8 replies to this topic

[drtrmiller]

Please only answer the polling question at the top of the page if you own and use byFormica branded liquid feeders.

 

If you use your byFormica liquid feeders mainly for sugar solutions, let us know in the comments what you use for plain water.

 

Also, even if you do use your byFormica feeders for both plain water and sugar solutions, do you also provide another source for plain water from which the ants may drink?

 

We're interested in learning how our customers use our products so we may improve our product lineup and better meet the needs of our customers.

Edited by drtrmiller, May 25 2019 - 1:20 AM.

[Leo]

Um I use 3d printed ones

[Serafine]

I use byFormica feeders for sugary liquids (Sunburst, diluted maple syrup with added glocuse).

Water is provided with test tubes (which are also used as satellite nests and bird feeders - the byFormica feeders simply don't have the capacity to provide water supply for my large colony.

[drtrmiller]

I use byFormica feeders for sugary liquids (Sunburst, diluted maple syrup with added glocuse).

Water is provided with test tubes (which are also used as satellite nests and bird feeders - the byFormica feeders simply don't have the capacity to provide water supply for my large colony.

 

However plain water is dispensed, most of it is lost to evaporation.

 

You can measure the effects of evaporation in comparison to the colony water requirements by simply placing one waterer where the ants can access it, and another identical waterer outside the foraging area, away from the ants.  See how much faster the one used by the ants is depleted compared to the one the ants can't touch.  One caveat to this method is that ants could modify the waterer by placing dirt and doing other things to it which may change the evaporation rate, so you'll also need to account for this.

 

I'm testing some things now to improve the usefulness of byFormica feeders as water feeders, and so that is why am polling and seeking feedback from users on this topic.

[Serafine]

However plain water is dispensed, most of it is lost to evaporation.

My water test tubes have straws as entrances and are used as satellite nests. Their water tanks usually last between 6 and 12 months.
The bird feeders last around 1-2 weeks (depending on the temperature) and yes there is evaporation but that also provides a baseline humidity for the outworlds (which I consider a good thing as I rarely ever actively water most of them).

Edited by Serafine, May 26 2019 - 7:58 AM.

[FSTP]

I offer my ants two feeders, one small one filled with sunburst and one larger one filled with water.

[skocko76]

I usually use small byformica feeders for sugary solutions (sugar water, brown sugar water, honey water, maple syrup water, and sunburst). The larger ones I use for water. My nests have hydration systems the ants can drink from, so the the water feeders are supplementary.

[Boog]

My colony recently got into the 200s, and I had to bust out the Mega feeder for water about 3 weeks ago and it's got about a week left I think. I use the Mega and Mini for water, the mini for Ant Nectar and sugar solutions. I'm expanding with a couple more outworlds and am fixing to use more of the liquid feeders to test out how much they respond to different liquids in different arenas. I use your liquid feeders exclusively for now, since I don't like the amount of space a test tube takes up in their outworld. Their nest has humidity that condenses against the plastic so I think that's another source they drink. Their outworld water is bottled spring water and their grout nest hydration water is distilled. Just ordered some Ant Nectar, excited to try out the new formulation.

 

Filling up!

Edited by Boog, July 17 2019 - 10:34 PM.

[drtrmiller]

Filling up!

 

I love the attachment to the side wall of your foraging area!  It is very similar to something I've been working on for a while.

 

Glad to hear the feeders are working well for you.  Let me know how the Sunburst works when you've had a chance to try it!