278 replies to this topic

[Ernteameise]

So today is the day!!!

My girls have finally decided to put the tunnels they dug into the DigFix in the Antcube to good use.

I was beginning to think they were creating some modern expressive art project!

 

[liamsantics]

nice

[Ernteameise]

The girls are also again enjoying their chicken bone.

This really was a great suggestion, it turned out to be one of their favorite protein foods.

 

[Ernteameise]

They continue to do well.

 

 

And I am still totally amazed at their well organized ant-bread production operation and that they have reserved a special chamber for that! How cool is that? (top middle chamber)

 

[Ernteameise]

Today I tried another food experiment with this colony.

So far, they have pretty much refused all insects that I had offered them- different kinds of flies, superworms, moths....

So I thought I should at least give crickets a go.

I was at the pet store anyways to get live food for my fish.

 

 

So I served up some fancy dinner for all my girls (the rescue gals also got a piece of cricket, they were not forgotten!)

 

 

And lo and behold!!!!

I could barely believe my eyes!

This is what happened.

 

 

So these girls do eat insects.

They are just very fussy about which insects they are offered.

So crickets are a success.

[ANTdrew]

They will go nuts for dubia roaches then.

Edited by ANTdrew, June 15 2023 - 11:50 AM.

[Ernteameise]

They will go nuts for dubia roaches then.

I was actually looking for roaches. I have heard that roaches are THE thing.

But the pet store only had fruit flies, meal worms, some GIANT locusts and the crickets. Everything else was not in stock. So I took the crickets.

Anyways, looking in the outworld now and seeing the whole crew basically ravenous over that cricket, I think I made the right decision.

 

At least until next time.

I have the suspicion that my ants are very much like cats.

[Serafine]

Mediterranean crickets (Gryllus sp) are great. I prefer them a lot over the regular crickets (Acheta sp).

They're quieter and they have much softer skin, making it easier for the ants to get to the good bits.

 

You could also try waxworms. They're very fatty but this shouldn't be a problem for Messor.

Edited by Serafine, June 15 2023 - 4:16 PM.

[Ernteameise]

If anyone has wondered how they produce the ant bread-

they form these bulks / lumps and in a group effort chew a piece of seed. I think here they are working on one of the pieces of cut down sunflower seed I gave them.

 

[ANTdrew]

You could harvest that and sell it for exorbitant prices as a health food. Gluten free!

[Ernteameise]

You could harvest that and sell it for exorbitant prices as a health food. Gluten free!

I think in the old days, when human food was scarce, this is exactly what people did- they raided the nests of harvester ants. Harvester ants can store several pounds of seed and large colonies are known to be able to collect one pound of seed a day!!!

 

These ants are amazing.

[Full_Frontal_Yeti]

Mediterranean crickets (Gryllus sp) are great. I prefer them a lot over the regular crickets (Acheta sp).

They're quieter and they have much softer skin, making it easier for the ants to get to the good bits.

 

You could also try waxworms. They're very fatty but this shouldn't be a problem for Messor.

While i had not done insects for a few weeks, the one i hadn't tried yet was waxworms, and they happen to be in stock at my local yesterday so i picked them up.

OMG the Pogonomyrmex occidentalis went nuts for it. I have not seen such a response to any other bug, and less than 24 hours later there is just one tiny bit of it left to be seen anywhere(it is in the nest they are still working on it). That's the one bug they ate 100% of, nothing meaningful seems to  have gone to the trash pile.

I'll be sure to give them some wax worms once in a while.
So yeah Ernteameise i 2nd the waxworms suggestion. I dropped it in boiling water for just a few seconds and didn't even cut or crush it up as it is not got a chitin exterior. They went nuts for it like nothing else so far.

[Ernteameise]

 

Mediterranean crickets (Gryllus sp) are great. I prefer them a lot over the regular crickets (Acheta sp).

They're quieter and they have much softer skin, making it easier for the ants to get to the good bits.

 

You could also try waxworms. They're very fatty but this shouldn't be a problem for Messor.

While i had not done insects for a few weeks, the one i hadn't tried yet was waxworms, and they happen to be in stock at my local yesterday so i picked them up.

OMG the Pogonomyrmex occidentalis went nuts for it. I have not seen such a response to any other bug, and less than 24 hours later there is just one tiny bit of it left to be seen anywhere(it is in the nest they are still working on it). That's the one bug they ate 100% of, nothing meaningful seems to  have gone to the trash pile.

I'll be sure to give them some wax worms once in a while.
So yeah Ernteameise i 2nd the waxworms suggestion. I dropped it in boiling water for just a few seconds and didn't even cut or crush it up as it is not got a chitin exterior. They went nuts for it like nothing else so far.

 

I will have to see if they have these next time I go to the pet store.

Just put in an order for more crickets today to be delivered next week.

[Ernteameise]

Now THIS is what I call a success!

 

 

I am very happy that these crickets were such a huge success- I ordered 2 more packs at the local pet store so I can keep up with the demand (and I will still vary with egg, chicken and other meat).

 

Also, for some reason, these girls have now created a huge seed stash in the outworld.

They are CONSTANTLY shifting these seed around.

They never appear to be happy with where the seed are, and are very obsessive about them.

 

[Ernteameise]

Right.

I knew this would happen (it is in the description of the acrylic nest and this is why they give you spares).

The humidity of the acrylic nest is controlled by a plaster humidifier.

This can break and get used up.

In my case, the ants must have exploited a crack.

 

Yes, it is possible to replace this, I have several spares.

But this would require to chill the colony in the fridge and then replace it while they sleep (impossible to do on a "live" nest).

I had planned to do this when they slow down for winter anyways.

I guess I will just leave it as is for now and see how they go, and it all fails, do the replacement.

I think as long as the water is still sucked into the nest and the ants are able to control the humidity, it won't be too bad.

 

On the positive side-

look at the huge amount of brood we are having!

 

[ANTdrew]

Myrmy’s Law: All things being equal, ants will always do the opposite of what you want or expect them to do.

[Ernteameise]

Myrmy’s Law: All things being equal, ants will always do the opposite of what you want or expect them to do.

Which is why they make so interesting and exciting pets.
If I wanted something that stays where I want or do what I expect, I would get a pet rock. Or one of these vacuum robots.

[Ernteameise]

The girls love their cricket and started butchering them in the nest and feeding the hungry larvae directly.

 

[Ernteameise]

Since the Camponotus have used moist vermiculite to build a wall at their tube nest entrance, I got the idea that maybe the Messors might also use it in their nest for humidity control.

So I offered them a small dish with moist vermiculite.

I will see tonight after I come back from work if they are interested.

Right now the only thing they did was panic because I dared to put that dish in.

 

Edited by Ernteameise, June 22 2023 - 11:42 PM.

[Serafine]

Myrmy’s Law: All things being equal, ants will always do the opposite of what you want or expect them to do.

Nah, this is just Messor. If something can be destroyed by them, it will be destroyed.