Jump to content

  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

Protein for new colonies


  • Please log in to reply
15 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Ants4ever7 - Posted September 1 2024 - 10:06 AM

Ants4ever7

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 42 posts
  • LocationMesa, Arizona

Just wondering. Can I feed my nanitics little bits of meat? Is grease ok?



#2 Offline AntsTx - Posted September 1 2024 - 10:32 AM

AntsTx

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 72 posts
  • LocationDallas, Texas

Just wondering. Can I feed my nanitics little bits of meat? Is grease ok?

I have fed my ants chicken before, so I think it's ok as long as there isn't too much grease and you trust the place you got it at to not have anything harmful to the ants.


  • cooIboyJ likes this

Currently Keeping:

Camponotus texanus x2                                             Pheidole obtusospinosa - Pupae

Camponotus vicinus - 15-20 workers                         Solenopsis xyloni x7 - Batch of eggs

Camponotus pennsylvanicus - 75-85 workers           Pheidole lamia - Batch of eggs

Crematogaster lineolata x4 - 40-50 workers

Dorymyrmex bureni - 3 workers

Solenopsis invicta - 10000-15000 workers

Formica spp. - 5 workers

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis x2

 


#3 Offline AntsGodzilla - Posted September 1 2024 - 1:19 PM

AntsGodzilla

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 401 posts
  • LocationNorthern California

fruit flies are also great


I keep:

pogonomyrmex rugosus

myrmecocystus depilis

monomorium ergatogyna

And many Carnivorous plants such as: Dionea muscipula (fly trap), Sarracenia x 'Fiona' ( American Pitcher plant), Nepenthese ventrata (Tropical Pitcher plant), and Pinguicula agnata x emarginata (Butterwort) (show off your plants here)

Godzilla thread

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores it's provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Proverbs 6: 6-8

 

Multiple ant colonies coming soon...


#4 Offline GOCAMPONOTUS - Posted September 1 2024 - 1:20 PM

GOCAMPONOTUS

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 919 posts
  • LocationRocklin,CA

fruit flies are also great

I think they mean meat like beef ect.

 

But it should be fine if their isn't a ton of grease. My ants love ckicken for example.


Currently keeping: 2 C.vicinus colonies.2 C.sansabeanus. 1 C.leavissimus. 2 C.Ca02. 1 V.pergandei. 4 T.immigrans.1 F.pacifica. 1 C.hyatti

1 M.ergatognya

 

 

 

 

Trying to get my hands on :C.modoc,A.vercicolor, and Any Honeypots

  

 

 


#5 Offline AntsGodzilla - Posted September 1 2024 - 1:23 PM

AntsGodzilla

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 401 posts
  • LocationNorthern California

 

fruit flies are also great

I think they mean meat like beef ect.

 

But it should be fine if their isn't a ton of grease. My ants love ckicken for example.

 

Hmm. I've never tried meat.


I keep:

pogonomyrmex rugosus

myrmecocystus depilis

monomorium ergatogyna

And many Carnivorous plants such as: Dionea muscipula (fly trap), Sarracenia x 'Fiona' ( American Pitcher plant), Nepenthese ventrata (Tropical Pitcher plant), and Pinguicula agnata x emarginata (Butterwort) (show off your plants here)

Godzilla thread

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores it's provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Proverbs 6: 6-8

 

Multiple ant colonies coming soon...


#6 Offline ANTdrew - Posted September 1 2024 - 1:26 PM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 9,929 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA
Read this carefully: https://www.formicul...view=getnewpost
  • rptraut likes this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#7 Offline rptraut - Posted September 2 2024 - 12:25 AM

rptraut

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 485 posts
  • LocationOntario, Canada

Hello Ants4ever7;

 

I've written posts about how I've fed meat products to all of my ants, from nanitics to large colonies.    The first protein meal I always give nanitics is cooked chicken liver.   I actually only feed insects as a treat.    This means a couple of things that make keeping ants much easier.    First, it's easy to prepare and feed meat and I know exactly how much protein I'm giving each colony, something that's difficult to know when feeding insects.   Second, less trash to clean up afterwards.   This is especially important when keeping larger colonies that would create a lot of garbage if I had to provide the equivalent amount of protein with insects.   I think a varied meat diet for ants provides better nutrition than feeding only two or three kinds of insects.  

 

I wrote a post about a Camponotus colony that I only fed meat products for an entire year.   You'll find information about the meat products I feed, how I prepare them and many other details. 

