What To Do When Your Live Ants Arrive (Do This First)
Step 1: Open the Package Immediately
Don't wait. Don't set it on the counter and come back later.
Live ant shipments are time-sensitive. Temperature inside a sealed box builds fast, especially in summer. The moment your package is delivered, open it — even if you're in the middle of something.
This is the single most important step. Most DOA cases we see at AntopiaUSA come down to one thing: the package sat too long before being opened.
Step 2: Inspect in a Calm, Quiet Space
Bring the box inside and set it on a flat surface away from clutter, pets, and noise. Ants are stressed from shipping. Sudden movement, vibration, or light will agitate them.
Open slowly. Check each tube or container:
Queen: Look for movement. She may be very still but that's normal — she's been in transit. Watch for at least 5-10 minutes before drawing any conclusions.
Workers: Some sluggishness is expected. They should recover within a few hours at room temperature.
Eggs or larvae: Don't panic if they look scattered. The colony will reorganize.
Step 3: Move Them to Their New Home
Once your ants arrive, first confirm that the colony is in good condition and there are no issues that need to be reported to the AntopiaUSA care team.
There is no need to rush a move or transfer. In most cases, it is better to let the ants settle after shipping before disturbing them. If your nest or test tube setup is ready, you can prepare it nearby, but give the colony time to calm down and adjust before encouraging them to move.
If you're using the Test Tube Tower V2, or The Antopiausa Desktop Ant Farm the press-fit design makes setup fast — no tools, no mess. Just remove the cotton plug and push the test tube in until it stops and let them find their way in.
Step 4: Leave Them Alone for 24 Hours
This is the part most new ant keepers get wrong.
Once your colony is in their new home, resist the urge to check on them constantly. Cover the nest with a dark cloth or paper, keep the area quiet, and let them settle. They've been through a lot. Give them time to decompress.
Step 5: Your First Feeding
A drop of AntopiaUSA Non perishable Red Ant Dranks or ugar water at a 1 part sugar to 3 parts water ratio.
A tiny piece of protein — a small cricket leg, a mealworm, or freshly frozen killed fruit flies. Feeding live does more harm than good to young colonies and is not recommended.
Small amounts. They don't need much at this stage, and overfeeding a stressed colony causes more problems than underfeeding. Remove all uneaten food within 2-3 days except carbs source should be available 24/7 unless in a test tube then follow the previous recommendation. Drinking water (Bottled or filtered) Should also be available at all times even for colonies utilizing out sponge hydration system.
What If Something Looks Wrong?
Contact us at antopiausa@gmail.com within 15 minutes of opening your package if you have a concern. Our live arrival guarantee requires same-day contact — we can't help with issues reported days later.
Photos and short video clips are always helpful and speed up the process.
We stand behind every shipment. If something went wrong in transit, we'll make it right.
Ready to Start Your Colony?
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