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myrmica not feeding

Started By klawfran3 , Apr 15 2017 7:52 AM

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7 replies to this topic

#1 Offline klawfran3 - Posted April 15 2017 - 7:52 AM

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My Myrmica colony has refused to eat anything I have offered them. I have offered:

-cut up waxworms

-cut up beetle larvae

-crushed seeds (miller, rapeseed)

-cheezit crackers

-honey water

-pure honey

-chicken

-oats

-fish food

Nothing has been taken, eaten, or moved, and they haven't left their test tube to the outworld in days. ay food I put in the test tube is taken out and dumped. What can I do to get them to eat? The brood pile is shrinking and I don't want them to die out.

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#2 Offline Canadian anter - Posted April 15 2017 - 10:59 AM

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I sometimes find that my myrmica don't appreciate dead foods. The ants seem to prefer softer bodied insects too. I sometimes have to force live foods into the nest for them to eat it. The food doesn't have to be very alive. Just enough to make them struggle

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#3 Offline Batspiderfish - Posted April 15 2017 - 5:17 PM

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My Myrmica accept frozen Drosophila.

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#4 Offline klawfran3 - Posted April 15 2017 - 7:26 PM

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tried offering a mostly dead fly, they all evacuated the nest and set up their brood in a corner of the outworld. I removed the fly and jusst shined a bright light on them until they went back in. It seems like they're just not going to feed at this point

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#5 Offline Batspiderfish - Posted April 15 2017 - 8:23 PM

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Did you shove it into their tube or something? What kind of fly was it? If was any different from a dead vinegar fly, then the results probably won't be the same.

Edited by Batspiderfish, April 15 2017 - 8:25 PM.

Exotic ants are for those who think that vibrant diversity is something you need to pay money to see. It is illegal to transport live ants across state lines.

----

Black lives still matter.

#6 Offline MichiganAnts - Posted April 15 2017 - 9:41 PM

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try fruit flies. i gave mine some and they loved them

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#7 Offline klawfran3 - Posted April 15 2017 - 9:45 PM

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Did you shove it into their tube or something? What kind of fly was it? If was any different from a dead vinegar fly, then the results probably won't be the same.

I lightly put it into the end of the tube, definitely didn't just shove it in there. I guess the fact that it was twitching and smelled weird made them panic and evacuate.

The thing is that the town I live in does not have any pet shops where I can get fruit flies, and it is too cold for them here at this time. I live in Wyoming. It's 45 F until May. I'll attempt to feed them other small insects I find but it doesn't seem like things are working out. I'll see if I can find some gnats or midges near the local stream, I know stoneflies and mayflies are out but I don't know if the ants will eat them.

Edited by klawfran3, April 15 2017 - 9:46 PM.