How long can ants go with out food?

[AntsRule]

I am new to ant keeping and hoping to catch my first queens soon. I was wondering that if I went on vacation for around a week and loaded them up a with a ton of fruit, test tubes with water, test tubes with sugar water, some recently killed bugs, maybe some live bugs that they can kill when they are ready, and other common food sources. Can they be left alone? I would have a pet sitter make sure their formicarium stays hydrated. I am asking about multiple sizes of colony's and I would increase the amount of food I leave with the size of the colony. Would this be okay or would to much mold grow? Any past experiences, experiments, or ideas welcome, anything will help. Thanks in advance!

[ooper01]

Hydration is more important that food sources if you are planning to be gone for an extended period of time, so make sure the sitter understands how to keep them hydrated. The amount of food will vary, of course, based on the size of the colonies, but especially the size of the brood as it is typically the brood that does most of the eating in a colony.

[AntsRule]

Thanks for the info!!!