How to Care for Camponotus parius | The Golden Carpenter Ant Guide
Updated: 3 days ago
Shiny black with a coat of glittering golden hairs, Camponotus parius is one of the prettiest carpenter ants you can keep. In daylight the whole colony seems to sparkle.
Golden carpenter ants are busy by day and quick to team up on food. This guide explains Camponotus parius care step by step, from the day your parcel arrives to a thriving colony of hundreds.
We have kept ants since 1997, and everything here comes from our own colonies and the care rules we use every day.
👉 In a hurry? Download our free Camponotus parius care sheet (PDF) or open the Camponotus parius care sheet page for the key facts at a glance.
Camponotus parius at a Glance
Also known as: the golden carpenter ant
Origin: tropical Asia, from India and Sri Lanka to Southeast Asia and southern China
Keeping level: Advanced beginner
Queen: about 14mm, black with golden hairs
Workers: about 5 to 10mm, in several sizes, black with a golden sheen
Colony: one queen, up to a few thousand ants
Nest temperature: 24 to 28°C
Nest humidity: 50 to 70%
Workers before moving into a nest: 3+ is a must, 5+ recommended
Winter: no hibernation, keep warm all year
Escape risk: fast climbers, so a PTFE barrier is a must
Meet the Golden Carpenter Ant
In the wild, Camponotus parius lives in warm, humid forests across tropical Asia and nests in the soil. The golden hairs on its back end (the gaster) catch the light as the workers move.
The workers come in several sizes. Small ones run errands and care for the brood, while the bigger, broad-headed workers help carry heavy food and guard the nest.
They are very active by day. When a forager finds food, it quickly calls its nestmates, and soon a little team is working together to carry it home.
Golden carpenter ants have no sting, although the bigger workers can give a small nip. Their colonies grow fast, which makes them a rewarding next step after a first ant farm.
When Your Ants Arrive
The most important step: leave the parcel completely unopened, exactly as it arrived, at room temperature for 5 hours. The ants must adjust to your home's temperature slowly, because abrupt temperature changes make ants seriously unwell.
After the 5 hours, check the queen is safe and sound. Then leave the colony in its original packaging, with the test tube still in its tin foil and wrapping.
Put it somewhere quiet and still, away from daily household activity. Normal daylight is fine, but never direct sunlight.
Give the colony 4 to 5 days of complete rest. The ants were fed before dispatch, so they need nothing from you. Use this time to set up and water the nest. 👉 Our step-by-step ant farm setup guide shows you exactly how.
Still workers or a motionless queen after delivery are almost always delivery stress. Look at the queen's antennae: moving antennae mean she is fine. Almost all recover within 4 to 5 days, and big queens can take a little longer.
Life in the Test Tube
Carpenter ant workers are big and capable from the start, so they don't need a huge colony before moving. Keep the ants in their test tube until there are at least 3 workers. That is a must. 5 or more workers is even better.
Don't worry if the queen's eggs have disappeared when the parcel arrives. Most carpenter ant queens eat their eggs during delivery. This is normal for Camponotus, and only Camponotus. She lays again within 2 to 3 months of settling in.
A queen on her own still needs a little food. Once a week, give her a tiny drop of protein jelly, about half a grain of rice, on a small flat piece of tin foil inside the tube, next to the dry cotton stopper.
In our experience a fed queen raises her first workers faster, and the queen and colony do far better afterwards. Keep her tube wrapped in its foil and disturb her as little as possible.
A tropical queen in a test tube also needs warmth. If your room is cool, use a heating cable at the cotton stopper end of the tube only. Never lay a test tube on a heat mat.
Moving Into the Ant Farm
When the colony is ready, connect the test tube to the nest with the delivery tin foil still on. Leave it like that for 14 days.
Then slide the foil back about 1mm every day, until the tube is fully exposed to daylight. Bit by bit, the tube becomes the bright spot and the dark nest becomes the safe home.
If the ants haven't moved 2 days after the tube is fully exposed, wrap the foil back on, wait another fortnight and repeat the whole process. Moving in happens on the ants' own time: anywhere from a couple of days to 6 months.
Once the colony has moved, leave the old test tube connected for at least another 14 days. Ants sometimes leave a little brood behind.
The red filter and black cover stay on the nest all the time, so it is pitch dark inside. You can lift the black cover once a day for 2 to 3 minutes, ideally at night, and take the red filter off once a week for 2 to 3 minutes.
The Best Ant Farm for Camponotus parius
Golden carpenter ants are strong, fast and curious, so their home must be well made and escape-proof. 👉 Our Carpenter Ant Farm Starter Kit is made for carpenter ants, with a nest and its own humidity and temperature meter, an outworld and a watering test tube.
👉 The A7 Plus ant farm kit is another great choice. Its pre-installed digital meter shows the nest temperature and humidity at a glance. If you already have your ants, choose the Nest + Outworld option.
Place the ant farm in normal daylight, never direct sunlight: the sun can overheat a nest within minutes. Avoid windows, radiators and heaters, vibrating surfaces, speakers and TVs, and rooms with strong smells such as the kitchen.
Temperature and Heating
Camponotus parius comes from tropical Asia, so warmth is the key to a healthy, fast-growing colony. Keep the nest at 24 to 28°C all year round.
Most UK homes are cooler than that for much of the year. 👉 The Advanced Heating System Small 4W holds the nest steady with its digital thermostat. Set it to 24°C.
