***Please Scroll To Down In This Product Description For Locations We Can Ship These Ants To.  There Are No Exceptions To These Locations, So Please Do Not Ask!***

***NOTE: THESE COLONIES CONTINUE TO GROW AS OF 11/1/2024.  THEY ARE NOT BEGINNING THEIR DIAPAUSE PERIOD AS OF YET!  This is significant when considering purchasing ant colonies in the beginning of the fall season, as it means they will respond to heating and feeding and continue to grow for at least another 2 months, perhaps longer.  Other species that follow this same pattern are Camponotus floridanus, all Pogonomyrmex spp., and other desert ants specific to the deserts in the Western U.S.  There may be other exceptions, so please email with questions if you are looking for a "winter-active" species to begin your colony with".

***PLEASE ALL THE INFORMATION BELOW BEFORE ORDERING***

Tar Heel Ants can ship Camponotus castaneus to the following states in the U.S.A: 

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Guaranteed LIVE arrival.  We ship our colonies with extreme care and use the same method and techniques we have used for other species we ship around the U.S.  When necessary, heat packs or ice packs are used at no additional charge to help ensure the safety of your ant colony during shipping.

Shipping: Minimum shipping services for these ants:

USPS - Priority Mail

UPS - Ground, only if 2 day shipping is an option.

In most cases, USPS is the option chosen for shipping ant colonies.  NOTE:  Priority Mail Shipping IS NOT NEXT DAY SERVICE.  If you prefer the fastest delivery option for USPS shipping, choose Express Shipping.  This is the best option for speed of service.  Some locations will still not be 1 day shipping through Express.  During the pandemic shipping times have been slower than USPS standard times, but we still have had very good success shipping ants that arrive alive and healthy to your doorstep.  PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU PLAN FOR SOMEONE TO RETRIEVE YOUR LIVE ANTS SHORTLY AFTER THEY ARE DELIVERED. 

What comes with this package?  PDF Guide For Recommended Care and Maintenance, Camponotus castaneus colony with queen and workers (1-5 workers and eggs, larvae, pupae).

When do we ship ants?  Generally ants are shipped on Monday, Tuesday, and Saturdays with some exceptions.  Express Mail packages are not shipped on Saturday unless they are 2-day Express shipping,

Quick Reference:

Species Name: Camponotus castaneus

Size: Large

Growth Rate: Slow-Medium (Very dependent on level of care-PDF included)

Maximum Colony Size : Estimated 2,000 - 3,000

Need Heating Beyond Room Temperatures?  For Optimal Growth heating is recommended.  This species can grow slowly at slightly above average temperatures above 70 F.

Need Diapause? Yes.

Foods: Common Feeder Insects, Apples and other fruits, honey water, among other possibilities.  Strongly recommend addition of fruit flies, dubia roaches, and two separate sugar sources to diet.

Recommended Formicarium : Mini Hearth for founding

Level of Difficulty For Raising: Easy/Medium 

 ***PLEASE READ BEFORE ORDERING - The ants being ordered on this page require being transferred to another habitat within a few days after receiving them.  They are shipped in safe conditions for the mail but have no access to food or water inside their shipping containers.  They can live for quite a long time in these conditions, the humidity inside the shipping container is very high and prevents loss of moisture.  Please do not leave them in these shipping setups after they arrive for more than a few days, they need food and water to continue to grow as a healthy colony!