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 molesta 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 molesta to are listed below.
STATES AVAILABLE FOR SALE: Every state in the Continental U.S. except for West 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: Beginner, an easy to keep species for any antkeeper!
Max Colony Size, Growth Speed, and Structure: Colonies can reach up to 2,000 workers per queen, and despite their brood’s long development time, grow quickly after the founding stage. While the colony structure of S. molesta can vary, the eastern variant (what we sell) is highly polygynous and can even inbreed in some cases.
Worker/Queen Sizes and Polymorphism: Workers measure in at 1.8-2.5mm, and queens measure 6-6.5mm. This species is monomorphic, only consisting of a minor caste.
Hibernation: While this species can hibernate, hibernation is not needed and not recommenced.
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: Heating may speed up brood development time. S. molesta will do best in medium-high humidity.
Nesting Habits and Escape Prevention: In the wild, they can be found in the walls of ant nests, feeding off of the brood of other ant species. However, they can also be free living, making small mounds, or be entirely subterranean. In captivity, they can nest in acrylic, grout, or Ytong/AAC formicariums. 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. molesta have a very long egg to worker time, with an average of 63 days. Because of this, the founding stage can be very long.
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