2 replies to this topic

[Mettcollsuss]

So, I found this article on the web. It's pretty interesting. And useful.

 

http://www.antfinity...et-a-good-idea/

[Serafine]

 

An important sidenote to this study is that it was performed on worker ants without any brood, meaning they weren’t able to regurgitate the protein in order to transfer it to larvae. In a colony, most of the protein would not be digested by the worker ant like in this study.

That sentence alone makes the entire study pretty much pointless in regards of antkeeping.

In a normal ant colony the larvae are actually protein converters - they're the only members of an ant colony who can actually chew solid food. They digest the protein foods and can then excret a highly refined liquid which the workers drink to meet their own (very low) protein requirements.

 

I'm pretty sure every antkeeper who ever had ants close to or in hibernation can confirm that the ants will barely take any protein during that time but just drink sugars.

The only point this reinforces is a point that is already well know - mixed-nutrient protein jellies that include sugars aren't good ant food.

[Mettcollsuss]

 

 

An important sidenote to this study is that it was performed on worker ants without any brood, meaning they weren’t able to regurgitate the protein in order to transfer it to larvae. In a colony, most of the protein would not be digested by the worker ant like in this study.

That sentence alone makes the entire study pretty much pointless in regards of antkeeping.

 

Oops. I missed that part of the article. 

Edited by Mettcollsuss, December 29 2017 - 4:18 AM.