The heat mat goes under one quarter of the nest only, on the side opposite the watering area. The ants can then pick the spot they like best. Never heat the whole nest.
In the outworld, aim for about 18°C overnight up to 28°C by day. By day it should ideally match the nest or be a degree or two cooler. If the nest is heated, warm the outworld too, because a big gap confuses the ants.
Water and Humidity
Keep the nest humidity at 50 to 70%. Use distilled or purified water only. Never use tap water, rainwater or bottled mineral water, even boiled: they cause mould and fungus, which is deadly for ants.
Water the nest with the pipette provided. Pour slowly, a few drops at a time, through the watering hole. Stop as soon as 1 or 2 drops appear inside the nest. That is how you know it is done correctly.
Water about once a week, a little more in summer and a little less in winter. With a meter, simply water when the nest humidity drops below 50%.
Never water the outworld. Keep it dry, at about 50% humidity, like an average UK home. Carpenter ants should never have open water: give them a watering test tube in the outworld instead, never a water dispenser.
Feeding Your Golden Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants have a real sweet tooth, and a growing colony needs plenty of protein too. Feed twice a week, in small amounts, in the outworld only. Remove leftovers after 2 days to stop mould.
🍯 For energy, give our 👉 organic ant honey or 👉 Ant Nectar, which has even more carbohydrates than honey. Honey and Ant Nectar are far better than sugar water or home-made mixes.
🥩 For the queen and brood, 👉 Cricket Mash is the more efficient protein for carpenter ants. 👉 Protein Jelly works well too. Keep protein jelly in the fridge at all times.
Serve food on a small piece of tin foil or in a 👉 small feeding dish, so leftovers are easy to lift out. Now and then, a rice-grain-sized piece of peeled grape or banana makes a nice treat.
Live food, such as crickets or locusts, is only for big, established colonies, never small ones. Always scald it first: wearing gloves, hold it with tweezers in just-boiled water (above 90°C, no longer bubbling) for 10 to 15 seconds.
Then cut it in half only, and serve it in the outworld.
Keep Mites Out of Your Colony
Blood-sucking mites are one of the biggest dangers for any ant colony, and they are not rare. They often arrive with bird seed from local shops, dried mealworms (which are useless as ant food anyway), and live food from pet shops or online.
In our experience about half of all bought live food carries mites, so where you buy matters.
Buy ant food only from established, reputable ant-keeping suppliers. At Best Ants UK we clean our foods in several ways before dispatch, check every colony twice a month, and check each colony again before it leaves us.
Now and then, look at your queen with a magnifying glass. Tiny white or reddish specks on her joints and legs, together with ants dying fast, are a warning sign of blood-sucking mites.
Stopping Escapes
Golden carpenter ants are fast climbers, so escape prevention is a must. Paint a band of 👉 PTFE Fluon escape barrier around the top inner edge of the outworld lid. The ants slip off it and can't climb out.
PTFE wears off as the ants keep testing the same spots. For a small colony of up to about 100 ants, reapply it roughly every 4 weeks. For 300 to 500 ants or more, reapply it about every 2 weeks.
Never shake the bottle, because it foams. Roll it gently in your hands instead.
Winter Care
Camponotus parius has no hibernation. Keep the nest at 24 to 28°C right through the winter, with the heater on, and never let the colony get cold.
Even so, growth often slows a little in the darker months, because the biological clock can't be tricked. Never put ants in a fridge, shed or garage, and avoid any abrupt temperature change.
If the colony slows down, feed a little less, but never guess. At 22 to 26°C, give about half the summer amount, still twice a week.
Can I Release My Ants?
No. A colony raised indoors won't survive outside, and this tropical species could never cope with a UK winter. If you ever can't keep your colony any more, 👉 visit our ant adoption page and let us know. We'll see whether we can take it in.
Frequently Asked Questions | FAQ
Is Camponotus parius good for beginners?
It is a species for advanced beginners rather than complete newcomers. The ants are hardy and easy to feed, but this tropical carpenter ant needs steady warmth all year and a good escape barrier.
How many workers does Camponotus parius need before moving into a nest?
At least 3 workers is a must, and 5 or more is recommended. Carpenter ant workers are big and capable from the start, so they settle into an ant farm sooner than smaller species.
What temperature do Camponotus parius need?
Keep the nest at 24 to 28°C all year. Most UK homes are cooler than that, so an Advanced Heating System under one quarter of the nest is needed for most of the year.
Do Camponotus parius hibernate?
No. This species comes from warm tropical Asia and has no winter rest. Keep the colony warm all year and never let it get cold.
Why did my Camponotus parius queen eat her eggs?
Most carpenter ant queens eat their eggs during delivery. This is normal for Camponotus, and only Camponotus. Once she settles in, she lays again within 2 to 3 months.
What do Camponotus parius eat?
Organic honey or Ant Nectar for energy, and Cricket Mash or Protein Jelly for the queen and brood. Feed twice a week, in the outworld only, and remove leftovers after 2 days.
Do golden carpenter ants sting?
No, they have no sting. The bigger workers can give a small nip with their jaws. As with every ant, never handle them.
Ready to Start Your Golden Carpenter Ant Colony?
👉 Find Camponotus parius queens and colonies in our shop, and watch your own sparkling colony grow.
Print this guide and keep it next to your ant farm. 👉 Keep the essentials close and explore all our free ant care sheets.
