The AntsCanada Ant Forum's

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

You can give them a bit of chocolate.

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.

Cool
Thanks

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.

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.