Tetramorium Immigrans, commonly known as pavement ants, are among the most common ants in Canada and the Northern parts of the US.
Being able to nest in road crevasses, these ants are fast growers and eat practically anything edible, from giant locusts to fruits, boiled eggs and even fish food. In addition, these ants adapt to various nest styles as long as they have the proper temperature and humidity settings.
Pavement ants are often seen as pests since they can be found inside homes in winter or summer looking for food and shelter but don't worry; they are entirely harmless to you and your home.
They are a relatively small species but make up for that in numbers. Due to their hardiness and adaptability, they are considered a good beginner choice. Keep them in a relatively dry and small formicarium or test tube setup; always provide a fresh water source for drinking and ample food, and they will be happy. They will grow speedy if you provide them with additional heat and temperatures between 25 to 30c.
This species can escape easily due to their small size and very persistent activity; it is essential to keep them well-fed to avoid repetitive attempts to escape. In addition, it is recommended to seal all gaps and contact areas in their outworld with a thick escape barrier to create a gasket (petroleum jelly seems to do well) in combination with other escape barriers like fluon or "talcohol" for flat smooth surfaces.
Tetramorium ants are a popular choice among those looking for species that can skip diapause; as long as their environment is kept warm to imitate summer conditions, they will remain active and continue their development. However, it is essential to mention that having them go through a short diapause cycle is still a good idea and will help prolong the colony's life.
Tetramorium immigrans is capable of pleometrosis; multiple fertile queens can be housed together in the founding stages; doing so will provide much more eggs and brood and start a more extensive colony much faster; keep in mind only one queen will remain once the nanitics emerge.
You can customize or enhance the test tube your queen and colony will ship in; head over to the "Live Queen Ants" page to read the details on each item.
Live ants ONLY SHIP within CANADA.
Tetramorium Immigrans (Pavement ants)
Scientific Name: Tetramorium immigrans
Common name: Pavement ant
Geographical Distribution: Found in most American states and also found in some Canadian provinces; British-Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.
Queen size: 6-7mm
Drone (reproductive male): 4-6mm
Worker size: 2-3mm
Natural Habitat: Found almost exclusively in urban and semi-urban areas, the pavement ant is perfectly adapted to life in the city. They nest in crevasses on roads and can also be found under rocks and sometimes on forest edges.
Circadian Activity: Tetramorium Immigrans are diurnal, meaning they will do most of the foraging during the day, usually retreating to the nest at night.
Mating Flight periods: These urban ants are some of the earliest flyers, usually having their main nuptial flights in mid-late June and early July. They have also been reported to have nuptial flights in August and even late September.
Queen Founding Method: Tetramorium immigrans queens are fully claustral, meaning they do not require food to produce their first generation of workers, the nanitics.
Monogyne or Polygyne: Pavement ant queens can be temporarily polygynous, but the colonies will almost certainly end up with one queen. They are strictly monogynous.
Average time from egg to worker:
Egg to larvae = 7 to 20 days.
Larvae to pupae =7 to 20 days.
Pupae to worker = 3 to 10 days
Egg to worker= 3 to 6 weeks on average.
Take in mind that three weeks is the minimum time from egg to worker if the conditions are optimal for their growth.
Average colony size: In most cases, pavement ant colonies will reach a thousand to five thousand individuals; it may be more or less depending on how you keep them. They usually get a little bigger in the wild, often about ten thousand individuals in a healthy colony.
Nesting preferences: All of the available formicariums on our website are acceptable for tetramorium. They aren't picky, so they will gladly accept most nests that maintain the proper humidity.
Recommended Temperature: They can survive temperatures as low as 18°C and up to 26°C. Between 23°C and 25°C seem to be the sweet spot for optimal growth and health of the colony.
Recommended Humidity: Not too much water, so there's no condensation. RH (relative humidity) of 40-60%. They should always have a freshwater drinking source available to them. Test tubes do not require extra humidity and are perfect for young queens and colonies.
Food preferences: They gladly accept fish flakes, most sugary foods (avoid acid fruits like oranges and tangerines), honey mixed with water and pet store feeders (avoid crickets as they can contain harmful bacteria).
Feeding schedule: Young colonies should be fed twice a week with carbohydrates and at least once a week with proteins. As the colony grows, they need more food, thus needing more frequent feeding and more significant amounts of food. For small colonies, give pre-killed insects as a protein source and sugary foods for carbohydrates.
Hibernation (Diapause) details: Pavement ant nests usually stay at -5°C or above. It is recommended to stay above freezing point in captivity as we cannot easily duplicate the slow cool down into freezing temperatures. Hibernation is recommended between 39F (4C) - 50F (10C).
Escape barrier methods: Fluon and talcum powder + isopropyl alcohol methods work fine. Apply a barrier along the top edges in a circular motion covering several centimetres.
Difficulty rating: Tetramorium immigrans are an easy, beginner-friendly species. Compared to other ants, they can grow quite fast, but their growth can be stunned by feeding less frequently.
Bite/Sting rate: They are too small to inflict any pain, but it can be hurtful if several dozens/hundreds of ants attack.
Special care or notes: Be mindful that the workers are pretty small; they can escape very quickly if you don't have a proper escape barrier.