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 Solenopsis carolinensis 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 Solenopsis carolinensis to are listed below.
STATES AVAILABLE FOR SALE: Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, 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: Medium when founding, easy after.
Max Colony Size, Growth Speed, and Structure: : Wild colony size has yet to be documented for Solenopsis carolinensis. Based on closely related species, it is likely several thousand workers per queen. Colonies grow fast and large, capable of reaching 200-400 workers after a year, and quickly growing to over 1000 if properly fed and heated. This species is polygynous and often has multiple queens per colony.
Worker/Queen Sizes and Polymorphism: Workers measure in at ~1.3-1.8 millimeters long, and queens measure ~4-5.5mm. This species is monomorphic, only consisting of a minor caste.
Hibernation: While this species can hibernate, hibernation is not necessary, and not recommended.
Feeding Requirements: They will accept mealworms, superworms, fruit flies, and other insects for protein. They will also require sugar water, honey, or other sugar sources for carbohydrates.
Heating and Humidity: In captivity, they prefer medium-high humidity nests, with eggs and larvae requiring a higher humidity level than pupae. Workers will prefer cooler conditions than brood, so the use of a heating gradient across the nest is recommended.
Nesting Habits and Escape Prevention: In the wild, Solenopsis carolinensis can be found nesting in the soil, or in decaying stumps and logs. In captivity, they can nest in acrylic, grout, or Ytong/AAC formicaria. Due to their small size, any gaps larger than .2 millimeters must be sealed to prevent escape. While they are not good at climbing, barriers such as Fluon or talc should also be used.
Development Time: S. carolinensis brood has a very long egg to worker time, with an average of 9 weeks. Because of this, the founding stage can be very long.
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