The entire life cycle of the ant takes around 35-60 days to complete, depending on environmental factors such as heat, available resources, and humidity.

Unlike termites, Camponotus ants do not eat the wood, as their digestive systems are not strong enough to break it down.

They come in different times depending on the species, and C. castaneus has nuptial flights in June and July, some queens may even be found in August, though in smaller amounts.

During a nuptial flight, hundreds of alate queens and drones (males) are released into the air, in a ratio of 1:10.

Usually, these queens mate with one or several males before flying to the ground, ripping off their wings, then setting out to find a good place to start a colony.

In its first year, it usually gets fewer than ten workers, due to its long incubation time, before initiating diapause.

Generally, C. castaneus colonies have a very long maximum lifespan, a common trait in Camponotus species.

Queens have 3 eyes on their head called ocelli, which when they had wings helped them get a better view for flying.