If you live in the following states, we can ship Camponotus pennsylvanicus to you (a copy of your permit will accompany the shipment):

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

***The Mini Hearth (habitat) part of this bundle takes approximately 10-14 days to make from scratch.  We do have some Ready To Ship versions available (premade).  These can be found at this link here.***

***These colonies were founded in the summer of 2026.   These queens are a large, black color.***

Tar Heel Ants Guarantees LIVE arrival!!!

Shipping: Minimum shipping services for these ants:

USPS - Priority Mail (Nothing over 3 days shipping time should be used.)

UPS - Ground, only if 1-3 day shipping is an option.

In most cases, USPS and UPS are the best options  for shipping ant colonies (we can use Fedex if a request is emailed to tarheelants@gmail.com)  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.  Express is usually the best overall option to limit the time the ants are in the mail system.  If you have a specific request for meeting a deadline for shipping, please email or call us immediately after placing the order! 

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU PLAN FOR SOMEONE TO RETRIEVE YOUR LIVE ANTS SHORTLY AFTER THEY ARE DELIVERED (within 30 minutes or less on hot, sunny days is a must!). 

What comes with this package?  PDF Guide For Recommended Care and Maintenance, Camponotus pennsylvanicus colony with queen and workers (4-8 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. 

The Mini Hearth part of this bundle takes approximately 10-14 days 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 pennsylvanicus

Size: Large

Growth Rate: Slow/Medium

Maximum Colony Size : Estimated 8,000-10,000

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