How to Care for Camponotus singularis | The Red-Headed Carpenter Ant Guide
Updated: 3 days ago
A bright red head on a black body, and queens up to 20mm long: Camponotus singularis is one of the most striking carpenter ants in the world. Even its smallest workers are giants.
The red-headed carpenter ant is a real showpiece for a warm home. This guide explains Camponotus singularis care step by step, from the day your parcel arrives to a thriving colony.
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 singularis care sheet (PDF) or open the Camponotus singularis care sheet page for the key facts at a glance.
Camponotus singularis at a Glance
Also known as: the red-headed carpenter ant
Origin: the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia
Keeping level: Intermediate
Queen: 17 to 20mm, black with a reddish-brown head
Workers: 11 to 19mm, in several sizes, black with a red head
Colony: one queen, several thousand ants when fully grown
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: big, strong climbers, so a PTFE barrier is a must
Meet the Red-Headed Carpenter Ant
In the wild, Camponotus singularis lives in the hot, humid rainforests of Southeast Asia, where it builds its nest in the forest floor. "Singularis" means "unique" in Latin, which suits an ant with such a bold red head.
The workers come in several sizes. The biggest ones, the majors, have huge red heads and strong jaws, and a young colony starts raising them surprisingly early.
In nature they are mostly active at night. In a home with softer light, many colonies also come out to forage by day, so there is plenty to watch.
Red-headed carpenter ants have no sting, but the bigger workers can bite. Kept warm and well fed, a colony grows steadily into a large, impressive family.
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 a giant queen like this one 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 singularis
Giant workers need a strong, well-made home that holds steady humidity. 👉 Our top pick is the A7 Plus ant farm kit. 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.
👉 The Carpenter Ant Farm Starter Kit is another good choice, made for carpenter ants, with its own humidity and temperature meter, an outworld and a watering test tube.
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 singularis comes from the rainforest, so steady warmth is a must. Keep the nest at 24 to 28°C all year round. This species is sensitive to cold, so never let it get chilly.
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 Red-Headed Carpenter Ants
Big ants have big appetites, and carpenter ants love sweet food. 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
Red-headed carpenter ants are big, strong 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 singularis 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 rainforest 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 singularis good for beginners?
It is an intermediate species. The ants are tough and easy to feed, but this giant tropical carpenter ant needs steady warmth all year, careful watering and a strong escape barrier. For a first colony, an easier species is a better start.
How big is a Camponotus singularis queen?
Around 17 to 20mm, which makes her one of the biggest ant queens you can keep. Even the smallest workers are about 11mm, bigger than the queens of most species.
How many workers before moving Camponotus singularis 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 singularis 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 singularis hibernate?
No. This rainforest species has no winter rest. Keep the colony warm all year and never let it get cold.
Why did my Camponotus singularis 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.
Do red-headed carpenter ants bite?
They have no sting, but the big workers have strong jaws and can bite. As with every ant, never handle them, and use soft tweezers if you need to move anything in the outworld.
Ready to Start Your Red-Headed Carpenter Ant Colony?
👉 Find Camponotus singularis queens and colonies in our shop, and give these tropical giants a warm, safe home.
Print this guide and keep it next to your ant farm. 👉 Keep the essentials close and explore all our free ant care sheets.
