6 replies to this topic

[azzaaazzzz00]

I recently went anting and nocked over a piece of bark. Behind it was a small colony of Temnothora sp. (I still need to make sure). They seemed to have rejected everything I tried to give them. Anyone have an idea on why they might eat (I'v never had a colony of Temnothorax before). Thanks.

 

Note: The colony has already gone a few days with no food, so I want to give them something asap.

Edited by azzaaazzzz00, April 18 2023 - 2:17 PM.

[UtahAnts]

My colony of T. nevadensis took mealworms, spiders, fruit flies, and mites. Often times the small foragers would move slowly, making them difficult to spot. Additionally, my colony would often forage during both the day and at night, which may be what your colony is doing in response to their new situation.

[rptraut]

I keep small colonies of Temnothorax curvispinosis and Temnothorax longispinosis that have roughly 25 -50 workers each.  I've mostly found them living in acorns, once in a walnut.  

I use small pieces of sponge to feed them sugar/water and water.  I place the sponges on a small plastic feeder made from the security lid of a cream container.  

Many of the small ant species that I keep are timid and don't seem to like feeding in the open.  I find they accept food (protein) more readily if it's covered by something, so I place insect pieces under the plastic feeder, close to their acorn.  They send out one or two foragers and never take a lot of protein at any one time.  Mine seem to like insects like mealworms, crickets, earwigs, fruit flies and flies - cut up in small pieces.  They raise small amounts of brood so only require small amounts of protein compared to most of my other ants.

[Ernteameise]

Hmm.

Mine are pretty easy. They take small fruit flies, sugar water, pollen balls, fruit jelly, the "powdered and mixed with water slurry" sold by the Antstore, boiled egg, ham.

Try around a bit.

And according to scientific papers, they can go a long time without food (they will eat the brood).

[azzaaazzzz00]

The colony seems to not take anything sweet...I've tried sugar/water, honey, honey/water, and everything else (that is sweet and that is safe) for the colony but is always ignored. Now, they've gone a full week with nothing   

[Ernteameise]

Have you tried something like pollen?

Fruitflies?

Ham?

Mine go absolutely crazy for these.

[ANTdrew]

Are you keeping them warm enough? Perhaps they are still in diapause mode.