21 replies to this topic

[PaX]

Soo I've Tried twice to feed my ants a cut up superworm but they completely ignored it.. They would check it out then move on and not eat it really..  Since this is the 4th day since they moved out of the test tube I figured they didn't want any protein yet but on a whim I put a very small piece of a steak in there and they were all over it... So now my mind is racing with questions....

Did they not like the superworm cause it was freshly killed?
Are they just premadonnas and only eat the best protein? 
Is feeding them a uncooked cold piece of beef harmful to them?

the list goes on...   Any thoughts??  

They are a small colony of Camponoutus discolored maybe 100 of them,  I have seen new brood being carried around in the tubes from time to time but they have had no other source of protein only a drop of agave nectar when they first moved in. 

[ANTdrew]

All my ants enjoy mealworms, crickets, fruit flies, and dubia roaches. I supplement with any good wild bugs I can find in my yard. I think of meats and egg yolks as more of a supplement.

[OiledOlives]

Mealworms and superworms are generally not great feeders for ants. If possible, try to get crickets, fruit flies, or roaches. The ants would also benefit from having a constant source of sugars.

[DRpepper]

I feed my Camponotus a protien diet mostly consisting of crickets, flies and spiders. for sugars they get watered down honey and/or sugar water. that is their whole diet and they have been doing well on it. Some Ants seem to start regecting certain foods if you just always offer the same thing I've never had this problem but some people have.  

[TacticalHandleGaming]

Fruit flies and crickets are my go to proteins. For sugar I use byformica sunburst.

[ColAnt735]

I use mealworms, crickets, and fruit flies as feeders although I only use mealworms for certain colonies like my Tetramorium.  Crickets and fruit flies are my go to feeders.

[antsriondel]

I use ham.

[ConcordAntman]

Dubia roaches, crickets, rehydrated roasted mealworms (primarily for my bird feeders but an occasional food source for my colonies), Sunburst nectar.  

[PaX]

So most of you give them sugar as a regular food source and proteins once or twice a week?

[ANTdrew]

I feed protein every day for most of my colonies. Young colonies I may feed every other day.

[Temperateants]

Fruit flies are basically a 2 in one food source, and super easy to keep. You can feed them adults, larvae, even pupae if the ants are ferocious/hungry enough. Termites are great if you live near woods where there's stones and sticks to turn. Household pests like drugstore beetles (and definitely their larvae as well) are good. Cellar spiders are great, just make sure to prekill, then cut off the legs. Everything I feed to my ants I first freeze, then thaw in scalding water.

 

Also vary up their sugars as well, you can use the THants nectar, honey (beware of pesticides) and sugar water solution.

Edited by Temperateants, March 12 2022 - 12:34 PM.

[PaigeX]

First of all, none of my aussie ants will actively eat and enjoy mealworms/superworms. So i do not feed any of them to my ants. I don't care what success other people have with them, but mine don't give a sh!t about them.

 

Here is what I feed my ants:

 

Woodie Roaches - AKA Nauphoeta cinerea. For large colonies, I mainly use adults. I then freeze them and cut up into small pieces.

 

Crickets (Adults) - For large colonies, I do the same as above. 

I then have a container I mix the two into then freeze again. I use that when I need to feed the ants. They love the two kinds of protein together.

 

Crickets (babies) - Use for starting queens and their colonies. I don't freeze these kind normally. Most times i go to the baby cricket bin and pick what i wanna feed. Kill the insect then put the whole thing into the test tube. As they have very soft exoskeleton almost all of it is eaten.

 

Honey - Organic honey from the bush, found in shop. I also use honey labeled as bush honey. Bees collect in a different area to the Organic honey, giving it a difference in taste and flavor.

 

I used to feed honey/sugar water. But with the weather I have it moulds in a day (or few hours) and if you have over 30 queens/small colonies to care for this is the worse. So i just give pure honey and my ants love it.

 

Last but not least, somethings I give cut up fruit that has been washed before hand.

 

PS: I've tried feeding termites but they don't touch them.

Edited by PaigeX, March 17 2022 - 4:21 AM.

[Leptomyrmx]

C r i n c k e t s .

Baby and young crickets are definitely my favourite. Nice and small so I can give a few to larger colonies, or just 1 or 2 to smaller ones. Not too much mess either, mealworms are really annoying to clean up since ants don't eat the skin and also they look gross if you don't take them out after a few days.

(I do feed sugars as well.)

Edited by Leptomyrmx, March 17 2022 - 11:04 PM.

[JCRHJM]

Cut up superworms and mealworms while fresh, sometimes live crickets for myrmecia and rhytidoponera.

Edited by JCRHJM, March 18 2022 - 12:22 AM.

[Mettcollsuss]

For sugars I use sugar water, or Sunburst nectar for when I don't want to bother mixing up my own sugar water.
For protein, I use dubia roaches and superworms. My large Tetramorium colony also gets the occasional frozen pinky mouse as a treat.

[NicholasP]

Soo I've Tried twice to feed my ants a cut up superworm but they completely ignored it.. They would check it out then move on and not eat it really..  Since this is the 4th day since they moved out of the test tube I figured they didn't want any protein yet but on a whim I put a very small piece of a steak in there and they were all over it... So now my mind is racing with questions....

Did they not like the superworm cause it was freshly killed?
Are they just premadonnas and only eat the best protein? 
Is feeding them a uncooked cold piece of beef harmful to them?

the list goes on...   Any thoughts??  

They are a small colony of Camponoutus discolored maybe 100 of them,  I have seen new brood being carried around in the tubes from time to time but they have had no other source of protein only a drop of agave nectar when they first moved in. 

 

Soo I've Tried twice to feed my ants a cut up superworm but they completely ignored it.. They would check it out then move on and not eat it really..  Since this is the 4th day since they moved out of the test tube I figured they didn't want any protein yet but on a whim I put a very small piece of a steak in there and they were all over it... So now my mind is racing with questions....

Did they not like the superworm cause it was freshly killed?
Are they just premadonnas and only eat the best protein? 
Is feeding them a uncooked cold piece of beef harmful to them?

the list goes on...   Any thoughts??  

They are a small colony of Camponoutus discolored maybe 100 of them,  I have seen new brood being carried around in the tubes from time to time but they have had no other source of protein only a drop of agave nectar when they first moved in. 

The most likely reason they didn't eat it is just that they don't like it. I've had some ants in the past that are very picky eaters. A good example is Pseudomyrmex pallidus one of the pickiest eaters in the U.S. It's not your fault that they didn't eat it. Although, I would recommend switching over to crickets since mealworms are more fatty than crickets and ants tend to like more lean meat. So, they can survive on mealworms but they don't really thrive on them.

[ANTdrew]

All ants I’ve kept here in Virginia like mealworms, but variety is key. Dubias and crickets are definitely better.
Mettcollsuss, those are some lucky Tetras.

[Barristan]

I fed some of my ant colonies raw burger patty and all of them loved it. Raw Minced meat would probably be better since it doesn't contain any extra spices.

[iulius]

For sugars I use sugar water, or Sunburst nectar for when I don't want to bother mixing up my own sugar water.

 

What is the dilution you use for sugar water? (1:1 ratio in volume between sugar and water?)

White sugar or another kind of sugar (like cane sugar)?

How often do you renew the sugar water? (once a week?)

 

I've often seen in French forums a recipe of Bhatkar based on vitamines, honey, eggs, milk and agar-agar.  Is it worthwhile giving that besides the suggestions in this discussion?

 

As for Sunburst nectar, it is a more expansive drink :-/