***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".

Where can Tar Heel Ants ship Camponotus castaneus (Red carpenter ant)? 

Tar Heel Ants can ship Camponotus castaneus to the following states in the U.S.: (we have proper permits from the U.S.D.A. for all of these states and a copy of this permit and additional information will accompany each shipment). 

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 (Nothing over 3 days shipping time can be used.)

UPS - Ground, only if 1-3 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 (10-15 workers and eggs, larvae, pupae), Fallen Fortress formicarium and all accessories for the formicarium needed for normal operation.

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.

NOTE: The Mini Hearth part of this bundle takes approximately 14-21 days (sometimes longer during peak seasons) to make from scratch.  We do have some Ready To Ship versions available (premade).  These can be found at this link here.  If you want one of these versions used in your bundle, please indicate this by using the comments box when checking out and type in the model number from the Ready To Ship pages.  If there are additional charges for the specific version you choose, we will contact you by email or phone prior to shipping. 

***If you do not make a note in the comments, you can email us after the order is made to let us know what model you want.  Otherwise we will make them as quick as possible, with the 10-14 day time period needed to make them from scratch.  Busy periods and holidays may extend these times, thank you for your patience!

Quick Reference:

Species Name: Camponotus castaneus

Size: Large

Growth Rate: Slow/Medium

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

Need Heating Beyond Room Temperatures?  No, but will help growth rate.  Strongly recommended in first year.

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.  PDF Accompanies shipment.

Level of Difficulty For Raising: Easy/Medium