Camponotus modoc is a large and striking carpenter ant species, typically characterised by its glossy black body contrasted with orangish-red legs. Native to the forests of western North America, this species is commonly found nesting in rotting wood, fallen logs, and occasionally within man-made wooden structures.
Colonies of Camponotus modoc develop at a relatively slow pace compared to many smaller ant species, but they can eventually reach impressive sizes, often numbering in the thousands. As the colony matures, it produces distinct castes, including notably large and powerful major workers (soldiers) with enlarged heads adapted for defence and heavy labour.
Despite their slower growth, they are considered highly rewarding for ant keepers. Their large size makes them easy to observe, and their polymorphic worker castes add visual and behavioural interest. They are generally hardy, adaptable to a range of setups, and display fascinating behaviours such as brood care, foraging trails, and cooperative food transport. Additionally, like other carpenter ants, they rely on a diet of sugars (such as honey or nectar substitutes) and proteins (like insects) to support colony development.
Overall, Camponotus modoc is a favourite among enthusiasts for its combination of size, appearance, and engaging colony dynamics.
Colony form: Queen
Difficulty keeping: Intermediate (Kept one or two species)
Queen size/Gamergate: 16-20mm Matt black
Worker’s size: 6-18mm Matt black highly polymorphic (different size workers)
Food: seeds, honey water and insects
Temp: 24-28°C
Humidity: 40-60%
Founding: clasutral without feeding
Colony size: 1-10000 workers
Hibernation: No
Live arrival guarantee:
We guarantee the live arrival of your Queen they come well packed in our jiffy bags which have two-sided padding as well as an additional layer of bubble wrap around our test tubes. We are the only company in the United Kingdom to offer our live arrival guarantee of your queen as well as an additional 14-day guarantee if the colony if kept in the original test tube for all our European species. Why do we do this? We are confident with our colony’s health and our packaging process as well as our care guides, we also believe in our customers and making sure they have a good ant keeping experience.
Live arrival guarantee we ensure the live arrival of the queen only upon delivery contact us within 24 hours of receiving the Queen dead on arrival with a picture of the dead queen and the original workers. DO NOT TRANSFER THE DEAD QUEEN OR WORKERS TO A NEST AS THIS VOIDS YOUR WARRNTY. For our additional 14-day guarantee for European species the Queen and workers must be kept in the original test tube sealed with the cotton and care sheet instructions followed if you want to keep this additional guarantee do not transfer to a nest or your warranty is VOIDED (we recommend you keep the 14-day warranty).
We have no control over the environment outside the test tube and have no influence in the conditions the responsibility once placed outside the test tube within the 14-day period the responsibility is with the buyer. 9 times out of 10 colonies die in the nest due to lack of water access, food, temperature, oxygen or stress due to vibrations or exposure to excess light. If your colony does fail inside a nest contact us, we can advise what went wrong but it is up to you to buy another ant colony, you will succeed but sometimes it does not work the first time. Research is key to success with ant keeping and follow our guides.
