84 replies to this topic

[cooIboyJ]

Since the workers aren’t as active I put a cotton soaked in red sugar water for them to see if they drink that.

[AntsTx]

I don’t think that the ants are drinking any water or sugar water from the byformica feeders. I’ve colored the sugar water a bright blue so I can see if they’ve been drinking but their gasters never have even a hint of blue in them. What should I do to get them to discover the liquid feeders?

For solenopsis invicta you can't really see what's inside their gasters because they are so small.

[cooIboyJ]

I don’t think that the ants are drinking any water or sugar water from the byformica feeders. I’ve colored the sugar water a bright blue so I can see if they’ve been drinking but their gasters never have even a hint of blue in them. What should I do to get them to discover the liquid feeders?

For solenopsis invicta you can't really see what's inside their gasters because they are so small.

Is there any way to see what is in there? Like shining a bright light on the ant? Also when I was buying the feeders it said that some species of ants are unable to find the liquid, is it so with invicta?

Edited by cooIboyJ, September 4 2024 - 11:39 AM.

[AntsGodzilla]

 

 

I don’t think that the ants are drinking any water or sugar water from the byformica feeders. I’ve colored the sugar water a bright blue so I can see if they’ve been drinking but their gasters never have even a hint of blue in them. What should I do to get them to discover the liquid feeders?

For solenopsis invicta you can't really see what's inside their gasters because they are so small.

Is there any way to see what is in there? Like shining a bright light on the ant? Also when I was buying the feeders it said that some species of ants are unable to find the liquid, is it so with invicta?

 

they will be able to find it as long as it has sugar

[AntsGodzilla]

and that warning is probably about myrmecocystus, mine have a hard time finding anything

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

Since the workers aren’t as active I put a cotton soaked in red sugar water for them to see if they drink that.

Most of the time they feed most of it to the queen so you can't see it in the workers.

[cooIboyJ]

Alright I’ll take out the cotton soaked with sugar water.

[Ants_Dakota]

Alright I’ll take out the cotton soaked with sugar water.

I would really recommend getting a smaller test tube, at least 16mm or smaller for them and looking into a Tubes and Tubes Adaptor from Por Amor art to limit water evaporator and keep such a small ant from being over stressed.

[cooIboyJ]

 

Alright I’ll take out the cotton soaked with sugar water.

I would really recommend getting a smaller test tube, at least 16mm or smaller for them and looking into a Tubes and Tubes Adaptor from Por Amor art to limit water evaporator and keep such a small ant from being over stressed.

 

The reason I put in the cotton was because I was worried that they weren't getting enough sugar. I am going to add substrate so they can customize the tube. And I don't have any problems with water evaporation.

[cooIboyJ]

I saw one of the workers drinking sugar water from the feeder so I am not worried about them getting sugar anymore.

[AntsGodzilla]

could you show pics?

[cooIboyJ]

could you show pics?

Of the ants drinking the sugar water? I only ever saw it once so I'm not sure I can get a picture of a worker drinking from the feeder.

[AntsGodzilla]

 

could you show pics?

Of the ants drinking the sugar water? I only ever saw it once so I'm not sure I can get a picture of a worker drinking from the feeder.

 

of the whole colony

[Ants_Dakota]

 

 

could you show pics?

Of the ants drinking the sugar water? I only ever saw it once so I'm not sure I can get a picture of a worker drinking from the feeder.

 

of the whole colony

 

Edit: wrong post

Edited by Ants_Dakota, September 6 2024 - 3:57 PM.

[AntsGodzilla]

yes it is. It's in the journal section and in the link in coolboyJ's signature.

[Ants_Dakota]

yes it is. It's in the journal section and in the link in coolboyJ's signature.

My apologies, I accidently clicked on the wrong post.

[cooIboyJ]

I put in some dirt in the outworld, not enough for them to nest in, and ever since I put it in the ants have been hard at work bringing the dirt into the test tube. They have been doing really well with a ton of larvae and around thirty-five workers. I gave them a fly that I caught at the pool and they started attacking it immediately.

[cooIboyJ]

I went to petco the other day and gave the ants a third of the mealworm, the part with the head, and I am hoping that if I give them more protein than usual while they have their larvae then I can get majors. I hope this works, also can anybody tell me if this is possible?

[AntsTx]

I went to petco the other day and gave the ants a third of the mealworm, the part with the head, and I am hoping that if I give them more protein than usual while they have their larvae then I can get majors. I hope this works, also can anybody tell me if this is possible?

You need to feed a LOT of protein for them to get majors, like a small mealworm everyday, the size increasing to match the colonies workers.

[cooIboyJ]

I hooked up a new test tube via some tubing to the outworld so the ants can move into the smaller one, but the tubing was irregular and there was a gap, so I filled it in with some hot glue, but I I've hear before that fire ants can chew through hot glue. Is this true or will the hot glue keep them out?