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Is sunburst better than sugar water?
Started By
AntaholicAnonymous
, Mar 3 2021 7:08 AM
55 replies to this topic
#1 Offline - Posted March 3 2021 - 7:08 AM
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
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 - Posted March 3 2021 - 7:30 AM
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).
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#3 Offline - Posted March 3 2021 - 7:32 AM
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.
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#4 Offline - Posted March 3 2021 - 7:34 AM
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 - Posted March 3 2021 - 8:41 AM
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 - Posted March 3 2021 - 8:41 AM
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 - Posted March 3 2021 - 8:56 AM
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.
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#8 Offline - Posted March 3 2021 - 9:58 AM
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.
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Ants I am keeping:
none for now, planning on being more active this year
#9 Offline - Posted March 3 2021 - 10:03 AM
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 - Posted March 3 2021 - 10:09 AM
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 - Posted March 3 2021 - 11:18 AM
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!
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#12 Offline - Posted March 3 2021 - 11:45 AM
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 - Posted March 3 2021 - 11:50 AM
Yeah, my Camponotus spp. seem to like apples, pears, and banana.
#14 Offline - Posted March 3 2021 - 12:01 PM
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.what is your water/honey ratio?
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.
Edited by AleeGuy, March 3 2021 - 12:03 PM.
#15 Offline - Posted March 3 2021 - 5:18 PM
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 - Posted March 3 2021 - 6:29 PM
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?
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#17 Offline - Posted March 3 2021 - 8:06 PM
My ants love sunburst, across many different species. I highly recommend it! A very safe product as well.
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#18 Offline - Posted March 3 2021 - 9:59 PM
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.
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#19 Offline - Posted March 3 2021 - 10:01 PM
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 - Posted March 4 2021 - 3:53 AM
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
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
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