Tetramorium bicarinatum

If you want visible progress from your first colony, this is a sound place to start. Spread across the tropics from an African or Asian origin, it runs on multiple queens, so the colony gathers momentum quickly and stays busy in a warm setup all year. The workers are hardy and forgiving of the small mistakes every new keeper makes, and there is no winter rest to plan around. A robust appetite and steady, watchable growth make it a real confidence-builder.

A robust omnivore with a strong appetite that helps drive its quick growth. Workers gather sugars from nectar and honeydew for energy and bring in a steady stream of insect prey to feed a fast brood pile. Keep sugar available constantly and offer protein two to three times a week.

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

An easy starter: raise the queen in a test tube and move her to a small gypsum or acrylic nest once the first workers crowd the cotton. With several queens laying, this tropical fills chambers quickly, so keep the nest warm, pair it with a foraging arena, and upgrade the moment the brood spreads. The workers are small and persistent, so keep a dependable fluon (PTFE), oil, or talc and water barrier on the rim. An ANTonTOP formicarium and starter kit give you a heat-friendly nest, arena and barrier ready to scale with the colony.

There is no winter rest to plan for here, as this tropical ant stays active all year. Hold the nest warm at 24 to 27 °C and the arena at 25 to 29 °C, heating one end so the colony can place its brood exactly where it wants. Keep humidity a little higher than average, with the nest at 60 to 75% and the arena at 50 to 65%, and keep feeding and warming through every season.

This is a fast, satisfying colony to grow, with eggs reaching adults in about 4 weeks, roughly 30 days at 26 °C, and several queens pushing numbers toward 50,000 workers. Expect visible progress month on month once the first workers appear. Your colony arrives as a queen with workers and brood, ready to move into a warm, well-sealed setup.

• Tetramorium bicarinatum is a classic tramp species spread worldwide by human trade, now common in greenhouses and warm buildings far outside its tropical origin.
• It is a frequent host in studies of ant chemistry and tramp-ant ecology, partly because it establishes readily and tolerates a wide range of conditions.
• The species often reproduces close to home through nest budding and inbreeding, which lets a single introduced colony seed a whole local population without large mating flights.

Is Tetramorium bicarinatum good for beginners?

Yes, it is rated Beginner: hardy, fast-growing and with no hibernation to manage.

Does Tetramorium bicarinatum need a winter rest?

No, it is tropical and stays active year-round.

Does this pavement ant sting or bite?

Yes, but the sting is mild.

How large can the colony get?

Up to 50,000 workers.

How big is the queen?

About 4-4.6 mm, with workers at 3-4 mm.

How fast does it grow?

Fast, around 4 weeks from egg to adult at 26C, with multiple queens driving numbers up.

What does it eat?

Sugar water and nectar or jelly plus insects like crickets and flies; it does not take seeds.

How is it shipped and will it arrive alive?

The queen, workers and brood travel with a heat pack, sent within 24 hours with tracking for a safe, live arrival.

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.