Camponotus foreli

This is a compact Mediterranean carpenter ant that pairs lively warm-season foraging with a proper winter dormancy, so you get to keep an ant on a real seasonal clock. It stays modest in size, which keeps housing and feeding simple even as the years pass, and the workers show clear size variation without the nest ever becoming a handful. Founding the colony is easy; the skill is in timing and running the hibernation well. It is a sensible step up once you have one beginner colony behind you and want to learn seasonal care.

A carpenter ant of warm, dry country that gathers sugars and honeydew for its workers and takes insect prey to feed the brood. Keep a carbohydrate source available and offer protein two to three times a week while the colony is building, easing off over winter.

★★★ readily · ★★ moderately · ★ occasionally · ✗ not eaten

House the founding queen in a test tube or small starter nest, then move to a Ytong or acrylic formicarium once she outgrows it. This is a modest colony of a few hundred, so a compact nest with one damp area near 50-70% keeps the workers comfortable rather than lost in empty galleries. Plan around the November to March winter rest. Fit the outworld with a fluon (PTFE) or talc-and-water barrier, plus a light oil line on smooth lids. An ANTonTOP formicarium and starter kit are sized for exactly this stage.

Run the nest at 20-24 °C and the arena warmer at 25-32 °C, holding 50-70% humidity in the nest and 30-50% in the arena. Heat just one end with a cable or mat to make a gradient; never warm the whole nest evenly. This species needs a real winter rest from November to March: bring the colony down to a cool 10-15 °C and cut feeding right back through those months.

Carpenter ants build at a slow to moderate pace, so expect patient progress toward a final colony of several hundred workers rather than a rapid explosion. The queen and her first workers set the rhythm. Your colony arrives as a laying queen with workers and brood, ready to carry on once it is housed and warm.

• The species honours Auguste Forel, the Swiss myrmecologist whose work on ants shaped the field in its early decades.
• It belongs to Camponotus, the carpenter ants, named for the way many members carve nest galleries into wood.
• Mediterranean Camponotus pass the cold season in a dormant rest, slowing right down until spring warmth returns.
• Instead of stinging, the workers spray formic acid in defence, a trait shared across the carpenter ants.

Is Camponotus foreli good for beginners?

It is rated Intermediate, fine after one easy colony, since founding is simple but it needs winter hibernation.

Does this Mediterranean carpenter ant need a winter rest?

Yes, from Nov to Mar at a cool 10-15 °C with reduced feeding.

Does Camponotus foreli sting or bite?

No sting at all; only a mild bite.

How big does the colony get?

Several hundred workers at maturity.

How large is the queen?

The queen is 10-13 mm, with workers 4-7 mm and majors 7-10 mm.

How quickly does the colony build up?

Slow to moderate; give it time to build up.

What do you feed this carpenter ant?

Sugar water or nectar daily plus insects like crickets and flies for protein.

Will the ants arrive alive?

Yes. Queen, workers and brood ship with a heat or cool pack, sent within 24 h with tracking.

Escape prevention. Coat the inner rim of every open arena with fluon (PTFE), or use talc-and-water or an oil barrier as a backup, and keep a tight, fine-mesh lid on top. Check the barrier regularly, since dust, condensation and feeding debris break a fluon line over time. Keep tubing connectors tight and seal any gaps in the nest.

Keeping reminders. Always offer fresh water and never let the nest dry out completely. Give carbohydrates continuously and protein a few times a week, and remove uneaten insect prey within 24 hours before it moulds. Keep the formicarium out of direct sunlight and away from constant vibration, which stresses a young colony. A water-filled test tube plugged with cotton makes an ideal spare incubator whenever you need one.

Before you buy – do not rehouse too early. Have a test-tube setup or a small formicarium with an outworld and a working barrier ready before your colony arrives. A founding colony grows slowly at first, which is normal. Moving a small colony into a large nest too soon invites mould, mites and stress, and the workers die off one by one. Keep the colony in its open test tube on the arena, plug the nest entrance with cotton, and open up the next chambers only once the colony fills roughly 10-15% of the space.

What we ship. Every colony ships with a live-arrival guarantee, backed by our 24h unboxing-video guarantee: if the queen does not arrive alive, we reship free. Parcels travel with DHL, InPost (PL) or EMS, with a heat or cold pack to suit the season, packed discreetly and securely. We ship across the EU and worldwide, with free shipping over the Europe threshold.