Camponotus Noveboracensis - The red and black carpenter ant

The red and black carpenter ant, of the species Camponotus Noveboracensis, are a highly polymorphic species.  They can have major workers (almost as big as the queen)
​ and then minor worker that are the size of the queens gaster. 

This is my Camponotus Noveboracensis colony. They are in a vial because this isjust a temporary set-up, until they have more workers.

What do they eat?  In the wild, they will search for anything. If there are dead rabbits on the side of the road,  they will eat it. In captivity, they eat pasteurized honey and raw honey. They also eat  crickets or freeze-dried crickets, which available from Petsmart,  or anything I would give them. 

Where do they nest? They nest in dry wood, hollow sticks on the ground, and houses.

A Camponotus Noveboracensis nest.

How long do queens live?  The Camponotus Noveboracensis queen can roughly live over 12 years.

This is a Camponotus Noveboracensis queen.

This Camponotus Noveboracensis queen is a dealate. She is not quite yet a queen. When she lays her first egg, she will become a queen.