10 replies to this topic

[AntsGodzilla]

Hey just wondering, is honey a good carb source fro myrmecocystus deplisis?

[Stubyvast]

Yep! Great for ants, but highly suggested you mix with a small amount of water to make the consistency right for ants. Too thick, and they won't drink it. I also suspect that if there's too much sugar in the concentration, ants may not accept it, for some reason.

[IdioticMouse26]

Yep! Great for ants, but highly suggested you mix with a small amount of water to make the consistency right for ants. Too thick, and they won't drink it. I also suspect that if there's too much sugar in the concentration, ants may not accept it, for some reason.

Going off of what Stubyvast said, be careful to give them small amounts because honey can be like a glue trap for ants.

[ANTdrew]

Sugar water is cheaper and safer. Though rare, some honey could contain trace pesticides because beekeepers cannot fully control what flowers their bees forage on. A friend of mine lost most of his colonies once due to contaminated honey.

[Ants_Dakota]

Sugar water is cheaper and safer. Though rare, some honey could contain trace pesticides because beekeepers cannot fully control what flowers their bees forage on. A friend of mine lost most of his colonies once due to contaminated honey.

If you are going to use honey, as ANTdrew mentioned, go organic and raw, and mix it with water for best chance of survival. ByFormica sells amazing products for both honey or sugar water here to keep them from molding, your ants covering the liquid with debris, or ants getting stuck in it.

[AntsGodzilla]

Ok thx

[mbullock42086]

the raw honey i use is very thin and runny and my mexicanus all drink it without issue

[Full_Frontal_Yeti]

i avoid honey myself. There's no way to 100% gaurntee it'll be free of any contanimants that could harm the colony. Bees can't be fenced in, so who knows what all they bring back that gets in the honey.

Even honey labeled as organic just measn conditions at the bee hive meet those standards. The bees don't give a fook bout our standards and fly where ever they want to brign back pollen and nectar from places that may not qualify as organic.

If you do honey, buy the very best you can find, but know you are alwasy rolling some dice odds on that, becaseu true control, with the bees, is beyond us.

 

I buy Sunburst or mix my own sugar water for my ants.

Edited by Full_Frontal_Yeti, August 27 2024 - 10:14 AM.

[AntsGodzilla]

the raw honey i use is very thin and runny and my mexicanus all drink it without issue

What honey do you use? I have only ever seen thick honey

[mbullock42086]

 

the raw honey i use is very thin and runny and my mexicanus all drink it without issue

What honey do you use? I have only ever seen thick honey

 

thick honey usually means it's been pasteurized, to remove water and increase shelf life, raw honey is thin and runny and still has all the water in it, as well as nutrients and elements that are destroyed by pasteurization

i get my honey from local sources, it's vastly superior to pasteurized.  mine seems to be mesquite honey

[AntsGodzilla]

I mean, I always use raw honey, but I'll try the local thing. Thanks