American Sugar Ants (Camponotus americanus)

General: Camponotus americanus is a large, beautiful species of carpenter ant which nests in the ground and gets medium sized colonies.

Diet: Camponotus americanus is very generalist, but has a special love for liquid sugars. It is easier for this species to feed off of liquids in both protein and sugars than solids, so insect guts are loved. They will eat all sorts of protein such as roaches, mealworms, crickets, and especially fruit flies.

Temperature: These colonies benefit from a heat source. The best temperature for growth is around 81-83 degrees Fahrenheit, but if possible, add a heating gradient within the nest.

Diapause: This species requires a diapause period, which should last ~3 months ideally. During this time, the ants need to be cooled down to a low temperature, with around 40 degrees fahrenheit being ideal. You can achieve diapause by placing the ants in a controlled cooling unit, such as a wine cooler, mini fridge, or regular fridge if temperatures are safe. If you cannot use any of these, a non-heated room which stays above freezing could work.

Growth: Brood development can take anywhere between 6-9 weeks depending on feeding and heating, with 7-8 weeks being the average. Queens tend to lay eggs in batches. Colonies grow slow for the first year or two of development, but tend to reach the hundreds within 2-3 years.

Queen size: 16-18mm

Worker size: 6-12mm

Major worker size: 8-17mm

If ants arrive in bad condition, contact us for help. Live arrival is guaranteed.