***Tar Heel Ants has necessary permits to sell Pogonomyrmex badius to the following states:  Arkansas, Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.  ***

(If you do not reside in the above states, it is your option to apply for a permit with the USDA for this species.  Please contact them for assistance in applying for a PPQ-526 permit.  We can ship ants to non-native states only with a proper permit from the USDA)

***This listing includes queens/colonies of Pogonomyrmex badius found in 2023.  

***This Bundle Package consists of an ant colony and a Mini Hearth formicarium.  Please use the options to modify your package.***

Read the following!!!!  Shipping takes place during the first part of the week, typically Monday, Tuesday and again on Saturday.  We do not ship towards the middle/end of the week due to carriers not delivering on Sunday.  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.  Having said this, ants do not ship the same day they are ordered without confirmation, so contact us at tarheelants@gmail.com with any other questions regarding shipping.  

Why buy from Tar Heel Ants?

-Queens are hand picked from dozens of queens to be the strongest in number of brood and most actively producing queens.

-Founded in specialized founding habitats; Genesis test tube Insert system for feeding and maintenance.

-Raised on organic Dandelion Seeds (by far their most preferred founding stage seed)

-All shipped colonies are deemed to be in excellent condition at the time of shipping.  

-Guaranteed Live Arrival - If they do not make the journey through the mail services, take a photo of them, and send us an email at tarheelants@gmail.com.  This must be done promptly!  If you are not able to receive your mail quickly after it is dropped off (especially if it is left outdoors) at your location, please email us to communicate on mailing options that will ensure the ants are not left in the hot sun or freezing temperatures for extended periods of time.

-Package Options Available ---- We use the Mini Hearth as the favorite founding setup but have many more options on our website.  

Options Available:

Seed Boost (Optional) 

Mini Hearth or Mini Hearth XL Mini Hearth is standard size, the XL is an additional $10.  The XL would give you a few more months of growing time and an additional nestmate.  All the Mini Hearth connect to each other with magnets.

For larger colonies, we recommend the XL, Fallen Fortress, Mini Labyrinth, Fortress, or Palladium habitats.

Heating Cable

Nestmate Additions This species of ant is notorious for clogging up water sources, this option includes two additional nestmates and a stopper for switching them out quickly.  Cleaning once every two weeks with hot water is recommended. 

 Click this link to see Mini Hearth Options and Explanations

What comes in the package? With each queen comes a small supply of seeds (our choice of Kentucky Blue Grass, Dandelion, Chia, and others), a test tube and insert, and packaging materials.  Options are available below for habitat and other accessories. 

Is there a Warranty?

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 queen(s) 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.   During warm conditions we will ship them ice packs.  They come inside a puncture resistant tube as well.

 Additional Information:

NOTE: When ordering two or more colonies, these colonies arrive in separate containers and should not be combined at any time.

Pogonomyrmex badius Information 

Also known as the “Florida Harvester Ant”, Pogonomyrmex badius is the only species of harvester ants to occur west of the Mississippi River.  They nest in sand or sandy soil areas along their native range, and are primarily seed harvesting ants, although they will readily accept other protein sources and can be seen carrier dead insects and other food items back to their nests.

Pogonomyrmex badius are also well known for being the only North American species of the Pognomyrmex genus that is polymorphic (Cole 1968).

***Florida Harvester Ant, Pogonomyrmex badius nesting in sand habitats***

For more detailed information of the natural history of these ants, I would recommend reading the following as a start "The nest architecture of the Florida harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex badius".  

****UPDATE ON CARE RECOMMENDATIONS (7/20/24): We still strongly recommend dandelion seeds as a primary food, heating between 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit, and steady water supply for drinking as the best care regimen for these founding colonies.  Humidity is something these ants are very in tune with, and a habitat that provides high humidity (such as a Mini Hearth, Fallen Fortress, Aerie, etc.) is important to their success as a colony.

Recommended Care:

Diet - Dandelion seeds, larger grass seeds, chia seeds, and other commonly used seeds for Pogonomyrmex species.  Dandelion seeds is by far the preferred seed out of what we have offered them, and seems to be a complete diet for them in the founding stage thus far.   Fruit flies also have been offered to them and are eaten and fed to larvae readily.  They will undoubtedly accept other protein sources including feeder insects, dried insects, fish flakes, and much more.

FURTHER NOTE ABOUT FEEDING: When feeding other forms of protein than seeds, be more diligent in watching trash piles and inside the nest for mold outbreaks on trash items.  This is a concern for feeding them diets other than seeds.  Workers CAN AND WILL consume and ingest parts of the seeds as well, so this diet of seeds only is acceptable.  It is common knowledge that adult ants cannot ingest solid foods but in the case with this species that is not true.  (Note: Dr. Walter Tschinkel has passed this information along previously along from studies performed at his lab).  

Habitat recommendations:  We have raised a number of colonies in Mini Hearth formicaria with great success to date.  Our most successfuly colony, with the aid of a heat lamp, is in an Aerie formicarium.  Despite not being able to climb smooth surfaces, do not underestimate their ability to climb wood (required for ants in the Aerie habitats).  If you choose to go this route, I recommend strongly you become familiar with the proper use of the nestmate device, as these ants are very thirsty for water in comparison with other ants we raise.  Short periods without water will lead to them consuming brood for the liquids and also attempts to relocate!

 In addition to using the nestmate for water consider a liquid feeder of some sort as well as a backup.  Nestmate video Link. (At minimum watch the first 2-3 minutes).  Other habitats from Tar Heel Ants we recommend would be the Fallen Fortress for colonies of 10-15 workers or more, Labyrinth styles for larger colonies, and Nucleus habitats.  For questions and suggestions please reach out to us at tarheelants@gmail.com or call (919)348-3642 during business hours.

As a general recommendation for any ants, including this species especially due to the very large/deep nests they dig in the wild, using a digging media for this species nest type is not recommended without previous experience and success doing so.  At minimum research proper soil types for this type of habitat (not found on our website), how to manage the hydration of your digging soil/sand, and a plan for heating.   The inevitable expansion of the habitat should things go well with your colony should also be strongly considered in planning for your ant colonies home. 

Heating:  Like other Pogonomyrmex species, you MUST use a heating source if you are keeping them in a room with average room temperatures of 70-72 degrees or thereabouts.  A heating cable, heat pad, or heat lamp system is recommended.  The lowest wattage heat cable or heat pad is all you need to start, or a thermometer with the heat lamp.  Target temperatures should be a minimum of 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and an upper range of 85-90 degrees.  Warmer temperatures can work just fine if kept constant and the ants have access to some cooler areas (or temperatures are alternated during a night and day cycle), but prepare for your habitats temperature to fluctuate with your room temperatures and provide a buffer against overheating.  This is why we recommend 85 degrees, which is what we raise our colonies in during founding and beyond.