13 replies to this topic

[M_Ants]

I love this nectar. It works great. However, the bottle I got was so big that since buying it last year, August 24th 2020, I have barely used it. As of this post, it's been nearly a year since I bought it. I noticed something seems to have been killing my ants recently and possibly for a month or two. My harvester ants seem unaffected. The only thing I could think of was the nectar. After doing some experiments, I believe the nectar has gone bad and is now killing my ants. Just making the post as a warning to others who might use this nectar or in case someone believes the nectar isn't the problem. Hopefully someone sees this and it saves some ants. I guess the lesson here is buy what you can use in a reasonable amount of time.

I should also note that I didn't refrigerate it. 

Edited by M_Ants, August 16 2021 - 6:12 PM.

[zA-Z0-9]

that is exactly why i don't use nectar it literally killed my whole lasuis neoniger colony

[M_Ants]

Also a few grain mites fell in a while back. So yeah, that might have cause it too.  Either way, be careful. Nectar can go bad and kill ants it seems. This ones probably on me though. 

[AntsMaryland]

Huh, I had the same experience. I ended up throwing away the nectar, thinking I somehow contaminated it.

[M_Ants]

Huh, I had the same experience. I ended up throwing away the nectar, thinking I somehow contaminated it.

Yeah I think that's the thing. In a perfect world, if you refrigerate this stuff, and don't contaminate it in any way, it's probably safe for years. Just gotta be careful and aware that it can go bad. 

[nurbs]

I’ve used PP nectar for over ten years, it beats all other sugar based diets for ants. Never had a problem with them. It’s the only nectar I use. They are bulletproof with an incredibly long shelf life, with some unopened bottles that are two years old. Once they are opened, put them in the fridge.

Don’t forget to dilute it when feeding, the version I get is super concentrated.

EDIT: Your title is also misleading. It’s not poisonous. It just went bad.

Edited by nurbs, August 16 2021 - 6:00 PM.

[M_Ants]

I’ve used PP nectar for over ten years, it beats all other sugar based diets for ants. Never had a problem with them. It’s the only nectar I use. They are bulletproof with an incredibly long shelf life, with some unopened bottles that are two years old. Once they are opened, put them in the fridge.

Don’t forget to dilute it when feeding, the version I get is super concentrated.

EDIT: Your title is also misleading. It’s not poisonous. It just went bad.

Fixed title. I think mine got contaminated, I still plan on getting more. You should add refrigerating the nectar to your honeypot care sheets. The nectar bottle only says to refrigerate nectar that's been mixed.

 

What's your opinion on the powdered stuff?

Edited by M_Ants, August 16 2021 - 6:30 PM.

[MrPurpleB]

Do you have a link to the specific bottle that you owned? From my experience the bottle tells you to the extra premixed into the refrigerator, not mixed. Maybe, there's a bit of confusion in that area. 

[ANTdrew]

Did you try drinking it? It may have fermented into some hooch.

[M_Ants]

Did you try drinking it? It may have fermented into some hooch.

Don't feel like drinking it but I think that's what happened. 

[zA-Z0-9]

Did you try drinking it? It may have fermented into some hooch.

yeah now its a party
 

[PogoQueen]

May I ask if it was the clear nectar or the red nectar? I used the red perky pet nectar for years and never had a problem with it. I know of a lot of people who have used the clear perky pet and had no problems with it, so I decided to try the clear perky pet nectar and it killed my mature colonies. It was the only new variable I introduced to them and it was a brand new bottle. As soon as I stopped feeding them the nectar, the deaths stopped and my mexicanus colony recovered, although slowly and the workers were deformed for awhile. I know of another person this has happened to, where they bought a brand new bottle of the clear perky pet and it killed their ants. I’ve never heard of it happening with the red perky pet before though.

[B_rad0806]

 

Did you try drinking it? It may have fermented into some hooch.

Don't feel like drinking it but I think that's what happened. 

 

you don't drink your perkey pet? It's so good 

[M_Ants]

May I ask if it was the clear nectar or the red nectar? I used the red perky pet nectar for years and never had a problem with it. I know of a lot of people who have used the clear perky pet and had no problems with it, so I decided to try the clear perky pet nectar and it killed my mature colonies. It was the only new variable I introduced to them and it was a brand new bottle. As soon as I stopped feeding them the nectar, the deaths stopped and my mexicanus colony recovered, although slowly and the workers were deformed for awhile. I know of another person this has happened to, where they bought a brand new bottle of the clear perky pet and it killed their ants. I’ve never heard of it happening with the red perky pet before though.

It was the red stuff, but it was old.