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 vicinus 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 vicinus to are listed below.
STATES AVAILABLE FOR SALE: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
Shipping Notice: Please note that ants are only shipped on Mondays to prevent colonies from being stuck in the mail over the weekend or exposed to poor weather for extensive periods. Orders placed after 12:00 PM EST on Sunday will be shipped one week later on the following Monday. If you are placing an order for UPS Next Day Air Saver and would like us to ship later in the week, please reach out to us via email. 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. Please be available to bring your ants inside upon arrival during hot/cold weather, or ask your local post office to hold them for pickup. Shipping times are estimates, and are not guaranteed.
Species Difficulty: Easy, an active and fun species.
Max Colony Size, Growth Speed, and Structure: Camponotus vicinus colonies typically reach 3,000-5,000 workers, but have rarely been documented with more than 50,000.1 Colonies grow at a similar rate to other temperate Camponotus sp., capable of reaching 20-50 workers by their first hibernation and 100-200+ by the next hibernation, provided they have proper care. C. vicinus is polygynous, and colonies often have multiple queens.1
Worker/Queen Information: Workers are large, approximately 7-8.5 millimeters long, and majors can reach 11-13mm.2 Queens of Camponotus vicinus measure in at ~14-16mm in length. This species can have a lot of color variation, but the most common variant is black heads and gasters, with a mesosoma that can vary from very little coloration to entirely red/orange except for the front. This red will also extend onto the front of the gaster. C. vicinus is polymorphic, and has a major caste.
Hibernation/Diapause: THIS SPECIES REQUIRES A HIBERNATION/DIAPAUSE PERIOD OF AT LEAST 3-4 MONTHS. To diapause Camponotus vicinus, 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 vicinus’ 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.
Heating and Humidity: In captivity, they prefer lower humidity nests, with eggs and larvae requiring a higher humidity level than pupae. 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, C. vicinus primarily nests under rocks and logs in the southern portion of its range, while in the northern portion, it inhabits rotting logs directly.3, 4 In captivity, they can thrive in many different nest environments, including acrylic, 3D printed, grout, and ultracal nests. Talcum powder, olive oil, and Fluon can be used to prevent escape.
Development Time: Approximately 4-6 weeks egg to worker with proper heating.
Other notes: Camponotus vicinus is one of a small minority of ant species to have had their genome sequenced.5
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