Formica dakotensis is a really weird desert-y species of Formica. They have smaller colonies, and have small and shiny queens which infiltrate small colonies (they seem only to be able to dominate around 5 host workers at a time). Nests, unlike other Formica rufa-group, are lined with gravel and pebbles (perhaps to heat up the nest faster?). Overall, Formica dakotensis are a warm loving species of Formica from the west coast of Canada. They are one of the smallest Formica-rufa group, and in fact do not require hibernation. For the species, they form remarkably small colonies, still reaching worker counts of several thousand. These are large, red and black ants at queens from 6-7 mm and workers from 5-mm. They grow large colonies up to 5000 workers in just 3 years. They prefer 22-26 Celsius and 8 mm like around 50% humidity, though there is slight variation across species. They're more skittish than most ants, and so are of medium difficulty to start, but are extremely enthusiatic and fast growing once they break 50 workers. In the wild, Formica are some of the most dominant ants, hunting down other species and consuming large amounts of biomass. We get many of these each year, though the numbers are variable. Shipping Conditions Hey! This is a live product. If you are purchasing ants during the winter months, please remember to purchase the "Winter Shipping (Live Guarantee) (72 hour heat pack + 1 inch foam cushion)" in order to guarantee the order. Live Guarantee Policy If live insects arrive cold or flooded please handle with care. Many of these colonies typically pop back up within a few hours. All DOA claims must be made within 24 hours after receiving your insects. Any order with a unacceptable mortality rate, but with a viable colony (e.g. less workers than in the range advertised, less queens or workers than advertised) can be compensated with store credit equal to the loss of value in the shipment, including shipping and extra packaging. Any order with DOAs, but which do not fall out of the initially advertised/promised range of workers will NOT be compensated. DOA claims which are a total loss will be re-shipped 1 more time FREE of charge with photographic evidence. Orders where shipping is more than 30% of the total value of the order will be refunded proportionally to the loss of value in the shipment, INCLUDING test tube inserts which are purchased with the colony. We guarantee live arrival on Xpresspost and priority shipments, as well as pickup and local delivery. Only orders that are accepted on the first delivery attempt will be eligible for DOA credit, no exceptions. Live guarantee is VOID if you choose expedited shipping. In the winter, it is VOID if no extra packing is purchased. Fertility guarantee claims or live guarantee claims made within the month after arrival must be made with a timestamped photo of BOTH the queen alive upon arrival AND a timestamped photo of the dead specimens. Expedited shipping can be a budget friendly method but does not always have the best results. If your order is going to be in transit more than 3 business days please do not choose this method or choose at your own risk. DURING THE WINTER MONTHS WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO HOLD BACK SHIPMENTS IF WE DECIDE ITS TOO COLD TO SHIP. Please note that orders to outdoor community mail boxes, or other outdoor locations void our live guarantee. If your address consists of an outdoor mail box or location, please make arrangements to have the order delivered to a friends house, or to your place of employment. Just a warning, we will NOT ship live ants into the US unless the receiver has a permit. If such an order is made, it will be refunded, minus a 10% processing fee and restocking fee This product is from Canada Ant Colony. The full catalogue, including all variants, can be found at https://canada-ant-colony.com For US Ant Keepers We can't ship live ants to the US, but we've partnered with Stateside Ants to help spread ant keeping. They're a highly reputable ant store and ship to all states in the lower 48. You can check them out here and use code DTAHAFFIL for 10% off
