10 replies to this topic

[Zegorzalek]

I went looking for some fruit fly cultures to feed a small colony with new workers (3-5). Thus far, I am unable to find a "small" culture for sale. I mean a 32 oz cup with hundreds of flies.. I only have a few ants!! I can find bugs outside currently in the Mojave, but am concerned about transferring mites/pests to my ants. I believe I can freeze wild caught food to remove pests? Is this advisable?

 

I am looking for recommendations on how to accomplish the varied diet live food regimen with a single colony at the moment (ie I don't need a huge amount). Any experienced keeper wisdom would be welcome! Thanks a bunch!

[Pleming]

Petco - fruit flies small container $9.99 

           - per cricket .15 cents

[CNewton]

Buy the colony of flies, and culture them. There's websites all over with culture medium recipes. I think you use a wine bottle. No, you'll never use all the flies, but a $15 investment can net you a lifetime of flies. Plus, bonus, you get to drink a bottle of wine!

[ultraex2]

Yeah, keeping variety up but only having 1 colony is a big issue since most feeder insects are only available in bulk.

 

Mealworms are good to keep - you can refrigerate them and keep them for months.  Then, you can buy crickets every other week and alternate between the 2 and/or catch bugs that are attracted to lights at night as well.

[Yuki]

I found that petsmart fruit flies are wingless so they're easier to feed, but that's just me. The tradeoff is the vial they sell you doesn't last as long, but again as long as you have multiple colonies you can keep them producing forever.

Frozen fruit flies work fine too.

[Zegorzalek]

Sounds good... small works fine for me currently, and less hassle.

[Chomp231]

You could try worms and make money off the worms as fishing bait or casting compost and still use them to feed your ants.

[RhodyAnts]

Meal worms seem pretty easy to culture as do isopods, and springtails. Larder beetles and carpet beetles also have bite sized larvae for your ants. All of these are available comercially, and you can start cultures of them. Look up poison dart frog food for more ant sized morsels :-).

[Pleming]

Non of my Camponotus will touch mealworms. 

[Antking117]

I found that petsmart fruit flies are wingless so they're easier to feed, but that's just me. The tradeoff is the vial they sell you doesn't last as long, but again as long as you have multiple colonies you can keep them producing forever.

Frozen fruit flies work fine too.

The petsmart fruit fly colony can last a month if you have a few small ant colonies. The fruit fly colony just breeds until the food runs out and you can get hundreds of flies from a small colony.

[RhodyAnts]

I got a fruit fly colony from amazon from joshs frogs. It lasted a bout 2 weeks then all that was left were mites. I suspect these had something to do with the loss of all my workers.