6 replies to this topic

[Barristan]

I built a small ant feeding spiral with aluminum wire and tested it outside:

 

If you have a small formicarium you can't really observe ant trails but with this small spiral it is possible and you can also better use vertical space.

[cap_backfire]

I'm curious as to the point of this.  Does it help them think they are travelling farther to get food?   I know some ants prefer to travel significant distances to forage.   Sorry but this is DEFINITELY a noob question.    

Whatever it's for it looks really cool!   And your ants DEFINITELY love it.  

[Manitobant]

I'm curious as to the point of this.  Does it help them think they are travelling farther to get food?   I know some ants prefer to travel significant distances to forage.   Sorry but this is DEFINITELY a noob question.    
Whatever it's for it looks really cool!   And your ants DEFINITELY love it.

i think its just supposed to look cool.

[MrPurpleB]

I'm curious as to the point of this.  Does it help them think they are travelling farther to get food?   I know some ants prefer to travel significant distances to forage.   Sorry but this is DEFINITELY a noob question.    
Whatever it's for it looks really cool!   And your ants DEFINITELY love it.

From my understanding the longer path to the food item is supposed to create a foraging trail. The user mentions using this spiral for less spacious formicarium/outworld. The spiral helps facilitate trails in spaces otherwise too short to allow a neat trail to form. Mantibant seems to be right, probably for an aesthetic purpose. Foraging trials can be interesting and cool to observe.

[cap_backfire]

This is such a cool idea.   I'm definitely going to try this for my next formicarium-or something for it.  

[Barristan]

As some already mentioned it doesn't have any benefit for the ants.
 
But when I thought about it I figured out a possible benefit for some ant species. Not for feeding purposes but to provide them a place to dump their dead. Some ant species tend to carry around their dead for quite some time to find a suitable place. One of the reasons might be that the distance is not long enough away from the nest. I think there was a study that ants tend to dump their dead far away from the nest to prevent the spread of parasites, disease, etc.
 
So if you add such a spiral with an empty place on top where they can dump the dead maybe that could reduce the carrying around of dead ants. But I haven't tested it, maybe it also doesn't work...

[cap_backfire]

I have seen my Trachymyrmex carrying around their dead, basically forever.   Even after making their formicarium about 5 times larger.   The idea of putting a cup or something up in the branches is solid.  I might try that.  They have lots of vertical space already and just giving them a spot to put their dead would definitely be less work on the poor morticians in my colony!   
I love the concept of this spiral to give them the premise of foraging for longer, and the foraging trail is so awesome for YOU to watch.   Awesome.