Camponotus nicobarensis

Species at a glance

• Origin: South and Southeast Asia: India, Indochina and Indonesia
• Size: queen 15–17 mm; workers 6–12 mm
• Colony: up to several thousand workers; a colony may later have several queens
• Difficulty: suitable for beginners

Care conditions

• Temperature: 24–28 °C all year round
• Humidity: 60–80% in the nest
• Food: fruit, honey or sugar syrup; insects at least twice a week

Hibernation

Not needed: the colony stays active all year.

Farm and colony growth

In the wild it lives in rotten wood and natural cavities, so it readily moves into cork or gypsum nests. Workers are skilled escapers: use a tight lid and an anti-escape barrier on the arena walls. The queen founds the colony alone and does not eat until the first workers appear.