Discover the origin of Fourmiculture and our first artificial anthill
Ant farming, what is it?
A French company present on the web since 2008 whose goal is to design Artificial Anthills of the highest quality for the respect of ants and to promote their breeding among enthusiasts and professionals. Now the oldest company in France in its field, Fourmiculture became a registered trademark at 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, first 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 revolved around his workshop for the manufacture of anthills, facilities suitable for raising 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 wishing to do better, these products were abandoned and a more advanced range was developed in 2010. Based on the experience already acquired and the tests carried out upstream, Fourmiculture and a design agency gave life to the first Minora anthills. , Medium, Artemis and Majora, made 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 outset, the raison d'être of Fourmiculture has been to refine technologies and knowledge in the design of anthills in order to produce products of which we can be proud because of the respect for the needs of ants and the transmission of pedagogical 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 of 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 shop 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 : Realization 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 assures 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 consulting space dedicated to ants, product assembly and Fourmiculture development 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 www.Fourmis-Photographies.com site 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 great professional activity, with its successes and its difficulties, its trying moments when everything has to be started from scratch and the pride that accompanies success. It is also a real source of motivation when each customer demonstrates his confidence and his pleasure in benefiting from a neat product.
