8 replies to this topic

[Saltynuts]

There is a thread somewhere on the site I believe that talks about different foods different species of ants eat, but I didn't see solenopsis invicta covered.  I've read the are very voracious eaters and will eat darned near anything organic.  But they don't seem to drink the sugar water I leave them (although they looooove water, sucking on the cotton in the water test tube set up almost non-stop.  I've left honey in their habitat, and they don't seem to touch it.  I put an earthworm in there and they gobbled that up.  But I'm looking for some non-bug things I can give them.  I've given them small pieces of Vienna sausage, and they seem to like it, but it seems mainly because its moist, I always find the dried out remainder with them no longer interested.  I just put a few drops of BBQ in their this morning to see if they will eat it haha.

 

 

Any idea what non-bug things they really like?

 

Thanks! 

[drtrmiller]

Solenopsis invicta, like many Myrmicine ants, will convert any suitable solid matter into fine granules and store them for larvae. If you don't have many larvae, I highly recommend boosting, because the brood play an important part in colony digestion.

If they don't take to your sugary solutions, Sunburst Ant Nectar is a worry-free option. In addition to Sunburst, I recommend feeding young colonies fruit flies and other small insects, and larger colonies wax worms. You won't have much success with "non-bugs" until the colony is much larger and has a considerable amount of brood. At that time, wet cat food may supplement wax worms and Sunburst. Chicken or beef will not smell as bad as fish once they store it in the nest.

With what I've described above, and plenty of warmth, moisture, and escape-proofing, you should expect a new colony to attain about 10,000 or more individuals in less than 6 months.

Edited by drtrmiller, June 13 2017 - 9:46 AM.

[Saltynuts]

Thank drtmiller!  Interesting that they really need insects until they get sufficiently large to eat non-insets.  A few more questions:

 

1.  What is "boosting"?

 

2.  I have two colonies right now, one I plundered from the ground and another I bought from a seller off of AntsCanada (bought this one first).  The one I plundered seems to be doing good, lots of workers (but they are very, very small), but they seem very picky about what they eat.  I assume it is because I have not been giving them insects.  Not sure how/where I could capture fruit flies easily.  If I take a very soft earthworm, and cut off a small piece, should that not be good for them?

 

3.  I'll check out the Sunburst - I take it you can use that all through a colonies life?  But it only fills the "carb" part of the diet, they still need the "protein" part, correct?

 

Thanks!

[AntswerMe]

I've given mine pieces of Fruity Pebbles cereal just to experiment and they ate that to an extent. You could also give them protein shake drops as long as they don't contain milk or lactose, and pieces of strips of lunch meat. For protein, I mainly give mine protein jelly, insects and other arthropods. I also give them sugar water, honey, and maple syrup.

Edited by AntswerMe, June 15 2017 - 11:27 PM.

[Serafine]

You can try wet cat or dog food (not the dry one), all sorts of fruits (only organic! they aren't poisoned) like strawberries/blueberries/raspberries/etc., organic fruit juice (preferably sweet), crushed nuts (peanuts, almonds), all sorts of meat products (ham, raw meat)...

[Ants_Texas]

They'll eat just about anything. Insects, human food, mealworms, superworms, crickets, honey. Boosting is taking eggs from another colony and giving them to yours (of course it would have to be the same species). I wouldn't feed them earthworms because they could have been exposed to pesticides. Try offering them honey and fruit flies if you can. If you can't give them fruit flies, try a cricket or dubia roach leg, or maybe even a dead mealworm that's cut in half. Yes you still need to feed them protien. Workers are usually picky once the colony is just starting up.

Edited by Ants_Texas, July 8 2017 - 8:50 PM.

[Gabraime]

You can buy fruit flies and crickets at petsmart store

[JoeByron]

Thank drtmiller!  Interesting that they really need insects until they get sufficiently large to eat non-insets.  A few more questions:

 

1.  What is "boosting"?

 

2.  I have two colonies right now, one I plundered from the ground and another I bought from a seller off of AntsCanada (bought this one first).  The one I plundered seems to be doing good, lots of workers (but they are very, very small), but they seem very picky about what they eat.  I assume it is because I have not been giving them insects.  Not sure how/where I could capture fruit flies easily.  If I take a very soft earthworm, and cut off a small piece, should that not be good for them?

 

3.  I'll check out the Sunburst - I take it you can use that all through a colonies life?  But it only fills the "carb" part of the diet, they still need the "protein" part, correct?

 

Thanks!

 

Pretty sure boosting is where you take from one colony and sneak it into the other. I think he is stating to take brood from one and put it in the other

[Manitobant]

Holy sh*t, this is one hell of a necropost.