Tetramorium Immigrans, commonly known as pavement ants, are among the most common ants in Canada and the Northern parts of the US.
Being able to nest in road crevasses, these ants are fast growers and eat practically anything edible, from giant locusts to fruits, boiled eggs and even fish food. In addition, these ants adapt to various nest styles as long as they have the proper temperature and humidity settings.
Pavement ants are sometimes seen as pests due to their presence indoors during winter or summer, but they’re completely harmless to both you and your home.
They are a relatively small species but make up for that in numbers. Due to their hardiness and adaptability, they are considered a good beginner choice. Keep them in a relatively dry and small formicarium or test tube setup; always provide a fresh water source for drinking and ample food, and they will be happy. They’ll grow rapidly with added heat—ideally between 25°C and 30°C.
This species can escape easily due to their small size and persistent activity. It’s essential to keep them well-fed, use reliable escape barriers, and ensure all tubing and setup connections are tightly secured to prevent accidental disconnection.Seal all gaps and contact areas in the outworld with a thick escape barrier to create a gasket—petroleum jelly works well. It's very effective to combine methods by layering fluon or talcohol for added escape prevention, especially on flat, smooth surfaces.
Tetramorium ants are a popular choice among those looking for species that can skip diapause; as long as their environment is kept warm to imitate summer conditions, they will remain active and continue their development. However, it is essential to mention that having them go through a short diapause cycle is still a good idea and will help prolong the colony's life.
Tetramorium immigrans is capable of pleometrosis; multiple fertile queens can be housed together in the founding stages; doing so will provide much more eggs and brood and start a more extensive colony much faster; keep in mind only one queen will remain once the nanitics emerge.
Every queen (or starter colony) ships in a pre-assembled test-tube setup. Components are listed in the “Included Queen Test Tube Setup” info section. For the full breakdown of all options and why we use them, see "Test Tube Components Explained".
Live ants ONLY SHIP within CANADA.
){kind=link}