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 Nylanderia flavipes 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 Nylanderia flavipes to are listed below.
STATES AVAILABLE FOR SALE: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia.
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, a great choice for a first ant colony!
Max Colony Size, Growth Speed, and Structure: Previous research has indicated that this species has colonies under 500 workers.1 However, Nylanderia flavipes is polydomous, having multiple nest sites per colony, so this species can likely reach 1,000-3,000 workers.2 Like other Nylanderia species, colonies of N. flavipes grow quickly, capable of reaching 100+ workers within a few months. This species is polygynous, and can have many queens per colony.
Worker/Queen Information: Nylanderia flavipes workers are small, yellowish ants with darker gasters. Queens, on the other hand, are primarily a dark greyish-brown, resembling Lasius or Tapinoma queens. Workers are approximately 1.8-2.3 millimeters in length, and queens are 4-5.5mm long.3 This species does not have a major caste.
Hibernation: THIS SPECIES REQUIRES AT LEAST 3-4 MONTHS OF HIBERNATION/DIAPAUSE. To diapause Nylanderia flavipes, place the colony into a fridge/wine cooler, or another cold place that does not drop below freezing. It is important to provide them with a constant water source during diapause, and check on them every few weeks to ensure that they still have water. As they wake up from diapause, colonies will be lethargic, but in most cases will not appear to be dead. For more information about diapause, refer to our guide.
Feeding Requirements: This species requires food very frequently, at least once every few days. Colonies require a constant source of sugars, typically either sugar water or honey. They accept common feeder insects for protein, such as superworms, mealworms, dubia roaches, and fruit flies.
Heating and Humidity: Heat will speed up brood development. Make sure to provide a heating gradient, so that the ants can self-regulate their temperature. Medium-high humidity.
Nesting Habits and Escape Prevention: Nylanderia flavipes is an invasive ant, and prior sources indicate it is found woods and dry locations.3 However, we have most commonly encountered this species in mesic environments, such as wet forests where red-backed salamanders can be found.4 In captivity, they can do well in a variety of nests, including acrylic, grout, and soil/terrariums. Fluon and talc/baby powder can be used as effective barriers.
Development Time: Egg to worker time is approximately 4-6 weeks.
Other notes: This species is known to forage during cooler temperatures when many other ant species are inactive.4
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