7 replies to this topic

[AntLoverAdam]

 Hello everyone, as you know I'm a newbie. And ill like to ask some questions:

 

-what's the best food to feed my ants

 

-Is this formicarium good? http://www.ebay.com/...SEAAOSw~oFXMvfo

 

-Is Petroleum jelly good for a barrier?

 

-Please leave some tips for some stuff I'm missing! THANKS!

[AntsBrazil]

Hello, I'm not an expert but by the things that I've read:

 

1-Mealworms. Fruits ,water+sugar ,Honey.(Depending on the sp.)(Check Preferred Food by Species) 

 

2-Looks ok

 

3- Depends on the sp.(Check Escape Prevention Barriers)

 

1,3,4- http://www.formicult...-for-beginners/

http://www.formicult...of-handy-links/

Edited by JPSMedeiros, November 26 2016 - 4:11 PM.

[Canadian anter]

I agree. However products aren't necessarily like they're depicted in picture.Also I see that JPS is becoming a deity of Links.
AKA a crystals

[Solenoqueen]

About your questions...

 

1. As you know, ants require three different types of food. Sugar, protein, and water, of course. I use hummingbird nectar, and sometimes byFormica's

Sunburst Ant Nectar, and color it for my honeypot ants. Still, the stuff works for ANY ant colony. For protein, I get live prey(baby-adult crickets, dubias and hissers, etc.), and crush their head to make them as easier food. You can get both of these from your local commercial pet store. For water, you can use a test tube filled with water and with a cotton filter. This AC video might help: https://www.youtube....h?v=WE1ZlxJJOLo

 

2. No, too little chambers, and it also looks like the copyrighted AC Omni Nest formicarium. If you want a professional formicarium that has been tested for sure, go to Tar Heel Ants or to AntsCanada.

 

3. Mostly, but don't depend on it. Some ants will use corpses as a bridge. I would use talc powder with water.

 

Good luck man!

[Serafine]

Hello everyone, as you know I'm a newbie. And ill like to ask some questions:

-what's the best food to feed my ants

That depends on what ant species you have.
Most ants take sweets (sugar water, honey, hummingbird nectar, maple sirup, etc.) and protein (dead insects, egg yolk, cooked chicken, etc.).

Exceptions are Harvester ants which need seeds (bird seeds, grass seeds, canary food seeds) and Leafcutters/Grasscutters which need grass, flower and tree leaves (I doubt you have Leafcutters/Fungus growers though).

 
 

-Is this formicarium good? http://www.ebay.com/...SEAAOSw~oFXMvfo

It will do for the start but be prepared to expand the nest very very soon. If you have large ants like Camponotus or Messor it will probably hold for 2-4 months (though it may be too small for them to move properly in general), if you have a fast-growing species like fire ants (RIFA or any other Solenopsis it will hold for a month).
I'd look at pages like Tar Heel (ignore the super small nests like the atom, test tubes are way better for young colonies and you should not move your colony to ANY formicarium before they have at least 20-50 workers/the test tube looks pretty crowded), Ants Canada (their nests are expensive though) or - if you live in Europe - AntKit (their prices are pretty much unbeatable).
You can also look around in the forums, there are some people selling cheaper formicariums (like Fyre ant).
 

 

 

-Is Petroleum jelly good for a barrier?

That depends on the species. There's a list with which species can cross which barrier here in the forums. Some species are big enough to just walk over certain barriers (Camponontus, especially the long-legged versions, can often cross powder barriers), others are smart enough to build a bridge by sticking debris on it (Formica are famous for this) others are extremely good at finding and exploiting any weak spots in the barriers (Solenopsis).
Generally Fluon is the best and safest barrier.

Edited by Serafine, November 27 2016 - 2:29 AM.

[LC3]

A few extra side notes, if you live in a really  humid environment don't use fluon, it ends up degrading pretty fast and it doesn't apply on well. Vasaline is better for humid environments. The talcum powder trick is very messy, and there's a ideal ratio you have to mix just to get it right. Most people would agree it's a waste of time.

 

Probably one of the most important rules in this hobby is patience, especially at the beginning. Depending on the species the time period between the founding stage and the time where a colony gets "busy" can vary as much as a few months to a year or two. During this period you shouldn't stress too much about them. If you make impulsive decisions you're going to regret it. 

[gcsnelling]

Actually next to patience The most important rule is to make sure your enclosure, no matter what one you chose is escape proof and never, ever release your ants deliberately into the wild for any reason, EVER.

[AntLoverAdam]

Hello everyone, as you know I'm a newbie. And ill like to ask some questions:

-what's the best food to feed my ants

That depends on what ant species you have.
Most ants take sweets (sugar water, honey, hummingbird nectar, maple sirup, etc.) and protein (dead insects, egg yolk, cooked chicken, etc.).

Exceptions are Harvester ants which need seeds (bird seeds, grass seeds, canary food seeds) and Leafcutters/Grasscutters which need grass, flower and tree leaves (I doubt you have Leafcutters/Fungus growers though).

-Is this formicarium good? http://www.ebay.com/...SEAAOSw~oFXMvfo

It will do for the start but be prepared to expand the nest very very soon. If you have large ants like Camponotus or Messor it will probably hold for 2-4 months (though it may be too small for them to move properly in general), if you have a fast-growing species like fire ants (RIFA or any other Solenopsis it will hold for a month).
I'd look at pages like Tar Heel (ignore the super small nests like the atom, test tubes are way better for young colonies and you should not move your colony to ANY formicarium before they have at least 20-50 workers/the test tube looks pretty crowded), Ants Canada (their nests are expensive though) or - if you live in Europe - AntKit (their prices are pretty much unbeatable).
You can also look around in the forums, there are some people selling cheaper formicariums (like Fyre ant).

-Is Petroleum jelly good for a barrier?

That depends on the species. There's a list with which species can cross which barrier here in the forums. Some species are big enough to just walk over certain barriers (Camponontus, especially the long-legged versions, can often cross powder barriers), others are smart enough to build a bridge by sticking debris on it (Formica are famous for this) others are extremely good at finding and exploiting any weak spots in the barriers (Solenopsis).
Generally Fluon is the best and safest barrier.

Alright thanks!