80 replies to this topic

[Antapoloosa]

I am a truck driver and only go home every 2-4 weeks. Depending on the size of the ant colony (don't have one yet) is it okay to give a constant supply of water and extra food just every couple weeks when I go home?

[dermy]

Do you have anyone you live with that can supply them with food? I don't think protein sources will last 2 weeks without spoiling. I know sugar food you can just give them a few test-tubes full of some sugar solution and that should tide them over well [as well as a standard water test-tube] but the main issue here is Protein. Without it colonies won't grow.

[KBant]

you can easily keep harvester ants. just have test tubes of water, give them seeds, a heat source and when you come home just give them crickets 

[Antapoloosa]

That's true, they do need protein 1-2 times per week depending on colony size. My girlfriend is a little squeamish when it comes to bugs but she wouldn't let them starve if I buy crickets and gut load them. Also I will be starting with either a very small (queen + 1-5 workers) colony of camponotus p. or camponotus h. or a. rudis from my local AntsCanada GAN farmer or waiting until nuptial flight season and catching a queen. So either way they would be in a test tube setup for about the first year. The biggest hurdle will be convincing my girlfriend as she thinks we don't have room for ants until we have a bigger house which won't happen until next year. Right now we live in a small one bedroom cabin in the woods on 100 acres lol

[Antapoloosa]

you can easily keep harvester ants. just have test tubes of water, give them seeds, a heat source and when you come home just give them crickets

Only problem with that is I live in southern Missouri and we don't have harvester ants. As far as I know, Harvester ant species are restricted to Western States.

[Antapoloosa]

I also forgot to add that by the time my ants are ready for a formicarium I'll most likely have a local or regional job to be home at least every weekend. But I am not sure yet if I will keep this job for one year or two years. I just need to clean up my DAC and get stable work history, since I was a job hopper for my first two years and have had a couple accidents. And I also decided recently that I would like to continue my education and become and entomologist, so my I may end up getting a part-time job while I'm going to school.

[Hunter]

you could try camponotus they don't move or due much, are also easy and slow growing

[Batspiderfish]

Lots of ants not considered "harvesters" will still gladly accept seeds (BTW, the south-eastern US has Pogonomyrmex badius. Although Missouri is a little too far north, you might still be lucky enough to find one, particularly with the shifting climate.) Tetramorium are very hardy and love to eat small seeds like the teff I offer them. My primary concern would be their access to water, which would probably be adequately supplied via test-tube. I've known of ant-keepers serving in the navy who have left their ants unattended for months at a time, although that is certainly not ideal.

Edited by Batspiderfish, December 12 2017 - 10:38 AM.

[Antapoloosa]

Yeah I will have to look into that and try to catch the only eastern pogonomyrmex species queen. I could just give them plenty of water in a test tube or two and a stockpile of seeds.

[Antapoloosa]

Yes camponotus are my favorite species at the moment especially herculeanus and chromiedes. But they do need to be fed once a week after the first 20 or so workers.

[Antapoloosa]

I actually thought about having an ant colony in my semi on a shelf or something..but that would be illegal as I cross multiple state lines per week. I'm actually running a scientific experiment right now with a few kidnapped solenopsis workers to see if ants can survive daily transport. Even though modern semis have air ride suspension, there is still some noise and vibration which could be stressful for the ants.

[Hunter]

Yes camponotus are my favorite species at the moment especially herculeanus and chromiedes. But they do need to be fed once a week after the first 20 or so workers.

how much brood

[Antapoloosa]

I just had a great idea! How about one of those automatic feeders, just drop in a couple bugs every few days and there we go.

[Hunter]

I just had a great idea! How about one of those automatic feeders, just drop in a couple bugs every few days and there we go.

her ya go https://www.google.c...JBoC640QAvD_BwE

[Antapoloosa]

Yes camponotus are my favorite species at the moment especially herculeanus and chromiedes. But they do need to be fed once a week after the first 20 or so workers.

how much brood

I don't have any ants just yet, debating on how I could take care of them since I'm on the road for 2-3 weeks at a time. The best idea I've had so far has been an automatic insect feeder. Bat suggested a seed loving harvester ant species. My other idea was to take them on the road with me but that would be illegal and they would probably die anyway.

[Hunter]

 

 

Yes camponotus are my favorite species at the moment especially herculeanus and chromiedes. But they do need to be fed once a week after the first 20 or so workers.

how much brood

I don't have any ants just yet, debating on how I could take care of them since I'm on the road for 2-3 weeks at a time. The best idea I've had so far has been an automatic insect feeder. Bat suggested a seed loving harvester ant species. My other idea was to take them on the road with me but that would be illegal and they would probably die anyway.

 

yea seed eater workers but they still need insects to

[Antapoloosa]

Yes camponotus are my favorite species at the moment especially herculeanus and chromiedes. But they do need to be fed once a week after the first 20 or so workers.

how much brood

I don't have any ants just yet, debating on how I could take care of them since I'm on the road for 2-3 weeks at a time. The best idea I've had so far has been an automatic insect feeder. Bat suggested a seed loving harvester ant species. My other idea was to take them on the road with me but that would be illegal and they would probably die anyway.

yea seed eater workers but they still need insects to

That's true too. I'm actually running a scientific experiment with some kidnapped solenopsis workers in a bottle to see if they can survive the stress of daily transport.

[Hunter]

if you want to solve the water problem you can get like some Pogonomyrmex load them up on seeds and get a https://tarheelants....cts/mini-hearthyou need to water it like 1 a month and you can buy nest mates to prolong the time.

Edited by Hunter, December 13 2017 - 5:49 AM.

[Serafine]

Water isn't an issue you can just put a pile of water tubes into a small container and attach it to the setup (basically a large tubs&tubes nest).

Food isn't an issue either even for carnivorous ants, at least not for larger colonies, many ants eat dry fish food (fish flakes, red moskito larvae, Daphnia bits, etc. - some even eat beef jerky).

[Antapoloosa]

Water isn't an issue you can just put a pile of water tubes into a small container and attach it to the setup (basically a large tubs&tubes nest).
Food isn't an issue either even for carnivorous ants, at least not for larger colonies, many ants eat dry fish food (fish flakes, red moskito larvae, Daphnia bits, etc. - some even eat beef jerky).

Oh yeah I knew water wouldn't be an issue or even a sugary food source, protein is the biggest issue. I hadn't even thought of giving them dry foods like beef jerky or fish food.