You'll find that post here    Results From Two Feeding Experiments by RPT - General Ant Keeping - Ants & Myrmecology Forum (formiculture.com)

 

You'll find more information details about feeding meat products in another post here   Feeding Time at the Zoo - General Ant Keeping - Ants & Myrmecology Forum (formiculture.com)

I'm happy to answer any other questions you may have.

RPT


  • cooIboyJ likes this
My father always said I had ants in my pants.

#8 Offline Ants4ever7 - Posted September 2 2024 - 2:02 AM

Ants4ever7

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 42 posts
  • LocationMesa, Arizona

Thank you


  • rptraut likes this

#9 Offline cooIboyJ - Posted September 2 2024 - 7:05 AM

cooIboyJ

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 496 posts
  • Locationhenderson NV
Whenever I give my new colonies protein it is in the form of flys that I caught at the park. I think that flys are one of the best proteins for new colonies because, the flys are mostly meat, which means that a small fly will provide a lot of food, and flys are also great because they are soft-bodied insects, and that means that they are really easy to get into, especially for the weaker nanitic workers. Another good thing to feed new colonies would be spiders. I have never fed my ants spiders but other people say that they work really well for their ants. I hope this helps!
  • IdioticMouse26 likes this

“You’ll survive” -wise man.
Currently keeping:
Brachymyrmex patagonicus

Solenopsis invicta

Crematogaster sp.


#10 Offline Ants4ever7 - Posted September 3 2024 - 10:59 AM

Ants4ever7

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 42 posts
  • LocationMesa, Arizona

What is best for nanitics, chicken, cricket leg, or flies?



#11 Offline ANTdrew - Posted September 3 2024 - 11:02 AM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 9,929 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA
The best protein sources come from insects. Fruit flies are a convenient size for small colonies, and very little mess is left behind.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#12 Offline cooIboyJ - Posted September 3 2024 - 11:26 AM

cooIboyJ

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 496 posts
  • Locationhenderson NV
Flys would probably be the best because they are soft so the ants can get tot he good stuff easily. Cricket legs are tough and hard to get into unless you chop it up.

“You’ll survive” -wise man.
Currently keeping:
Brachymyrmex patagonicus

Solenopsis invicta

Crematogaster sp.


#13 Offline rptraut - Posted September 3 2024 - 12:30 PM

rptraut

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 485 posts
  • LocationOntario, Canada
Hello Ants4ever7;

In my opinion, all three are good for nanitics and ants in general. Shave the chicken and split open the cricket legs and flies for easy access. Feeding a variety of foods is good for a colony, feed them all three and other foods, alternating them and your ants won’t get bored eating the same thing.
RPT
  • cooIboyJ likes this
My father always said I had ants in my pants.

#14 Offline cooIboyJ - Posted September 3 2024 - 12:55 PM

cooIboyJ

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 496 posts
  • Locationhenderson NV
Another thing you can feed to ants and nanitics is earwigs. You can see about it here: https://www.formicul...wig#entry241240

“You’ll survive” -wise man.
Currently keeping:
Brachymyrmex patagonicus

Solenopsis invicta

Crematogaster sp.


#15 Offline AntsGodzilla - Posted September 8 2024 - 10:14 AM

AntsGodzilla

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 401 posts
  • LocationNorthern California

 

fruit flies are also great

I think they mean meat like beef ect.

 

But it should be fine if their isn't a ton of grease. My ants love ckicken for example.

 

is bbq chicken ok?


I keep:

pogonomyrmex rugosus

myrmecocystus depilis

monomorium ergatogyna

And many Carnivorous plants such as: Dionea muscipula (fly trap), Sarracenia x 'Fiona' ( American Pitcher plant), Nepenthese ventrata (Tropical Pitcher plant), and Pinguicula agnata x emarginata (Butterwort) (show off your plants here)

Godzilla thread

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores it's provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Proverbs 6: 6-8

 

Multiple ant colonies coming soon...


#16 Offline rptraut - Posted September 8 2024 - 11:01 PM

rptraut

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 485 posts
  • LocationOntario, Canada

Hello AntsGodzilla;

 

I've fed bbq chicken to my ants but I first removed the skin and any trace of bbq sauce that's on the meat.   Many ants don't like vinegar, a sauce ingredient.   I've even washed and dried the meat before freezing it.   

RPT


  • cooIboyJ and AntsGodzilla like this
My father always said I had ants in my pants.




1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users