Camponotus nearcticus

Ants will typically only be shipped on Mondays or Tuesdays so that they will not be stuck in the mail over the weekend. Live arrival is guaranteed, if your ants do not arrive in good condition, please take a picture of the ants and contact us within 2 hours of arrival. With the summer heat, please be available to take them inside upon arrival. Refer to the refund policy for more information.

Buckeye Myrmecology has been granted permits by the USDA which allow us to ship these ants to many states in the Continental US. All shipments of Camponotus nearcticus will include the relevant permit for your state and information on safe handling and disposal of these ants. States that we are allowed to ship Camponotus nearcticus to are listed below.

STATES AVAILABLE FOR SALE: Every state in the Continental U.S. except Montana and Wyoming.

Camponotus nearcticus for sale Camponotus nearcticus for sale

Species Difficulty: Intermediate, this species can sometimes be tricky for beginners.

Max Colony Size, Growth Speed, and Structure: Camponotus nearcticus can grow medium to large colonies, reaching maturity at 300-500 workers.¹ However, colonies can sometimes reach over 1000 workers. With proper care and heat, C. nearcticus colonies grow a little quicker than True Camponotus spp., able to reach 25-35 workers before their first diapause and growing exponentially afterwards. While academic data states that this species is monogynous, occasional polygyny has been reported by hobbyists.

Worker/Queen Sizes and Polymorphism: C. nearcticus has wide variation in color. Workers and queens can range from jet black, to red midsections, to a dappled yellow mesosoma and first gastral tergite. As with other Camponotus, Camponotus nearcticus is polymorphic. Majors exhibit many sizes and shapes between regular workers and that of queens. Workers and majors are smaller than many Camponotus species, varying in size from 3.7 millimeters to 6.8mm.² Queens are slightly larger, usually 9-11mm in length.

Hibernation: THIS SPECIES REQUIRES A HIBERNATION/DIAPAUSE PERIOD OF AT LEAST 3-4 MONTHS. To diapause Camponotus nearcticus, place them into a fridge or other cool area that stays above freezing, and leave them there for 3-5 months. They need a constant supply of water during this time, so check every few weeks to make sure that they have not run out of water. Due to Camponotus nearcticus’ metabolic response to diapause, workers – and even the queen – may curl up and appear dead during diapause. However, this is a natural part of diapause for them, and not a reason to worry. Upon exit from diapause, workers will wake up over the course of a day or two, but queens may take as long as two weeks to un-curl and wake up after emerging from diapause. This is a slow process, and queens may appear to be up and moving, but then curl up again for a period of time. For more information about diapause, refer to our guide.

Feeding Requirements: They will eat a wide range of feeder insects, including superworms, mealworms, dubia roaches, and fruit flies. They require constant sugars, in the form of sugar water or honey. Feed at least once a week, preferably once every few days.

Heating and Humidity: In captivity, they prefer low-medium humidity nests, with eggs and larvae requiring a higher humidity level than pupae and workers. Workers do best in cooler conditions, while brood will prefer a heated environment, so the use of a heating gradient across the nest is recommended.

Nesting Habits and Escape Prevention: In the wild, Camponotus nearcticus is strictly arboreal, only nesting on the ground if the stick or log their nest is in falls from its tree. ¹ In captivity, they can nest in a wide variety of materials. Some of these include acrylic, 3D printed, grout, ultracal, and wood. Due to their smaller size, nearcticus are capable of nesting in much smaller and thinner nest conditions than many Camponotus. Also due to their arboreal nature, C. nearcticus are great climbers. Talc or fluon are the only recommended barriers.

Development Time: Brood takes approximately 6-8 weeks to go from egg to worker, depending on heating, food, and other factors.

Other notes: Despite being in separate subgenera, C. nearcticus colonies will often accept the brood of C. chromaiodes, making for an interesting at-home experiment in brood boosting!