4 replies to this topic

[ConcordAntman]

What’s the current position on store bought vs home captured feeder insects? Is the risk for inadvertent contamination (parasites, pesticides) greater with home captured or not? Does a rapid freeze/thaw mitigate the parasite risk?

[AntsAreUs]

I catch things from the wild and keep them myself. The main being springtails and indian meal moths. Both are great "feeders" for some of my pickier ants. I also keep crickets and mealworms. We have 4 different kinds of crickets native here that I breed and I just have a ton of mealworms after keeping them for about a year. For any larger prey I use, I freeze and then cut up with a knife before feeding which makes it very mess free.

[Mirandarachnid]

I don't trust W/C feeders with any of my inverts, even if the pet itself was caught in the wild. I'm more worried about pesticide exposure than parasites, but saving a couple dollars on feeders isn't worth losing a pet/colony IMO. 

[AntsAreUs]

I don't trust W/C feeders with any of my inverts, even if the pet itself was caught in the wild. I'm more worried about pesticide exposure than parasites, but saving a couple dollars on feeders isn't worth losing a pet/colony IMO. 

That depends on where you live. I am lucky enough to not have any pesticide usage in my area.

[ConcordAntman]

In May I managed to capture 5 C pennsylvanicus queens. One died of stress (I’d suspect) another of phorid fly infestation (the larvae just burst out of the gaster). I’ve got 3 queens all with nanitics so, I’m worried about parasites and pesticides. Thanks for the advice, I’m ordering wingless fruit flies now!