little history of the company…
2008: The company was created during the summer of 2008 and was present on the web through the following site: www.Fourmis-Photographies.com
This site is still online and includes fact sheets on ants as well as macro photography.
2010 : Many efforts have been made to create a new range of quality artificial anthills and a new site. The shop is now on www.Fourmis-Boutique.fr which you are currently viewing.
2011 : Fourmiculture becomes our new name. More than a name, it is even a trademark registered with the INPI which allows us to identify our store and the anthills that we design while protecting our image from counterfeiting.
2014 : Participation in a genetic study by obtaining, identifying and rearing Messor barbarus and Messor structor queens, then delivering the colonies to the laboratory. The study is published in the prestigious journal “Nature”. Study supervised by the CNRS as well as the Institute for Research on Insect Biology (Tours), the University of Lausanne, Alabama, London & Cambride): "Comparative population genomics in animals uncovers the determinants of genetic diversity ".
2015 : Creation of a new generation of Minora anthills, the first Feeding Areas in the world with anti-escape coating guaranteed for life, and improvement of the site. The technical development of Fourmiculture gives it a big step forward before the end of the year.
2016 : Certainly for the first time in the world, filing of an invention patent protecting a new technique for humidifying artificial anthills. Release of the Quadricity, arguably the most advanced artificial anthill ever invented.
2020 : Move to Grenoble and expansion of the range, redesign of the website on Woocommerce.
2022 : Opening of the first advice space dedicated to ants, product assembly and the development of Fourmiculture in Grenoble at 1 rue des Pins.
Who created Fourmiculture ?
Yvain SAMUEL, already attracted by nature and its wonders, saw his attention captivated by the world of ants shortly after his 10th birthday. Driven by books (including the famous novels by Bernard Werber) and Internet forums allowing discussion on this breeding, the passion has developed in particular around the creation of artificial anthills.
Over the years, it became apparent to him that this creative process was a stimulating and fascinating pursuit. Once the first successes were achieved in the creation of anthills, it became logical to offer them on an online store.
This is how the site www.Fourmis-Photographies.com was opened in 2008 when its creator was 16 years old. Mostly unschooled, with a desire for creation and freedom, the first tunnel leading to Fourmiculture was dug.
From a young passion, Fourmiculture has become a wonderful professional activity, with its successes and its difficulties, its trying moments when you have to start from scratch and the pride that accompanies success. It is also a real source of motivation when each customer demonstrates their confidence and pleasure in benefiting from a quality product.
