Camponotus Turkestanus, a beautiful bright yellow ant species from Central Asia. It’s generally considered a good choice for beginners, though patience is required in the early stages.

WHAT YOU WILL GET: 1 test tube with 1 QUEEN + 5 to 10 workers

🏠 Colony & Setup
Category Details
Colony Type Monogynous (single queen)
Colony Size Up to a few hundred workers. A mature colony reaches around 100-300 workers.
Queen Size ~12-15mm
Worker Size 5-12mm, polymorphic (minor, media, major)
Growth Rate Slow to start. They might only raise 15-30 workers in the first year. Growth accelerates once the colony has around 25 workers.
🌡️ Environment (Temperature & Humidity)
Maintaining a warm and stable environment is crucial for their development, especially for the brood.
Nest Temperature: 24-28°C . No higher temperature of 30°C for optimal brood development.
Nest Humidity: 50-70% . Young colonies do well with a slightly moist nest, but extreme dryness can cause issues .

🍽️ Feeding
A balanced diet of carbohydrates and protein is essential.
Carbohydrates/Sugars: Honey water or sugar water. You can offer this in a droplet, on a cotton ball, or soaked into a piece of fruit like apple to prevent drowning and provide a more natural source.
Proteins/Insects: Provide insect feeders. They may also accept crickets and mealworms. It’s best to avoid insects caught from the wild due to the risk of parasites.

📝 General Tips
Early Stage: The colony is slow growing, patience is key. This species is generally timid and tends to avoid showing themselves during the day. They can spray formic acid as a defense as they grow braver through colony size and time. Option for substrate setup otherwise bare acrylic nest is advisable. When setting up a natural nest, use a sand substrate that doesn’t contain clay and dust, as it can dirty the glass and make observation difficult. Clay in sand will harden the substrate if insufficient moisture is present in nest.

*Product photos are for illustration purposes only.