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 Formica vinculans 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 Formica vinculans to are listed below.
STATES AVAILABLE FOR SALE: Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Ohio.
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: Intermediate, Formica can be sensitive to vibrations and will occasionally eat brood if disturbed too much.
Max Colony Size, Growth Speed, and Structure: Neogagates group Formica are closely related to Formica in the pallidefulva group.1 F. vinculans forms larger colonies than F. neogagates, likely 1,000-2,000 workers at maturity.2 Colonies grow quickly as a result of their very fast developmental time for their size. Typically, colonies can reach 20-40 workers before their first diapause, and then grow well into the hundreds after coming out the next year. At least some populations of F. vinculans are polygynous.
Worker/Queen Information: Formica vinculans is bicolored, with a black gaster and a reddish thorax/slightly darker head. Workers range in size from approximately 3.5 to 5.6 millimeters.3 Queens are smaller than those of F. pallidefulva group, at ~8-10mm in length. This species is borderline polymorphic, with variation resembling that of a major caste.
Hibernation/Diapause: THIS SPECIES REQUIRES A HIBERNATION/DIAPAUSE PERIOD OF AT LEAST 3-4 MONTHS. To diapause Formica vinculans, 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. Typically, Formica do not overwinter with brood. 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 medium 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, Formica vinculans is a prairie species. Typically, colonies nest in bare soil or under stones.3 In captivity, they do well in a variety of nests, including acrylic, grout, 3D printed, and wood. Fluon, talc/baby powder, and olive oil can be used as effective barriers.
Development Time: Brood takes approximately 4-5 weeks to go from egg to worker, often with 11 days at each development stage.
Other Notes: This species is often used as a host for Formica gynocrates and Polyergus mexicanus.4
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