Ants For Sale In
Illinois
Welcome to the list of ants for sale in Illinois! Every species here can be legally sent to Illinois. Each ant colony will come healthy, with fertile, mated queen ants!
About Ants in Illinois
Illinois was tallgrass prairie before it was farmland, and the remnants that survive along railroads, in cemeteries, and in preserves still hold prairie ant communities worth knowing about. Between Chicago's urban fauna in the north and the more southern species creeping up from the south, Illinois keepers have a great range to work with.
Why some species can't be sent to Illinois
Live ant shipments across state lines are regulated by USDA APHIS, and permits are issued species-by-species and state-by-state. Every species listed above is one that the USDA permits to ship to Illinois.
Best beginner species for Illinois keepers
Tetramorium immigrans: dominant across Chicago and every Illinois town. The default first colony for good reason, as they grow quickly and are hardy.
Pogonomyrmex occidentalis (Harvester Ants): larger, bolder, orange Harvester species that never disappoints. If you enjoy more active ants, this is your colony. These ants need heat. Not native to IL, but deregulated across the US.
Lasius neoniger: a true prairie and lawn ant, abundant statewide with relaxed growth.
Camponotus pennsylvanicus: large, long-living, and common in Illinois woodlots. Slow-growing but rewarding.
Ants you'll notice around Illinois:
Chicago sidewalks are pavement ant territory... those small dark ants swarming a dropped bit of food are almost certainly Tetramorium. In lawns, fields and prairie remnants, the tiny golden ants that erupt in late-summer swarms are Lasius neoniger. Big black ants in a woodlot log or a porch post are probably carpenter ants. Formica used to range across the vast prairie, and can be found in neighborhood fields and lawns to this day, usually forming low mounds with shiny black workers to protect.