17 replies to this topic

[Reevak]

Is there a way to keep aphids in an out world for your ants to get a source of honeydew? I'm assuming this cannot be done without a plant in the out world as well, which mean soil is needed. Can you maybe use a plant that only needs water to survive (if that exists)? Or is this just not something that can be done? Has anyone even tried?

[T.C.]

I tried, and my attempt was a fail! I attempted to plant milk weed in a out world for the aphids, which is what I found them on. The ants I was keeping were a formica species.However the ants left there plaster nest and moved into the soil in the outworld. They tended the aphids, however the plant died, which lead to the death of the aphids. However I think with a little more effort and time, it can be done.

 

Hope this helps.

[Serafine]

I think you need a modular design (plants in small pots or cups ) and set the plants in a cycle, like 2 plants in week 1, 2 more plants in week 2, 2 more plants in week 3, so that they don't die all at the same time. Usually if a plant dies the ants will relocate the aphids but they need a healthy plant for that.

Multiple connected "Aphid outworlds" (again with plants placed in a cycle) could work as well, I'm pretty sure the ants will transport the aphids even through the tubing between the outworlds.

[Connectimyrmex]

Put a small plant (seedling) into a water bottle lid and surround the seedling with cotton. Place one founding aphid (winged) onto the plant, and your aphid colony should work out if the plant is right. It worked with me 100% of the time.

[Reevak]

Put a small plant (seedling) into a water bottle lid and surround the seedling with cotton. Place one founding aphid (winged) onto the plant, and your aphid colony should work out if the plant is right. It worked with me 100% of the time.

Thanks, but where would you get the aphid? Just catch it from outside?

[Connectimyrmex]

Find an aphid covered plant and check for winged alates. They are mostly parthenogenetic, so no need to worry about males.  

If there are no alates, then try to get the largest aphid you can see. That might be a good reproductive.

[Serafine]

Usually all aphids on a plant are clones (they don't need males for reproduction, they just use them to mix up the gene pool), so just pick a big one (or 2-3) and you should be fine.

[Alabama Anter]

Find an aphid covered plant and check for winged alates. They are mostly parthenogenetic, so no need to worry about males.
If there are no alates, then try to get the largest aphid you can see. That might be a good reproductive.

You don't need alate females... All u have to do is pick a bunch of aphids up and they will start mating and populating everywhere. Like Serafine said they are just essentially just clones which means they may breed without males etc...

[Serafine]

Aphids from a single plant usually don't mate (except with winged males from other plants), they just produce clones of themselves - actually some aphid species are already pregnant when they're born. Alates are only produced when the plant is fully occupied or in late summer to mix up the gene pool before it gets cold. So every single aphid can found a "colony".

Edited by Serafine, December 28 2016 - 9:34 AM.

[Reevak]

Put a small plant (seedling) into a water bottle lid and surround the seedling with cotton. Place one founding aphid (winged) onto the plant, and your aphid colony should work out if the plant is right. It worked with me 100% of the time.

I forgot to ask, what do you do when the plant dies? do you just restart the process over again?

[Serafine]

Usually the ants will carry the aphids over to another healthy plant (when most aphids are gone you can replace it), if not you have to do it manually.

[LC3]

The trouble I've had with trying to reer aphids is that they overpopulate quickly (One aphid could create around 20 in one day), although different aphid species reproduce at different rates. In an enclosure where the odds are against the plants the plant can't support the aphids for long so this tends to be a problem for faster growing aphids. Another thing you must watch out for, especially when collecting and leaving the aphids out in the open is parasitic wasps. They can absolutely devastate an aphid colony and you won't know about them for a week or so.

[Connectimyrmex]

The plant won't die for a long time if kept well with a limited aphid population.

 

If it dies, place them with your ants. The ants will take the aphids to a new plant (have another one ready)

 

I would try to raise Legume Aphids because legumes are easy to grow. If you live in a place that grows Red Ginger, raise Banana Aphids and put them on the Red Ginger plantlets.

[Reevak]

Would I be able to only keep a limited number of aphids, and then manually remove the rest, that way i don't let the plant die? or if there are so few aphids then is it even worth the trouble as the ants will only get a small amount of honeydew

[Connectimyrmex]

The aphids are literally honeydew factories. One aphid has fed my whole Anoplolepis colony!

[Reevak]

The aphids are literally honeydew factories. One aphid has fed my whole Anoplolepis colony!

Oh okay, thanks!

[Crystals]

You can try to grow them outside or do an indoor culture.

 

There is a thread for culturing insects and it also has one for aphids.  http://www.formicult...ts-and-feeders/

The link to the above thread can also be found in the Handy Links thread.

 

Aphids 

(Medium difficulty due to routine bi-weekly upkeep)

 

Green pea aphids are generally easy to culture and are easily obtained from reptile and frog forums/groups.

 

These need a steady supply of new pea-plants.  Start the peas every week.

Place dried pea's under water for 6-8 hours until they are completely soaked in water. You'll see them swell up.

 

Place them on wet paper or another thin wet soil inside of a super tall sandwich container or 32 ounce deli cup. 
The pea's need to be kept moist, but not wet or they'll mold.  Keep the paper towel or dirt damp.

 

A lid is advised at this point

Place them under light for 5-6 days until the peas have roots and have a stalk about 1-2cm.

 

Now you can seed your culture and remove the lid.  Just keep the paper towel or dirt damp.  In 1-2 weeks the culture will mature. 

 

An easy way to harvest is to cut off a stem and put it in the outworld.  If using a deli cup, it is possible to use it like a salt shaker – simply hold it upside down and tap any “loose” aphids into the outworld.  Or you can use a soft brush to brush them into the outworld.

 

These are species specific and usually go after peas, beans, and clover.  So they won’t infest your house plants. 

[Reevak]

Thank you. This helps so much.

Edited by Reevak, December 31 2016 - 12:35 AM.