Just curious.
Edited by soulsynapse, April 23 2017 - 7:41 PM.
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Does freezing wild bugs have any effect on how safe they are to feed your ants?
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soulsynapse
, Apr 23 2017 7:33 PM
12 replies to this topic
#1
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Posted April 23 2017 - 7:33 PM
soulsynapse
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#2
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Posted April 23 2017 - 7:38 PM
Reacker
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A better question would be, "Does freezing wild bugs have any effect on how safe they are to feed your ants?"
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#3
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Posted April 23 2017 - 7:44 PM
soulsynapse
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ok
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#4
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Posted April 23 2017 - 7:45 PM
Runner12
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I haven't had any issues with it and I cook and freeze large batches to store. Some ants won't take frozen insects though.
#5
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Posted April 24 2017 - 12:37 AM
Serafine
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They're definitely dead, so there's that...
We should respect all forms of consciousness. The body is just a vessel, a mere hull.
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#6
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Posted April 24 2017 - 4:06 AM
Salmon
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They're definitely dead, so there's that...
Not necessarily.
#7
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Posted April 24 2017 - 4:17 AM
Batspiderfish
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If they've been preparing for winter (i.e. filling with glycerol), then some arthropods will survive freezing temperatures. In general, being put into the freezer will kill them.
I can't imagine this has any effect whatsoever on pesticide exposure, but it might help eliminate any problematic mites.
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If you've enjoyed using my expertise and identifications, please do not create undue ecological risk by releasing your ants. The environment which we keep our pet insects is alien and oftentimes unsanitary, so ensure that wild populations stay safe by giving your ants the best care you can manage for the rest of their lives, as we must do with any other pet.
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.
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#8
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Posted April 24 2017 - 4:21 AM
Martialis
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The first insect I fed my ants was a wild cricket I attempted to freeze. Turns out, it was alive but in a sort of diapause. When I woke up in the morning it was sort of hopping around my foraging area with pieces of its antennae and possibly leg missing. I then killed it by crushing its head to feed to my ants.
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#9
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Posted April 24 2017 - 12:20 PM
Jonathan21700
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I never do this kind of stuff. It seems unnecessary to me.
#10
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Posted April 24 2017 - 1:22 PM
Alabama Anter
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I just crish their heads, and for smaller prey feed them live. Never had problems with mites.
Edited by Alabama Anter, April 24 2017 - 1:22 PM.
YJK
#11
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Posted April 24 2017 - 2:48 PM
I have a microscope, so I just inspect my feeder insects for mites.
#12
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Posted April 24 2017 - 5:01 PM
Batspiderfish
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I also think that freezing is the most humane way to kill an insect.
I know there is evidence that insects have zero capacity for pain, but I want to err on the side of caution. Zoology does not have an inspiring history in its understanding/interpretation of pain.
Edited by Batspiderfish, April 24 2017 - 5:03 PM.
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If you've enjoyed using my expertise and identifications, please do not create undue ecological risk by releasing your ants. The environment which we keep our pet insects is alien and oftentimes unsanitary, so ensure that wild populations stay safe by giving your ants the best care you can manage for the rest of their lives, as we must do with any other pet.
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.
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#13
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Posted April 24 2017 - 5:15 PM
Runner12
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That's pretty much why I do it too
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