4 replies to this topic

[JCRHJM]

The brown sugar and water solution that I currently use grows mold after about a week, I am aware that products like sunburst ant nectar can have a shelf life of much longer. 

Does anyone know any methods/formulas to make sugar water last longer?

I know honey won't spoil but my ants keep stuffing it with sand.

[Zeiss]

By the time your sugar water is molding, you should be replacing it anyways.  I believe byFormica even suggests you replace Sunburst after a certain amount of time as well.  This is because there are invisible microbes that build up on the substances as well, like bacteria.

Edited by Zeiss, October 8 2021 - 10:47 PM.

[ANTdrew]

Potassium sorbate is added to sugary drinks to extend their shelf life. It works by stopping yeasts from reproducing. In your case, refined white sugar water that is boiled first should last a bit longer. You’d still need to change it frequently.

[UtahAnts]

Potassium sorbate is added to sugary drinks to extend their shelf life. It works by stopping yeasts from reproducing. In your case, refined white sugar water that is boiled first should last a bit longer. You’d still need to change it frequently.

I second this.

 

Every time I make a sugar water mix (1:3 parts sugar to water), I boil the water, then quickly add the sugar. I've had sugar water last up to 2 weeks without the apperaence of any visible fungus/bacteria colonies or microbes simply by boiling the water to heat up the sugar and kill most microbes. Not only is boiling the water beforehand effective at killing microbes, it also dissolves granulated sugar faster as well.

 

You can also use honey as a substitute for the sugar to make honey water, which is usually much preffered to normal honey by most species.

[Roy3]

I totally agree. I microwave my water to make it really warm. Never boiled it, but it does dissolve the sugar really fast. And I've never had problems with molding at all. Plus it lasted a long time, never had any problems with it.

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