Jump to content

  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

Is sunburst better than sugar water?


  • Please log in to reply
55 replies to this topic

#1 Offline AntaholicAnonymous - Posted March 3 2021 - 7:08 AM

AntaholicAnonymous

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 426 posts
  • LocationAustria
I've seen a lot of people talking about the byFormica Sunburst and I wonder if it's any better than sugarwater/honeywater.

If you buy the mixture instead of using what you already have at home I assume it's better but noone really explained the difference before.
Teach me if you'd be so kind

#2 Offline AleeGuy - Posted March 3 2021 - 7:30 AM

AleeGuy

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 383 posts
  • LocationNorthern Virginia
It's easier to use Sunburst nectar because it will be preferred by the most species(not as sugar water), it is long lasting(in expirational and the time it will take to finish the whole bottle way), and it has all needed *carbohydrate* resources(obviously the ants still should be fed with protein sources too).
  • MinigunL5 likes this

#3 Offline MinigunL5 - Posted March 3 2021 - 7:32 AM

MinigunL5

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 550 posts
  • Location(Near) Worcester, MA

It's easier to use Sunburst nectar because it will be preferred by the most species(not as sugar water), it is long lasting(in expirational and the time it will take to finish the whole bottle way), and it has all needed *carbohydrate* resources(obviously the ants still should be fed with protein sources too).


Additionally, you can leave it in a feeder much longer than sugar water.
  • AleeGuy likes this

#4 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted March 3 2021 - 7:34 AM

KitsAntVa

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,254 posts
  • LocationRichmond, Virginia

I always use sugar water or honey water for my ants because to me the price of that small bottle isn't worth it. Honestly my pogonomyrmex like syrup water and most other species like honey water so i'm fine with whatever I have. I also make sure I feed a ton amount of protein to make sure they don't think that they don't have enough food to make larvae two times their colony size. 


We don’t talk about that

#5 Offline NickAnter - Posted March 3 2021 - 8:41 AM

NickAnter

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,307 posts
  • LocationOrange County, California

The main benefit for sunburst is its ability to last a long time. I personally do not see the need to spend money on the product when my sugar water/honey mixture works just fine.


Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 


#6 Offline PurdueEntomology - Posted March 3 2021 - 8:41 AM

PurdueEntomology

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 562 posts
  • LocationUrbanna, Virginia

I always use sugar water or honey water for my ants because to me the price of that small bottle isn't worth it. Honestly my pogonomyrmex like syrup water and most other species like honey water so i'm fine with whatever I have. I also make sure I feed a ton amount of protein to make sure they don't think that they don't have enough food to make larvae two times their colony size. 

what is your water/honey ratio?



#7 Offline ANTdrew - Posted March 3 2021 - 8:56 AM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 9,937 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA

I use Sunburst exclusively for all my colonies. What I like about it is that the nectar doesn't ferment. When I used to use honey water, the CO2 bubbles let off by fermenting yeast would push out the nectar and cause the liquid feeders to flood. This would make a sticky mess. I've left Sunburst in my setups all winter long, and nothing went wrong with it. It's not necessary, but it will make your life easier as a keeper.


  • Scherme, TennesseeAnts, ConcordAntman and 2 others like this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#8 Offline antsandmore - Posted March 3 2021 - 9:58 AM

antsandmore

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 705 posts
  • LocationSan Diego California

 

I always use sugar water or honey water for my ants because to me the price of that small bottle isn't worth it. Honestly my pogonomyrmex like syrup water and most other species like honey water so i'm fine with whatever I have. I also make sure I feed a ton amount of protein to make sure they don't think that they don't have enough food to make larvae two times their colony size. 

what is your water/honey ratio?

 

People usually use 3:1 water to honey. at least that's what I use.


  • PurdueEntomology and Ants_Dakota like this

Ants I am keeping:

 none for now, planning on being more active this year


#9 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted March 3 2021 - 10:03 AM

KitsAntVa

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,254 posts
  • LocationRichmond, Virginia

I usually use a little bit more honey than water, I always put in the honey first though. I don't know how to explain it. its like cooking.


We don’t talk about that

#10 Offline antsandmore - Posted March 3 2021 - 10:09 AM

antsandmore

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 705 posts
  • LocationSan Diego California

I usually use a little bit more honey than water, I always put in the honey first though. I don't know how to explain it. its like cooking.

lol. always experimenting.


