5 replies to this topic

[Lillyrose]

http://imgur.com/a/XesXYH8

So I'm super new to ant keeping and every new step is a wonderful new thing to me .. so I might be annoying you all and I can stop posting so often.. butttttttt



My poor stressed ants finally decided to chance moving today and have been going into the water tube. Only one little buddy went to the maple syrup and water.. I might try honey but I'm scared they'll get stuck.
But look! In the water tube!

Are they bathing in there? It sure looks like it to me... but I never considered how ants clean themselves.

They're so cute!

[Antkeeper01]

ants do not bathe, but they do lick themselves, since i don't have very good internet i can't see the pic but i would suggest removing them

EDIT: They seem fine but they don't bathe in water

Edited by Antkeeper01, February 5 2021 - 4:10 PM.

[Lillyrose]

ants do not bathe, but they do lick themselves, since i don't have very good internet i can't see the pic but i would suggest removing them
EDIT: They seem fine but they don't bathe in water

I'm sorry! They're not in the water.. They're just up against the cotton between them and the water.

I kinda thought they were pressing against it to get wet then cleaning themselves.

[Manitobant]

Ants groom themselves like other insects, by rubbing themselves or other ants with their mouth. They don’t actually use water to do it.

Edited by Manitobant, February 5 2021 - 4:24 PM.

[AntaholicAnonymous]

Ants clean themselves like cats.
They lick themselves clean and where they can't reach their sisters will help them out.

If they press against the cotton they are either drinking from it or they just like the humidity.
Queens also tend to lay the eggs right up to the cotton to keep them moist enough.

I don't think anyone's annoyed by beginner questions. We're all here to talk about ant keeping and to learn from each other.

[Tyr_Ants]

Ants lick each other they don't use old spice body wash they just lick and groom each other with anti bacterial saliva they also use that to keep their brood clean too.