57 replies to this topic

[MysticNanitic]

I have a few stepping stones I tossed in a shaded dirt in my yard. I’d have moved them by now, but they turned out to provide great earwig breeding grounds. It’s a little bit rocky under them, so they aren’t pancaked against the dirt. Every time I need some earwigs I lift one and vacuum up a bunch of the smallest ones. The area stays pretty damp. They have been my primary food supply (the ants like them too!...kidding) for the last few months.

[antsandmore]

Oh, well new discovery in ant food. My crematogaster take in aquatic insects... at least the larvae of some insect. They take it in faster than earwigs or termites, so they like it, to say the least.

[Dino]

i might try earwigs but I'm not sure their are many in london although i have seen a few though.

[drtrmiller]

 

I also read somewhere you can feed ants dog food for protein does that also apply with cat food/treats?

I would just stick to insects for protein. Most ants probably won't eat cat or dog food.

 

 

Paté cat food made from salmon or other soft meats is actually readily accepted by many species.  I only recommend the paté because the texture is very smooth and easy for ants to break up into pieces that can be stored.

 

Edited by drtrmiller, February 18 2021 - 8:38 AM.

[Scherme]

 

 

I also read somewhere you can feed ants dog food for protein does that also apply with cat food/treats?

I would just stick to insects for protein. Most ants probably won't eat cat or dog food.

 

 

Paté cat food made from salmon or other soft meats is actually readily accepted by many species.  I only recommend the paté because the texture is very smooth and easy for ants to break up into pieces that can be stored.

 

 

I am glad you said it. My lasius and tetra seem to accept it easily. Even my Camponotus look like they nibbled it. My cat will only eat paté style anyway so that works out. 
I don't buy garbage cat food either so I am not cheaping out on my ants. A cats diet should essentially be all protein, so good cat food should be fine as ONE source of protein.

 I haven't done any tests on preferred flavor, I am sure it varies by species, location, food. 

Mix it up though. 

 

edit: mix it up as in, change up the protein source regularly. I don't feed all cat food, or all mealworms although mealworms are a staple. 

Edited by Scherme, February 18 2021 - 9:10 AM.

[Karunisu]

Hello, i am new here and have been caring for a lasius niger colony for a month now it has around 15 workers and I'm not sure what to feed the colony i tried some earthworm pieces but they didn't seem to like it i read that mealworms are good ant food but I'm not sure if it is good for this species aside from this i've been feeding them droplets of honey i would appreciate any help.

They go crazy for fruit flies. I have many colonies around the same size as yours, and they tasted fruit flies for the first time a few days ago.
You can buy them at pet stores or easily online. They are easy to raise.

[Swirlysnowflake]

Oh, well new discovery in ant food. My crematogaster take in aquatic insects... at least the larvae of some insect. They take it in faster than earwigs or termites, so they like it, to say the least.

Where do you find the aquatic insects?

[antsandmore]

 

Oh, well new discovery in ant food. My crematogaster take in aquatic insects... at least the larvae of some insect. They take it in faster than earwigs or termites, so they like it, to say the least.

Where do you find the aquatic insects?

 

in my backyard... so we had this tub thingy we just left out there because we were too lazy to bring it in and it caught some rain water, and had lots of rocks in it so i'm guessing that something laid eggs in there and now there's an established population for me to go and pick out every single day. i don't think rocks are a reason they actually live there though. probably something like mosquito larvae.

[ANTdrew]

That’s not the kind of aquatic insects I want in my yard! LOL

[Swirlysnowflake]

 

 

Oh, well new discovery in ant food. My crematogaster take in aquatic insects... at least the larvae of some insect. They take it in faster than earwigs or termites, so they like it, to say the least.

Where do you find the aquatic insects?

 

in my backyard... so we had this tub thingy we just left out there because we were too lazy to bring it in and it caught some rain water, and had lots of rocks in it so i'm guessing that something laid eggs in there and now there's an established population for me to go and pick out every single day. i don't think rocks are a reason they actually live there though. probably something like mosquito larvae.

 

Oh it’s just mosquito larvae lol.

Edited by Swirlysnowflake, February 18 2021 - 5:15 PM.

[antsandmore]

That’s not the kind of aquatic insects I want in my yard! LOL

 

 

 

 

Oh, well new discovery in ant food. My crematogaster take in aquatic insects... at least the larvae of some insect. They take it in faster than earwigs or termites, so they like it, to say the least.

Where do you find the aquatic insects?

 

in my backyard... so we had this tub thingy we just left out there because we were too lazy to bring it in and it caught some rain water, and had lots of rocks in it so i'm guessing that something laid eggs in there and now there's an established population for me to go and pick out every single day. i don't think rocks are a reason they actually live there though. probably something like mosquito larvae.

 

Oh it’s just mosquito larvae lol.

 

yes. unless its something else. At least I can feed them to my ants and they love it

[ANTdrew]

Better harvest a lot, or they’ll feed on you!

[antsandmore]

Better harvest a lot, or they’ll feed on you!

i figured. catch them all and put them in the fridge or just pour out all the water so that they can't survive lol i need to think of a solution

[ANTdrew]

Yeah, it’s a really bad idea leaving standing water around like that for mosquitoes to proliferate in. I have nothing against mosquitoes, but way too many people are turning to these stupid mosquito spraying companies that will decimate any insects in the process. You don’t want your neighbors freaking out and going nuclear against mosquitoes.

[antsandmore]

Yeah, it’s a really bad idea leaving standing water around like that for mosquitoes to proliferate in. I have nothing against mosquitoes, but way too many people are turning to these stupid mosquito spraying companies that will decimate any insects in the process. You don’t want your neighbors freaking out and going nuclear against mosquitoes.

its true. good information. Harvest all I can, the rest, pour out of the water. correct?

Edited by antsandmore, February 19 2021 - 8:33 AM.

[Dino]

 

Hello, i am new here and have been caring for a lasius niger colony for a month now it has around 15 workers and I'm not sure what to feed the colony i tried some earthworm pieces but they didn't seem to like it i read that mealworms are good ant food but I'm not sure if it is good for this species aside from this i've been feeding them droplets of honey i would appreciate any help.

They go crazy for fruit flies. I have many colonies around the same size as yours, and they tasted fruit flies for the first time a few days ago.
You can buy them at pet stores or easily online. They are easy to raise.

 

I was thinking of getting a fruit fly culture but i think i might go with mealworms as my ants have no need for a huge culture of fruit flies yet.

[gs5248]

It is true that fruit flies can reproduce at an unbelievable rate; making it difficult to feed enough to a small colony, without the subsequent crash of the culture caused by overpopulation.

Edited by gs5248, February 19 2021 - 9:49 AM.

[MysticNanitic]

No need to maintain a culture!
I bought a Josh Frogs wingless fruit fly culture on Amazon several months ago. I would knock out all of the adults every week or so, freezing each harvest in a separate vial. The culture ran it’s course long ago, and I still have around half of what was produced in the freezer in around 10 little cheap plastic vials. Don’t put them all in one container, they’ll thaw when you retrieve the vial and take some for feeding - before you can use them all they will rot. I wasted a lot of frozen earwigs I had mentioned earlier this way!