7 replies to this topic

[evanmancini2011]

I have a few small colony's of pavement ants that are soon going to come out of hibernation and was wondering if anyone has any recommendations on what small feeder insects would work well? I heard that fruit flies are a great option but there cultures can attract mites. Does anyone have this problem with the fruit flies and are fruit flies easy to take care of? 

 

 

Thank you for your time!

Evan Mancini

[ANTdrew]

Mites can be a problem with fruit flies, but if you start new cultures frequently, you can prevent them. Mealworms are easy to raise at home as well. Crickets and dubia roaches are great feeders and can be bought in bulk, then frozen for later use. Also keep in mind that Tetramorium don’t need small insects. Any pre-killed insect cut open will be readily accepted.

[Ants_Dakota]

I have a few small colony's of pavement ants that are soon going to come out of hibernation and was wondering if anyone has any recommendations on what small feeder insects would work well? I heard that fruit flies are a great option but there cultures can attract mites. Does anyone have this problem with the fruit flies and are fruit flies easy to take care of? 

 

 

Thank you for your time!

Evan Mancini

Tetramorium will eat nearly anything. I recommend reading through RushmoreAnt's Journal to see what has worked for him. Personally, for affordability, I recommend grabbing a few small crickets from a local pet store on the way home from work or school every week and feeding them those. You can buy the larger variety as the colony grows to appease their appetite.

Edited by Ants_Dakota, January 27 2025 - 6:19 AM.

[Full_Frontal_Yeti]

While not the cheaper of feeder insects, waxworms are a great feed for most any ant colony. Their soft body is easier than carapace for any ant to get into.
As well the only waste left behind will be their tiny head and the 6 tiny little legs. Everything else will be consumed.

Also good quality fish flakes or high quality pet snacks can offer a good protein source, though those tend to get kind of pricey for feeding ants.
But if you got other pets around already they can share. And again no trash left behind form those food sources, 100% consumable.

 

[Ants_Dakota]

While not the cheaper of feeder insects, waxworms are a great feed for most any ant colony. Their soft body is easier than carapace for any ant to get into.
As well the only waste left behind will be their tiny head and the 6 tiny little legs. Everything else will be consumed.

Also good quality fish flakes or high quality pet snacks can offer a good protein source, though those tend to get kind of pricey for feeding ants.
But if you got other pets around already they can share. And again no trash left behind form those food sources, 100% consumable.

 

I will say many species do not prefer waxworms due to the high fat content, even if they are easily accessible in my experience. Try to get something with high protein content.

[bmb1bee]

Small roach species are pretty good for feeding ants. In my experience, species like Compsodes schwarzi are pretty easy to breed and are well accepted by most of my ants.

[rptraut]

Hello Evanmancini2011;

 

I've found that my Tetramorium colonies eagerly take sow bugs and pill bugs, just split them in half while frozen.    They're easy to raise but I catch enough of them under a wet board in my garden for the whole season.   

 

I would be remiss if I didn't point out that Tetramorium ants will gladly take a variety of meat products as well as insects.   I feed mine cooked chicken and liver, cooked turkey and liver, raw ground pork, salmon, canned dog food, and cooked egg yolk.   Below is a link to a thread about a feeding experiment I did with a Camponotus colony that received only meat products for the entire season.   Much of what I wrote about the Camponotus colony in my experiment holds true for my Tetramorium colonies.

 

Results From Two Feeding Experiments by RPT - General Ant Keeping - Ants & Myrmecology Forum

 

Enjoy your time.

RPT

[cooIboyJ]

I bought some meal worms a few months ago, and since I kept them in the wine fridge they have still lasted. So far only one of them has died besides for when I feed my ants. Another great option for feeding your ants is if you catch crickets, beetles, and sometimes moths from outside. The problem with catching bugs is that the bugs only come out in summer, at least for me. I hope this helps!