Ant Colonies We Ship to New Hampshire

9 of our 46 ant species can ship to New Hampshire. USDA-APHIS makes live-ant shipping a state-by-state matter — each species needs a PPQ 526 permit for each destination state — so here is exactly how New Hampshire shakes out.

What we ship to New Hampshire (9)

What we can't ship — and why

37 of our species can't cross the New Hampshire line. USDA-APHIS requires a PPQ 526 permit per species, per destination state; these aren't currently approved for New Hampshire: Trachymyrmex septentrionalis, Pheidole bicarinata, Solenopsis carolinensis, Myrmecocystus mimicus, Pogonomyrmex barbatus, Veromessor pergandei, Camponotus modoc, Myrmecocystus mexicanus, Dorymyrmex bureni, Pseudomyrmex pallidus, Camponotus floridanus, Camponotus castaneus, Pheidole morrisii, Solenopsis pergandei, Pogonomyrmex badius, Pheidole dentata, Crematogaster minutissima, Pheidole lamia, Solenopsis xyloni, Pogonomyrmex maricopa, Dorymyrmex insanus, Odontomachus brunneus, Nylanderia arenivaga, Pheidole littoralis, Pheidole metallescens, Solenopsis geminata, Temnothorax pergandei, Forelius pruinosus, Novomessor cockerelli, Colobopsis impressa, Acromyrmex versicolor, Pogonomyrmex rugosus, Pogonomyrmex californicus, Myrmecocystus navajo, Camponotus decipiens, Camponotus snellingi, Camponotus discolor. You can still read their care guides — and rules change as permits are granted.

Elevation runs the calendar in New Hampshire. The White Mountains hold the Northeast's highest summits, and the higher you climb, the shorter the frost-free season generally runs, so the state's ants pack founding, foraging, and nuptial flights into a brief, intense summer. Choose colonies built for a real New England winter. Camponotus pennsylvanicus, the black carpenter ant of the state's forests, grows slowly enough to stay manageable for years, and Aphaenogaster fulva, a modest hardwood-forest ant, tops out at a colony size that suits a desktop nest. Both need a winter hibernation in steady cold that stays above freezing — a cellar, bulkhead, or wine fridge around 35–50°F. Even Pogonomyrmex occidentalis, a western harvester that rides out high-plains winters deep below the frost line, takes the same cool, above-freezing dormancy in stride. The southern showpieces are another matter: Camponotus floridanus and Odontomachus brunneus are not permitted for New Hampshire, and neither is built for a Coos County winter.

Prefer to catch your own queen? Our free Ant Flight Predictor is coming soon — it will forecast nuptial flights near you. Meanwhile, browse every state and the full TrapJaw Labs shop.