Common Big-Headed Ants (Pheidole bicarinata)

General: Pheidole bicarinata are tiny ants with a wide range of color. Colonies eat just about anything, and grow very quickly if heated and fed frequently. Major workers have large heads used to crack seeds and tear through insect parts.

Diet: Diet is extremely generalist for these ants. They will go crazy for forms of liquid sugars, but also accept a variety of seeds, including kentucky bluegrass, dandelion, and evening primrose (evening primrose is a favorite). They will eat just about any protein they can get, including crickets, fruit flies, mealworms, dubia roaches, and even table scraps.

Accepted seed list:

• Evening Primrose
• Sand Lovegrass
• Chia
• Dandelion
• Kentucky Bluegrass
• Tall Dropseed

The most recommended diet for these ants is as below:

Two types (at least) of seeds for carbohydrates: Sand Lovegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass

Any insect protein: Crickets, Mealworms, Fruit Flies, or Roaches.

Make sure they have a constant pile of seeds in their nest. Make sure they are fed as much protein as they will take, every day or two days. Don’t allow old food to build up, as it may cause mold.

Temperature: Colonies need a heat source to stay healthy and grow effectively. ~82 degrees should be best, and you can provide a heating gradient as you see necessary. Pheidole bicarinata love heat, but make sure not to cook them! Allow a cooler portion of the nest.

Diapause: Pheidole bicarinata should not be hibernated. They can keep growing year round if provided heat and food. If you need a break or want them to grow slower, you could remove the heat or cool them down slightly. Never put them in an area lower than 50 degrees fahrenheit.

Growth: Brood development takes around 4-6 weeks, 4-5 weeks being typical. Colonies grow very quickly, possibly reaching the hundreds or thousands within the 1st and 2nd years if fed and heated properly. Colonies rarely exceed 4000 workers.

Queen size: 4.5-6mm

Worker size: 1.5-3mm

Major size: 2.5-3.5mm

If ants arrive in bad condition, contact us for help. Live arrival is guaranteed.