Pogonomyrmex occidentalis (10-15+ workers, Queen)(Ants Only)

***Pogonomyrmex occidentalis can be shipped to all lower 48 states except Florida.  See the end of this page for California residents, as you must fill our a short form and wait for approval prior to us shipping them to you.  This form is through the California Dept. of Agriculture, not the USDA.***

Read the following!!!!  Shipping takes place during the first part of the week, typically Monday, Tuesday and again on Saturday. Ants are only shipped during weather conditions that are deemed safe for them to survive, so please keep that in mind as you wait on your ants to be mailed.  Each colony must be moved to a shipping container which takes 2-3 days. Normally ants do not ship the same day they are ordered.  Contact us at tarheelants@gmail.com with any other questions regarding shipping.  PLEASE DO CHOOSE SHIPPING OPTIONS THAT ARE QUOTED MORE THAN THREE DAYS.  We Recommend: USPS - Priority Mail, or Priority Mail Express  UPS - Ground (if three days or less), Two Day Air, or Next Day Air.  

General Information

Common Name: Western Harvester Ant

Scientific Name: Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Species Size: Medium

Growth Rate: Fast

Special: Can Sting, Poor Climbers, Require Heating above 80-82 (Heat Cable, Heat Pad, Heat Lamp)

Why buy from Tar Heel Ants?

-Colonies are hand picked (from dozens of our top performing colonies) to be the strongest in terms of number of brood and workers and most actively producing queens.

-Founded in the highest quality settings using our Genesis Insert System.

-Raised on organic Dandelion Seeds (by far their most preferred founding stage seed we have found to date for this species)

-Did we already say hand-picked from many queens available? This needs to be emphasized. It means you are ordering a Pogonomyrmex occidentalis queen (and young colony or brood) that is considered in excellent condition at the time of shipping.  

-Guaranteed Live Arrival!!!!

-Package Options Available ---- We use the Mini Hearth as the favorite founding setup but have many more options on our website.  See the Package Queens For Options that include a formicarium and everything else you need to get started with this species.

Who can order them?

All lower 48 states (except Florida).  California requires a permit but this is easy to obtain and usually only a few days turnaround time (see end below for links and more information).

What comes in the package?

With each queen/colony comes a small supply of seeds (our choice of Kentucky Blue Grass, Dandelion, Chia, and others), a test tube and insert, and packaging materials. 

What is the care for this ant species?

The following guide was written to answer many questions on how to care for them.  There are three basic principles covered.  Food consists mainly of seeds.  The recommended heat sources are those used for reptiles such as a heating cable or reptile heating pad.  A heat lamp can also work when carefully positioned with a thermometer as a guide.   The habitat must provide high humidity and constant drinking water (we recommend the Mini Hearth or Mini Hearth XL as a founding habitat).

GUIDE LINK

Warranty:  The delivery of these ants alive is guaranteed.  Having said that, you are expected to make arrangements to be available to receive your ants if the temperature is too warm or too cold on the day of arrival.    If there is any problem with delivery you must contact us immediately by email or phone.  After the ants arrive we cannot guarantee their survival but have prepared a guide and a couple of videos to serve as tutorials to aid in getting your queen and colony setup properly  We have put significant time and energy into putting together advice on how to best raise them so please read this PDF thoroughly.  Email us at tarheelants@gmail.com with comments or questions.

If your queen does not arrive alive please be prepared to provide evidence (unfortunately this is required for replacement) and answer a few short questions so we can try to understand what may have gone wrong during shipping.  Problems are very rare but when they do occur contact us by email or phone (919) 348-3642.

How are they shipped? 

There are several layers of protection to help protect your queens and colonies during shipping.  In all cases they are shipped inside our proprietary genesis inserts to keep them safe from drowning and protect their brood during shipping.   They come inside a puncture resistant tube as well.

***California Residents Must Obtain A Simple One Page Permit Through The California Department of Agriculture***

 Email us at tarheelants@gmail.com for questions about how to apply for this permit.  This permit is being granted FAST, general within a few business days.  The link to the page to apply this permit is below.

Main page: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/permitsandregs.html

Permit Page: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/docs/forms/Form_66-026.pdf

 NOTE:If you are unable to complete a digital signature, you may print the application and either scan and email the signed form to permits@cdfa.ca.gov or fax it to 916-654-1018.