What to feed

Posts and questions relating to ant diet & nutrition. Let us know what you’re feeding your ants.

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LukeTheGreat
Posts: 53
Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2016 6:17 pm
Location: Michigan

What to feed

Post: # 12955Post LukeTheGreat
Sun Oct 02, 2016 9:25 pm

I have caught a Cremtogaster
I know that they love sweets and on occasion eat protein, but I am having trouble of some good sweets to feed them, i.e. Honeydew substitutes

Thank you as I am new at this

AnthonyP163

Re: What to feed

Post: # 12959Post AnthonyP163
Sun Oct 02, 2016 9:51 pm

You can give them a bit of chocolate.

Chewyrockafeller
Posts: 28
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2016 1:30 pm
Location: Toronto, Canada

Re: What to feed

Post: # 12962Post Chewyrockafeller
Sun Oct 02, 2016 10:15 pm

I think most people use honey/honey-water. My GAN keeper I got my queen from feeds his queens and ants honey water and tiny shrimp and crickets. Honey seems to be the norm.

LukeTheGreat
Posts: 53
Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2016 6:17 pm
Location: Michigan

Re: What to feed

Post: # 13114Post LukeTheGreat
Tue Oct 04, 2016 5:34 pm

Cool
Thanks

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idahoantgirl
Posts: 1521
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:52 am
Location: Idaho, USA

Re: What to feed

Post: # 13117Post idahoantgirl
Tue Oct 04, 2016 6:27 pm

make sure that you always provide them with a protein source, and always supply them with a sugar source. Protein makes the brood develop, But if you just feed protein, the workers will die. I just make sure that they have plenty of both and they will feed themselves the correct ratios.
Proverbs 6:6-8

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

Keeping Tetramorium immigrans, Tapinoma Sessile

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Batspiderfish
Posts: 3315
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:47 pm
Location: Maine

Re: What to feed

Post: # 13118Post Batspiderfish
Tue Oct 04, 2016 6:34 pm

Guys, almost all ants need a carbohydrate source and a protein source -- sugars and insects. They also need a lot of the same vitamins that humans do (i.e. vits A, B12/6, C, and E, which should come through their well-fed insect meals). Fruit can provide some of these vitamins. Processed foods like chocolate should be avoided, even if it does have some sugar, because you don't know what else is in there. Calorie-free sweeteners, for example, will not be good for your ants.

Some ants eat insects exclusively, getting their carbohydrates from fats. Just protein with no fat will cause problems because of how protein is potentially utilized as an energy source -- in ants as well as humans.
If you enjoy my expertise and identifications, please do not put wild populations at risk of disease by releasing pet colonies. We are responsible to give our pets the best care we can manage for the rest of their lives.

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