Ants I am keeping:

 none for now, planning on being more active this year


#11 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted March 3 2021 - 11:18 AM

ConcordAntman

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 767 posts
  • LocationMassachusetts

I read somewhere that a 3:1 (water:sugar) mixture is the favored ratio for ant nectar (that just happens to be the same ratio for hummingbird nectar). I've had the problem of workers getting stuck in honey water as the water has evaporated. I can't find my original source but this article looking at Lasius niger suggests 30-40% Sensitivity and feeding efficiency of the black garden ant Lasius niger to sugar resources (archives-ouvertes.fr) (page 7, bottom half, first column) and this on Camponotus species and sugar concentration suggests 43% (sorry, this is behind a paywall but the information is in the abstract) Nectar feeding by the ant Camponotus mus: intake rate and crop filling as a function of sucrose concentration - ScienceDirect I might not go as high as 1:1. The second article's abstract suggests foraging workers have a drop off in their crop contents when the sugar content is >70%. The fermentation issue is valid. While I make my own nectar, I can see the value of something with a long shelf life. Also, keep in mind that dry measure volumes for the sugar and wet measure volumes for the water require different measuring cups!  


  • ANTdrew likes this

#12 Offline gs5248 - Posted March 3 2021 - 11:45 AM

gs5248

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 473 posts
  • LocationSacramento California

I've seen a lot of people talking about the byFormica Sunburst and I wonder if it's any better than sugarwater/honeywater.

If you buy the mixture instead of using what you already have at home I assume it's better but noone really explained the difference before.
Teach me if you'd be so kind

Some species won't accept plain sugar water, but every species I have seen has accepted sunburst. And more importantly, sunburst contains a lot of the vitamins and nutrients that ants need, while sugar water only has sugars. However, I still don't really use sunburst that much because I find that feeding a variety of fruits and insects get's the ants all they need.



#13 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted March 3 2021 - 11:50 AM

ConcordAntman

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 767 posts
  • LocationMassachusetts

Yeah, my Camponotus spp. seem to like apples, pears, and banana.



#14 Offline AleeGuy - Posted March 3 2021 - 12:01 PM

AleeGuy

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 383 posts
  • LocationNorthern Virginia


I always use sugar water or honey water for my ants because to me the price of that small bottle isn't worth it. Honestly my pogonomyrmex like syrup water and most other species like honey water so i'm fine with whatever I have. I also make sure I feed a ton amount of protein to make sure they don't think that they don't have enough food to make larvae two times their colony size.

what is your water/honey ratio?
3:1(water to sugar/honey), if your ants don't get stuck when consuming it then you can even go with 2:1(but there is no big difference). By the way, I've had better experience in acceptance with a cane sugar rather than a honey.

Edited by AleeGuy, March 3 2021 - 12:03 PM.


#15 Offline gs5248 - Posted March 3 2021 - 5:18 PM

gs5248

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 473 posts
  • LocationSacramento California

Same here. I tend to also use maple syrup, or corn syrup as an alternative sugar source, and my ants will prefer it over sugar water and honey.



#16 Offline BugFinder - Posted March 3 2021 - 6:29 PM

BugFinder

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 872 posts
  • LocationSunnyvale, CA

Same here. I tend to also use maple syrup, or corn syrup as an alternative sugar source, and my ants will prefer it over sugar water and honey.

 

straight syrup, or dilluted with water?


“If an ant carries an object a hundred times its weight, you can carry burdens many times your size.”  ― Matshona Dhliwayo

 

My Journals:

Pogonomyrmex subdentatus

Camponotus Vicinus

Camponotus sansabeanus

Tetramorium (sp)

Pogonomyrmex Californicus

My Ant Goals!


#17 Offline PogoQueen - Posted March 3 2021 - 8:06 PM

PogoQueen

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 52 posts
My ants love sunburst, across many different species. I highly recommend it! A very safe product as well.
  • MinigunL5 likes this

#18 Offline gs5248 - Posted March 3 2021 - 9:59 PM

gs5248

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 473 posts
  • LocationSacramento California

 

Same here. I tend to also use maple syrup, or corn syrup as an alternative sugar source, and my ants will prefer it over sugar water and honey.

 

straight syrup, or dilluted with water?

 

I will usually dilute it in water to make it easier for the ants to feed out of a THA water feeder. you can either do 1 part syrup and 1 part water, or 2 parts syrup and 1 part water. I wish usually go with the first option.


Edited by gs5248, March 3 2021 - 10:00 PM.

  • BugFinder likes this

#19 Offline gs5248 - Posted March 3 2021 - 10:01 PM

gs5248

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 473 posts
  • LocationSacramento California

My ants love sunburst, across many different species. I highly recommend it! A very safe product as well.

I agree that is a great product. But it is still kind of expensive, and for the price i would rather just get some fruits that have all the same vitamins as sunburst does.


Edited by gs5248, March 3 2021 - 10:01 PM.


#20 Offline AntaholicAnonymous - Posted March 4 2021 - 3:53 AM

AntaholicAnonymous

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 426 posts
  • LocationAustria
Oh so ants do need vitamins?
That was kind of where my question was aiming at.

Currently I use a sugar water test tube.
I'll try to offer both sunburst and sugar water in the future to see what they prefer.
Maybe I'll see an I crease in activity if they're juicing harder
  • ConcordAntman likes this




1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users