10 replies to this topic

[ant man]

  Hi, in one of my colonies I put a wood louse (sow bug) in my outworld as an experimental food and it crawled into the formicarium ant the ants (fromica fusca) are failing to keep it contained.  I would like to know what to do and if this could potentially kill my colony.  Thanks

[dspdrew]

I'm pretty sure all they eat is dead plant matter, so I don't see how they would harm your ants.

[BugFinder]

Aren't sow bugs good housekeepers in ant nests?

[JakobS]

If there is no evident conflict between the ants and the wood louse, it's definitely a benefit as the louse will eat any decaying matter that the ants leave around. 

 

Since it's generally recommended to keep outworld's dry, isopods will tend to seek out environments that are moist and more humid, and thus end up in ant nests if provided the opportunity. 

Edited by JakobS, August 3 2015 - 12:49 PM.

[BrittonLS]

After watching Empire of the Desert Ants, I've decided to be super careful about what I put alive into a nest. In the documentary a beetle crawls down into a honeypot ant nest and the ants are unable to kill it and after a while, they just stop attacking it at all. They speculated perhaps it took on their scent or something, but then they ignored it and it was able to eat their larva and eggs unmolested. Terrifying o.o But sounds like this one shouldn't be a problem. 

[LC3]

Sow bugs eat dead plant matter, Not to mention I find a lot of baby ones in ant nests and they live under rocks with each other without bothering one another

[kellakk]

Isopods will eat any decaying organic material, no matter whether it came from plants, animals, fungi, algae, etc. They are likely to eat the dead ants and other trash in outworlds if you can get them established there.  It's possible but not probable that isopods will eat brood, since the ants will usually chase it off.

[Trailandstreet]

Aren't sow bugs good housekeepers in ant nests?

These are the small white ones. I keep a few of them in one of my Myrmica colonies and in the Formica cunicularia formicarium. The should eat that what the ants leave over.

The bigger ones are sometimes attacked by the ants.

[Roachant]

I use sow bugs as ant food and my tetramorium ants kill them on sight and hollow them out. Gross and cool at the same time

[AntsTexas]

i'm gonna try this

[dspdrew]

I've been doing this for a while, but not always on purpose. My frog and newt tank is filled with all sorts of creatures that eat decaying organic material and mold. It is very warm and humid in there and I almost NEVER see mold growing. Springtails, book lice, mites, snails, worms, the all eat the stuff I don't want in the tank. Obviously, you probably don't want anything that feeds on living organisms, like some snails, aphids, parasitic mites, or predatory insects. It's great though, everytime I can see one of the frogs dropped a turd, it will be covered in springtails for a couple days and then completely gone. Little organisms like these can save you a LOT of time and work, and not to mention maybe even some of your ant colonies.

 

I have a giant springtail culture, and I'm thinking of starting a book lice culture too. Springtails are great for very wet conditions, and book lice are great for very dry conditions. They both love to eat mold. I've actually watched them in my microscope just feasting on it.