Formica perpilosa

Desert Formica

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Photo: Jason Eckberg, via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

🐜 At a glance

Origin: South-western USA, Mexico; deserts near moisture, river banks, gardens
Nest temperature: 24–28°C; best around 26°C, never much above 29°C
Outworld temperature: 18°C night, up to 28°C day; by day like the nest or a degree or two cooler
Humidity: Nest 50–70%; outworld about 50%, never watered
Winter: Short winter rest; steady 5–10°C for 6–10 weeks, only in a hibernation unit; or room temperature
Move to a nest: 10+ workers; 15–20 is better
Size: Queen 7–8 mm; workers about 4–5 mm, very hairy
Colony: One queen; up to a few thousand workers

A hairy, red-and-black field ant from the dry south-west of North America. Fast, bold and quick-growing when kept warm and well fed.

Proteins: Protein Jelly (keep in the fridge) or Cricket Mash; extra protein whenever larvae appear
Carbohydrates: organic Ant Honey or Ant Nectar, far better than sugar water or home-made mixes
Twice a week, small amounts, outworld only; remove leftovers after 2 days. Live food only for established colonies: scalded, cut in half, never for small colonies.

Distilled or purified water only. Never tap, rain or bottled mineral water, even boiled (mould and fungus).
Pipette a few drops through the watering hole; stop when 1–2 drops appear inside. About once a week, or when the meter drops below 50%.
Never water the outworld; keep it at about 50% humidity.

A7 Plus ant farm kit (built-in digital meter); A6 with Meter once the colony is big
Advanced Heating System Small 4W under one quarter of the nest, opposite the watering area, set to 26°C
Daylight, never direct sunlight; away from windows, radiators, vibrations, speakers and kitchens
Escape risk: high. PTFE Fluon band on the top inner edge of the outworld lid, reapplied every 2–4 weeks

North American ant: not sold by Best Ants UK, and we don't encourage importing ants
Workers are timid and jumpy in the nest but bold outside; they spray formic acid on food, which is normal
Never release: it is not a UK ant. Can't keep it? See our ant adoption page

🚫 Never put ants in a fridge, shed or garage, and never expose them to abrupt temperature changes.
🚫 Never use gel ant farms, Ytong or concrete nests, or DIY nests.
🚫 Never use tap, rain or mineral water, even boiled.
🚫 Never move a colony into a nest too early, and never tip or shake ants out of their tube.
🚫 Never release ants into the wild. If you can no longer keep a colony, visit our ants adoption page and ask us whether we can adopt it.

📚 These care notes cover the essentials only. Please read the full ant farm setup guide and our Formica perpilosa care guide from A to Z. Questions? Message us through our contact form and we will be happy to help. 💚

Written and reviewed by the Best Ants UK team, keeping ants since 1997.