7 replies to this topic

[Ants4ever7]

I have two small colonies and am feeding them sugarwater from cotton balls right now. Is it worth it to invest in ByFormica feeders or any other brand?

[OiledOlives]

If you can, I highly recommend it. The byFormica feeders are extremely durable (mine continue to last years, even with dirty and destructive ants), cheap, and easy to use. It's much easier to use liquid feeders in contrast to other methods, like aluminum foil, which get dirty quickly when ants place debris on it and flip it. byFormica is the only brand of liquid feeder I can recommend; his products are far superior to any other brand that I've purchased from.

Edited by OiledOlives, September 5 2024 - 6:57 PM.

[Ants_Dakota]

If you can, I highly recommend it. The byFormica feeders are extremely durable (mine continue to last years, even with dirty and destructive ants), cheap, and easy to use. It's much easier to use liquid feeders in contrast to other methods, like aluminum foil, which get dirty quickly when ants place debris on it and flip it. byFormica is the only brand of liquid feeder I can recommend; his products are far superior to any other brand that I've purchased from.

I completely concur. If prices are a problem for you, you can check out this post.

[Mushu]

Definitely worth it. I've tried another feeder brand and their design does not seem to be as good as Byformica, perhaps there's others out there that  works just as well but the one I tried leaks more due to the design compared to Byformica. 

[ANTdrew]

byFormica feeders are totally worth the investment. I’ve also had good experiences using Por Amor’s largest size feeder for my Crematogaster.

[rptraut]

Hello Ant4ever7;

 

I agree that liquid feeders are a good investment, I was lucky enough to find a variety pack, small to large for use with various sizes of colonies.   I use them mainly for small colonies, I use test tubes for larger colonies because they hold more and are easier to replace. 

 

I'd recommend you modify liquid feeders slightly for small ants, it reduces the chances of them drowning and makes it easier for them to access the liquid.    I show how I modify mine in this post.   Making Water Fountains Safe for Small Ants - General Ant Keeping - Ants & Myrmecology Forum (formiculture.com)

 

Good Luck with all your colonies.

RPT

Edited by rptraut, September 6 2024 - 3:31 AM.

[dboeren]

I don't know how good they are, but there are "knockoff" ant feeders on Etsy for cheap.

[Ants_Dakota]

I don't know how good they are, but there are "knockoff" ant feeders on Etsy for cheap.

They are quite good and worth every penny, in my opinion. There are indeed cheaper options, and many companies sell their own versions, but I have never had an issue with byformica products leaking.

Edited by Ants_Dakota, September 6 2024 - 7:38 AM.