13 replies to this topic

[Rattus]

Hello antkeepers,

 

Would fish food be good enough for ants (except boilies, which are crossed-out already), if I re-make it by adding some other food-types...?

 

Ingredients:

corn, wheat molasses, rapeseed oil, wheat barn, atlantic krill meal, fish meal,

linseed, rapeseed cake, bentonite, salt, animal protein.

 

Note: Not allowed to feed to ruminants.

 

What are your thoughts on this subject (also in general)?

 

 

Rattus

 

 

[Crystals]

I have tried offering various types of dry fish food, from flakes of krill to tropical fish food, to NSL pellets, and none of my ants have done anything besides dump it in the garbage pile.

 

There are some homemade ant food mixes that involve canned chicken to act as a supplement for easier feeding.  The links to two of these are in the handy links list.

[Rattus]

I have tried offering various types of dry fish food, from flakes of krill to tropical fish food, to NSL pellets, and none of my ants have done anything besides dump it in the garbage pile.

 

There are some homemade ant food mixes that involve canned chicken to act as a supplement for easier feeding.  The links to two of these are in the handy links list.

I think of making some ant food using carp food as an addition, which will be made into a jelly-like substance using starch.

[noebl1]

I just picked some of this stuff up and JUST came today:

http://www.amazon.co...e/dp/B00X4S6M7A

 

Got the idea as a lot of herp people complained of ants getting into it  I have a small young colony of camponotus, so see how it goes tonight.

[Rattus]

I just picked some of this stuff up and JUST came today:

http://www.amazon.co...e/dp/B00X4S6M7A

 

Got the idea as a lot of herp people complained of ants getting into it  I have a small young colony of camponotus, so see how it goes tonight.

How did the ants react to it?

[noebl1]

 

I just picked some of this stuff up and JUST came today:

http://www.amazon.co...e/dp/B00X4S6M7A

 

Got the idea as a lot of herp people complained of ants getting into it  I have a small young colony of camponotus, so see how it goes tonight.

How did the ants react to it?

 

 

Mixed so too soon to tell...  so I made the gel up some ByFormica nectar in it to sweeten it.  First day I put it in, WAY too early as by the time they started their evening foraging, it had dried it.  Last night I put some in around 10:30pm (which is about the time they start becoming active I find.)  Had the one that forages checked it all out top to bottom, and then did mostly water gathering trips before I went to bed.  I'll check when I get home tonight to see if they had any.  I find they are pretty weird... i.e. they will one day gorge on nectar, then not touch for for a few days (even if fresh one put in.)  Then same with a meal worm, etc.  As of last night, all of their gasters were still pretty darn swollen, so not quite sure yet how hungry they are

 

EDIT:  It's also 3 nanitics and 1 queen with a handful of eggs just now transitioning to larvae, so not sure how much strain there is yet for the colony to eat every night once they get a good feeding.

 

EDIT2: Also need to experiment with consistency... I went for the recipe "gel", but can do dryer/wetter as well to see.  They obviously aren't starving yet, so will try a few things and keep reporting back.

Edited by noebl1, May 13 2016 - 6:37 AM.

[noebl1]

So obviously a bit of drying overnight as started as a gel (like cat food consistency) :

 

 

Thinking some late night snacking?

[noebl1]

I will be making another batch that's MUCH wetter.  One issue I found is I put some out, and within about an hour it had dried out too much...  So will experiment some more and see.  The instructions basically say make it as wet/dry as you want.  

[Rattus]

You can try to add some water near one side of it.

 

I ended up making liquid solution(100ml) and got most of the grains and other particles filtered. Also, added some extra vitamins, proteins and sugars.

Colored it in light red.

 

Offered it to Lasius niger.

First reaction, after one scout took a sip, was after a minute or two when three workers started to drink it.

Edited by Rattus, May 16 2016 - 1:25 AM.

[ctantkeeper]

I know that Lasius neoniger will except dry tetra flakes.

[Rattus]

Today, I changed their food and decided to put it in slightly cooled. So far looks like they enjoy it more this way . It attracted more ants in less time than previously.

 

Not sharp, but gives insight.

Edited by Rattus, May 18 2016 - 8:56 AM.

[kellakk]

Out of curiosity, I gave a fish flake to each of my colonies.  Results:

 

Pogonomyrmex californicus broke it into bits and ate it all

Tapinoma sessile stored it

Liometopum luctuosum ate it all

The rest of my colonies ignored their flakes

[dspdrew]

I've had Pogonomyrmex collect fish pellets like crazy. I don't know for sure if they ever actually fed them to their larvae though.

[NightsWebs]

hmm  maybe I need to try the same experiment with my species