Formica incerta

    • Formica incerta

    Formica incerta is an energetic, medium sized ant that is very sensitive to it's surroundings. A fun, quirky species to keep. 
     
    STATES AVAILABLE TO BUY FORMICA INCERTA: Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin

    • Species Info

      Formica incerta are brownish/black ants from the fields of the midwest and northeast. They are medium sized, energetic, and fairly beginner-level ants to keep.

       

      Diet is very general - Formica incerta love sugars, like honey or sugarwater, and proteins such as crickets, fruit flies, and mealworms. Fruit flies appear to be a favorite.

       

      Colonies benefit from a heat source. A good temperature for this species is ~80 degrees. It may be ideal to provide a heating gradient in the nest, but this species can usually handle heat well. 

       

      This species requires a diapause period, which should last 3-4 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. 

       

      Formica incerta can be polygynous. This means multiple queens can cooperate in a single colony. Having multiple queens can speed up the growth of the colony, and increase the max colony size. 

       

      Brood development takes anywhere from 5-8 weeks, usually around 6-7 weeks total. Colonies can get into the dozens first year, typically hitting the hundreds in their second or 3rd year. Rarely do colonies exceed 1000-2000 individuals.

       

      Queen Size: 8-11mm

      Worker Size: 5-8mm

    • Live Arrival Guaranteed

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

    • SHIPPING INFO

      Shipping happens from Monday-Wednesday. During the winter, shipping may cost more due to the need of a heat pack. 

    $36.00Price