16 replies to this topic

[lucas3431]

Ok so before I begin feeding my Ants when the time comes I am wondering which might be the best Honey to use? There are so many types and the price range is crazy here in Ireland, ranging from €3.00 - €60.00 

 

Of course the most expensive honey has health benefits, the cheap honey.....well is it even honey?

 

Take a look here at the different types we have

 

Holland & Barrett

 

Honey in my local supermarket

 

SuperValu

 

 

Are there any ingredients I should be aware off or chemicals?

Edited by lucas3431, August 25 2017 - 10:49 AM.

[Kevin]

Use sugar water, 50/50 sugar to water. Cheaper and proven to be preferred by ants.

[Zeiss]

Sugar water is ultimately the best way to go.  I usually go with a 4:1 ratio of water to sugar.  

Edited by Zeiss, August 25 2017 - 11:53 AM.

[StopSpazzing]

"Preferences among carbohydrates were principally concordant between ant species. In paired tests, sucrose was often preferred over fructose, glucose, maltose, melezitose, raffinose and xylose, respectively. Attractiveness of sucrose baits increased with concentration." - Sub

[Zeiss]

"Preferences among carbohydrates were principally concordant between ant species. In paired tests, sucrose was often preferred over fructose, glucose, maltose, melezitose, raffinose and xylose, respectively. Attractiveness of sucrose baits increased with concentration." - Sub

He didn't want to be credited, haha

[sgheaton]

Just to be that guy...What kind of sugar?

 

Synthetic Sucralose compared to simple monosaccharides?

 

Heck, could get into things like lactose sugar, glucose, fructose, dextrose, maltodextrin...those are...all I can remember, but comparing what I imagine everyone has, splenda vs table sugar, will be fine. 

 

Does the caloric content actually matter to ants? 

 

Not asking because I only have splenda in my house or anything. 

[StopSpazzing]

 

"Preferences among carbohydrates were principally concordant between ant species. In paired tests, sucrose was often preferred over fructose, glucose, maltose, melezitose, raffinose and xylose, respectively. Attractiveness of sucrose baits increased with concentration." - Sub

He didn't want to be credited, haha

 

I know that's why I did it 

 

Just to be that guy...What kind of sugar?

 

Synthetic Sucralose compared to simple monosaccharides?

 

Heck, could get into things like lactose sugar, glucose, fructose, dextrose, maltodextrin...those are...all I can remember, but comparing what I imagine everyone has, splenda vs table sugar, will be fine. 

 

Does the caloric content actually matter to ants? 

 

Not asking because I only have splenda in my house or anything. 

 

"Preferences among carbohydrates were principally concordant between ant species. In paired tests, sucrose was often preferred over fructose, glucose, maltose, melezitose, raffinose and xylose, respectively. Attractiveness of sucrose baits increased with concentration." - Sub

 

Edited by StopSpazzing, August 25 2017 - 3:58 PM.

[AntPhycho]

I use my own honey, I mean I have bee hives and my family makes our own honey, so it is organic and my ants love it! So I would go for pure organic honey.

[drtrmiller]

"Preferences among carbohydrates were principally concordant between ant species. In paired tests, sucrose was often preferred over fructose, glucose, maltose, melezitose, raffinose and xylose, respectively. Attractiveness of sucrose baits increased with concentration." - Sub

This statement conflicts the body of scholarly journal articles I've read. In those, melezitose was unanimously found to have the highest relative sweetness, followed by sucrose, which is table sugar. At higher concentrations, the differences become less distinct. There are other factors that attribute to receptivity, as well.

[Subverted]

That is not even a statement by me. There is something seriously wrong with you to so blatantly and dramatically misrepresent the source of that statement, StopSpazzing.

I gave you a paper link to read and CLEARLY POSTED A QUOTATION FROM IT. Why you felt the need to attribute that statement to me is beyond my understanding. Do not do that again.

Here is the paper that is from: http://onlinelibrary...04.00789.x/full

[drtrmiller]

Interesting read. Partially explains why Sunburst is so popular in Australia; though there are some differences compared to ants originating in Nearctic and Western Palearctic regions, which were covered by numerous studies I read previously, and also acknowledged by the authors:

"Our findings are not concordant with preferences for melezitose and raffinose over sucrose reported by three studies on European Lasius niger ants (Duckett 1974; Völkl et al. 1999; Tinti & Nofre 2001), but they support a study of three tropical ant species where no significant preferences for melezitose over sucrose were found (Cornelius et al. 1996)."

Hopefully this will serve as a lesson against posting short journal excerpts where the answer is more complex and nuanced.

Edited by drtrmiller, August 25 2017 - 10:11 PM.

[lucas3431]

I use my own honey, I mean I have bee hives and my family makes our own honey, so it is organic and my ants love it! So I would go for pure organic honey.

 

Excellent. I've heard about fake honey including some companies claiming their products to be organic, makes me wish I started my own beekeeping back when I was a child.

 

I think I will start will the package HoneyComb for a tryout .

[Reevak]

My colonies seem to enjoy a mix of honey, sugar, and water (ratios roughly 1:1:1, but slightly more honey that sugar, and slightly more water than honey)

[skocko76]

A stupid beginner question if I may;
Do you cook your sugar-water, or is it good enough to mix them at room temperature?

[dspdrew]

No need to cook anything. It will dissolve faster though, when the water is warm.

[KBant]

i use sugar water, honey water, sometimes sugar, maple syrup, and honey water, ill do half sugar half water- all eyeballed of course. i think ill try pancake syrup next. just give your ants whatever you have, so long as they get their sugar fix. 

[lucas3431]

A stupid beginner question if I may;
Do you cook your sugar-water, or is it good enough to mix them at room temperature?

 

Actually not stupid at all. Sugar is easy to dissolve but certain types of honey take a while to mix with water, so heating the water would actually be a good idea for some thicker honeys, no need to boil the water just lukewarm should do the trick.