Camponotus maculatus

General
Caring for Camponotus maculatus is quite easy. They grow fast, eat a lot and are very forgiven. 

Food
Camponotus maculatus are not picky eaters. They love sugars that come from fruit, sugarwater or ant jellys. For protein the best food for them is fruitflies, mealworms, crickets and other smaller insects.

If you feed insects from the wild freeze or boil these insects to sterilize them. Skipping this step can introduce mites to your colony.

Humidity
Camponotus maculatus doesn't need high humidity. Hydrating the nest partially is more then enough. When the colony grows larger they don't need any nest hydration. 

Temperature
Camponotus maculatus does well when being heated. Heat a part of the nest so the ants have a nice gradient to work with. 

Hibernation
Camponotus maculatus in some cases has a short diapause of a few months were colony activity slows down. 

Sting/bite
Majors can easily pierce your skin and will bite you. They are very agressive so be carefull when working with these ants and wear gloves when in contact. 

Tip from an experienced keeper
Make sure to have a closed outworld with a horizontal barrier of fluon as well as vertical, as these clever girls will just run over it

 

 

Camponotus maculatus will do well in almost any formicarium or ant farm. The Esthetic Ants nests are all perfect for this species and your ants will trive in them.