Camponotus turkestanus

Species at a glance

• Origin: the steppes and semi-deserts of Central Asia, from the Caspian to the Tian Shan foothills
• Size: queen 14–17 mm; workers 6–13 mm
• Colony: a single queen; up to 10,000 workers
• Difficulty: intermediate, for keepers with some experience

Care conditions

• Temperature: 22–28 °C with a gradient
• Humidity: 50–70% in the nest, a drier arena
• Food: sugars at all times (diluted honey, sugar syrup, pieces of fruit) and insects 2–3 times a week; water from a test tube or water feeder

Hibernation

Essential: 3–4 months at about 10 °C.

Farm and colony growth

Carpenter ants readily live in cork, wood, gypsum or aerated concrete nests. Workers are good climbers and look for gaps, so 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; the first workers are small, and majors appear once the colony grows.