132 replies to this topic

[drtrmiller]

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Edited by drtrmiller, August 28 2019 - 7:38 PM.

[TheAntGuy]

I just purchased some a couple hours ago, as well as linked this to the discord server. I am excited to try out the new blend and the liquid feeders as this will be my first time using them.

 

Keep up the good work!

[drtrmiller]

Natural Color Issues:

 

Although I have not received any customer reports, I have observed that the natural annatto color we switched to recently has some stability issues.  The color may fade more rapidly than expected.

 

No other quality metric that I've tested has changed, and so please be advised that changes in color are not an indication that the product has deteriorated in quality, except for the natural colors.  I'm actively investigating the issue and will post an update as appropriate.

 

Customers who wish to receive a replacement or refund, please contact us at support@byformica.com.

 

Time for a quick FAQ:

 
Sunburst is watery.  I expected it to be thicker?

 

The watery consistency of Sunburst Ant Nectar is expected.

 

Thicker sugar solutions are less attractive to ants, possibly because thicker substances require more effort by the ant to consume the fluid, or create water imbalances inside the small ants.  As such, the sugar to water ratio is meticulously formulated to create a product that is extremely attractive to a large number of ant species and is easy to consume.  Ants consuming Sunburst will recruit more workers, consume more fluid, and become more engorged in appearance compared to ants fed a thicker syrup.

 

As Sunburst evaporates into a thicker syrup, the ants will be less receptive to it.  If using a byFormica liquid feeder, users may go a number of days or weeks between refills.  When the thicker evaporated syrup is replaced with fresh, watery Sunburst, the ants will be strongly receptive to it again.

 

What does Sunburst smell like?  How do I know if it has "gone off" based on smell?

 

Sunburst Original Formula should have little or no detectable odor.

 

Sunburst Summer Honeysuckle may smell slightly sweet or fruity, with light notes of caramel or maple syrup.

 

It is not possible to determine whether the Sunburst has "gone off" based on smell.  If your Sunburst shows sign of precipitate, meaning it is cloudy in appearance rather than crystal clear yellow/orange, this is an indication that the product has been exposed to air for an extended period of time, and the product should be replaced.  Contact Us for a replacement, but DO NOT discard the defective product.

 

If you have questions about the quality of the Sunburst product you are using, please Contact Us.

Edited by drtrmiller, April 9 2020 - 8:43 AM.

[drtrmiller]

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Edited by drtrmiller, September 6 2019 - 1:41 PM.

[drtrmiller]

Sunburst Ant Nectar is now available for sale by the case to customers in the United States.  Each bottle in the 24-pack case is individually labeled for resale.

 

Check it out on Amazon today, or contact me to pay via PayPal for an even more substantial discount.

Edited by drtrmiller, January 15 2020 - 9:30 PM.

[ANTdrew]

That’s better than a case of ‘Claws!

[drtrmiller]

I recently read some discussion in other groups about a study involving melezitose, and so I have composed a response to the discussion here.

 

Article of interest: Responses of Lasius niger to Compounds Sweet to Humans

 

The objective of the authors was to compare the response of ants to different sources of carbohydrates versus a sucrose control in order to determine the "relative sweetness" of the competing carbohydrate sources.  In the case of the melezitose, the authors were able to elicit the same response by the ants as the sucrose control (termed isoeffective concentration), while using a lower molar concentration of melezitose.  In other words, less melezitose sugar was required to achieve the same response as the control, as measured by the number of ants attending the bait.

 

Having replicated these experiments myself, I can say the author's work is very sound, and there are important unanswered questions as to why ants display these carbohydrate preferences, given they should all equal about the same energy?  Other articles ask this question, and go into depth studying the intestinal gut flora of ants, or bacteria living in the soil where aphids are abundant and their secretions frequently fall to the ground.

 

In any case, it would be a mistake to draw the incorrect conclusions from these studies on the relative effectiveness of each carbohydrate as ant food.  The objective in formulating an animal food is to determine the ideal combination and amount of ingredients to ensure optimal feeding response by the target organism.  This was my objective when formulating Sunburst Ant Nectar, and I still read what I can and experiment all the time in hope of discovering something new and improving the product.

 

The main issue with using data from the 2001 study to determine what best to feed ants, is that the authors of the article use a low sucrose concentration (100g/L) as the control.  As I have discovered, the results of the relative sweetness studies are not applicable to the more highly concentrated sugar solutions offered in unlimited supply to ants kept in captivity.  In the case of more highly concentrated sugar solutions, there is no difference between them.

Edited by drtrmiller, March 28 2020 - 3:51 PM.

[Serafine]

Maybe interesting:

https://www.research...up_fig1_7509434

[drtrmiller]

Thanks to Barristan over at CrazyAnts.de for taking this photo of ants drinking Sunburst from a byFormica liquid feeder. It is beautiful!

Edited by drtrmiller, April 12 2020 - 8:24 PM.

[FSTP]

This continues to be a Sunburst Ant Nectar thread. 

[ANTdrew]

Crematogaster cerasi

[drtrmiller]

How Sunburst Is Made

 

[TechAnt]

Awesome! Looks really high tech too.