Heat cable temporarily unavailable — price reduced
This kit normally includes a heat cable. We're out of stock until late September, so the kit price has been reduced while it's missing. The photos still show the cable, since it returns to the kit once stock arrives.
Heat in the meantime: nearly all species need one warm end near 82–85°F, with the other end at or near room temperature. A heat cable is the only heat source we recommend — an inexpensive one is available on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/07at29R0
Please don't substitute a heat mat or a heat lamp. Both heat too broadly, which defeats the gradient, and they can dry out or overheat the nest. Never heat the whole nest — the ants need to be able to choose.
Questions about your setup? antopiausa@gmail.com
Buy a live Camponotus vicinus carpenter ant colony and start with one of the West's most impressive ant species. This is the JET BLACK variety — a large, hardy, high-contrast carpenter ant that's beginner-friendly and endlessly rewarding to watch grow. It's our complete, everything-in-one-box ant farm starter kit: your live queen ant and her first workers arrive ready to move into a fully equipped Desktop Ant Farm, so there's nothing else to buy to get started.
Because vicinus is a slow, steady grower, this live ant colony with queen lets you witness the whole story from the very beginning — queen, brood, and her first generation of workers.
Select your options:
Desktop Ant Farm Color:
White
Red
Colony Size:
1 Queen + 1–5 Workers & Brood (Founding Colony)
What's Included:
Live colony with laying queen and workers
1 ant nest
1 outworld
Double liquid feeder test tube setup - one drinking water, one Red Ant Drank (90 day supply of both)
Small container of Fluon with Q-tip applicator
4 test tubes (16 x 150 mm)
4 PVA sponges (blue or grey)
1 blackout shield
10-20 live mealworms (about a 40 day supply for a young colony, less for a larger one)
Feeding tweezers
Large feeding dish
Connector vinyl tubing (3/8 inch OD; Capsule kits use 1/2 inch OD)
AntopiaUSA heat cable - temporarily out of stock until late September. The kit price is reduced while it is missing.ABOUT CAMPONOTUS VICINUS (Jet Black Variety )
Camponotus vicinus is a large western carpenter ant native to the western United States. This is the Jet Black Variety, recognized by its bold orange-and-brown body and workers that range widely in size. It's one of the best beginner ant colonies for sale: big enough to observe every detail, hardy, and tolerant of the occasional care mistake. Growth is moderate and predictable — a true founding-colony experience.
How to care for Camponotus vicinus: Provide a heat gradient using the included heat cable, keeping one warm spot around 80°F while leaving a cooler area so the ants can choose their comfort zone. Keep the PVA sponge hydrated, offer the carbohydrate feed plus feeder insects, and note that vicinus naturally slows for a cool winter dormancy — normal and healthy for the species.
WHERE WE SHIP LIVE CAMPONOTUS VICINUS
We can only ship Camponotus vicinus to: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
Approved shipping states are listed above. If the species you ordered cannot be legally shipped to your state, we may substitute a comparable species of equal or greater value that we are approved to ship to your location, at our discretion. If we do not have a suitable substitute available, your order will be canceled and refunded minus a 15% restocking fee.
Live arrival guarantee: your colony is covered for 7 days from delivery. To qualify you must be present to receive the package, and you must contact us within 15 minutes of the delivery notification with clear photos or video of any substantial issue. We do not use signature confirmation, so please watch your tracking and don't let the box sit outside in heat or cold.
Every live ant order ships with heat packs or ice packs and an insulated box at no extra cost. These are always included in the shipping price.
We ship live ants Monday through Wednesday only, so no colony spends a weekend in transit. During peak season the most that should pass before your order ships is 5-7 days; in slower months it's typically 2-3.
Heat cable temporarily unavailable — price reduced
This kit normally includes a heat cable. We're out of stock until late September, so the kit price has been reduced while it's missing. The photos still show the cable, since it returns to the kit once stock arrives.
Heat in the meantime: nearly all species need one warm end near 82–85°F, with the other end at or near room temperature. A heat cable is the only heat source we recommend — an inexpensive one is available on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/07at29R0
Please don't substitute a heat mat or a heat lamp. Both heat too broadly, which defeats the gradient, and they can dry out or overheat the nest. Never heat the whole nest — the ants need to be able to choose.
Questions about your setup? antopiausa@gmail.com
Buy a live Camponotus vicinus carpenter ant colony and start with one of the West's most impressive ant species. This is the JET BLACK variety — a large, hardy, high-contrast carpenter ant that's beginner-friendly and endlessly rewarding to watch grow. It's our complete, everything-in-one-box ant farm starter kit: your live queen ant and her first workers arrive ready to move into a fully equipped Desktop Ant Farm, so there's nothing else to buy to get started.
Because vicinus is a slow, steady grower, this live ant colony with queen lets you witness the whole story from the very beginning — queen, brood, and her first generation of workers.
Select your options:
Desktop Ant Farm Color:
White
Red
Colony Size:
1 Queen + 1–5 Workers & Brood (Founding Colony)
What's Included:
Live colony with laying queen and workers
1 ant nest
1 outworld
Double liquid feeder test tube setup - one drinking water, one Red Ant Drank (90 day supply of both)
Small container of Fluon with Q-tip applicator
4 test tubes (16 x 150 mm)
4 PVA sponges (blue or grey)
1 blackout shield
10-20 live mealworms (about a 40 day supply for a young colony, less for a larger one)
Feeding tweezers
Large feeding dish
Connector vinyl tubing (3/8 inch OD; Capsule kits use 1/2 inch OD)
AntopiaUSA heat cable - temporarily out of stock until late September. The kit price is reduced while it is missing.ABOUT CAMPONOTUS VICINUS (Jet Black Variety )
Camponotus vicinus is a large western carpenter ant native to the western United States. This is the Jet Black Variety, recognized by its bold orange-and-brown body and workers that range widely in size. It's one of the best beginner ant colonies for sale: big enough to observe every detail, hardy, and tolerant of the occasional care mistake. Growth is moderate and predictable — a true founding-colony experience.
How to care for Camponotus vicinus: Provide a heat gradient using the included heat cable, keeping one warm spot around 80°F while leaving a cooler area so the ants can choose their comfort zone. Keep the PVA sponge hydrated, offer the carbohydrate feed plus feeder insects, and note that vicinus naturally slows for a cool winter dormancy — normal and healthy for the species.
WHERE WE SHIP LIVE CAMPONOTUS VICINUS
We can only ship Camponotus vicinus to: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
Approved shipping states are listed above. If the species you ordered cannot be legally shipped to your state, we may substitute a comparable species of equal or greater value that we are approved to ship to your location, at our discretion. If we do not have a suitable substitute available, your order will be canceled and refunded minus a 15% restocking fee.
Live arrival guarantee: your colony is covered for 7 days from delivery. To qualify you must be present to receive the package, and you must contact us within 15 minutes of the delivery notification with clear photos or video of any substantial issue. We do not use signature confirmation, so please watch your tracking and don't let the box sit outside in heat or cold.
Every live ant order ships with heat packs or ice packs and an insulated box at no extra cost. These are always included in the shipping price.
We ship live ants Monday through Wednesday only, so no colony spends a weekend in transit. During peak season the most that should pass before your order ships is 5-7 days; in slower months it's typically 2-3.
