can ants have maple syrup
Moderator: ooper01
Re: can ants have maple syrup
Yes, ants can drink maple syrup. In fact it's better than honey (seriously, how is everyone think honey is so great for ants, like when do ants get access to honey in the wild?).
- Jadeninja9
- Posts: 732
- Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2017 9:00 pm
- Location: SF Bay Area, California
Re: can ants have maple syrup
Knew it lol
Keeper of:
1x Camponotus Hyatti
1x Lasius alienus colonies
1x Tetramorium immigrans
1x Camponotus Hyatti
1x Lasius alienus colonies
1x Tetramorium immigrans
- StormDancer
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 10:57 am
- Location: Southeastern New Mexico
Re: can ants have maple syrup
Well, considering maple syrup doesn't occur in the wild and honey does, I would say they have the ability to come across it. I do think real maple syrup is just as good as honey for their needs but it is comparatively more expensive. Most maple syrup in stores is imitation. However, honey is not the source of most wild ant's sugar. Neither is syrup since it is by far not a naturally occurring substance. They get sugar from flower nectar or plant sap, or insects that produce honeydew. Or the junk we happen to litter around as humams.
Learn to dance in the rain, because after there are queens to find!
- Jadeninja9
- Posts: 732
- Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2017 9:00 pm
- Location: SF Bay Area, California
Re: can ants have maple syrup
StormDancer wrote: ↑Fri Aug 18, 2017 9:23 pmWell, considering maple syrup doesn't occur in the wild and honey does, I would say they have the ability to come across it. I do think real maple syrup is just as good as honey for their needs but it is comparatively more expensive. Most maple syrup in stores is imitation. However, honey is not the source of most wild ant's sugar. Neither is syrup since it is by far not a naturally occurring substance. They get sugar from flower nectar or plant sap, or insects that produce honeydew. Or the junk we happen to litter around as humams.
I just read that natural sap is actually 2% sugar and 98% water. Maple Syrup is more sugary than honey but contains fewer calories. Contains calcium, potassium, and magnesium lol. So I guess ants wouldn't really be consuming sap in the wild unless that 2% of sugar is actually a good amount of them.
Keeper of:
1x Camponotus Hyatti
1x Lasius alienus colonies
1x Tetramorium immigrans
1x Camponotus Hyatti
1x Lasius alienus colonies
1x Tetramorium immigrans
- StormDancer
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 10:57 am
- Location: Southeastern New Mexico
Re: can ants have maple syrup
It depends on the plant the sap comes from on the sugar content but ultimately you're correct. Mostly nectar and insect honeydew.
Learn to dance in the rain, because after there are queens to find!
Re: can ants have maple syrup
Most ant colonies will not see a single drop of honey in their entire lifetime. Ants cannot just invade a random bee nest, it needs a bear or a falling tree to crack a bee hive first.StormDancer wrote: ↑Fri Aug 18, 2017 9:23 pmWell, considering maple syrup doesn't occur in the wild and honey does, I would say they have the ability to come across it.
Also maple syrup is mostly sucrose which can be digested best by ants, while honey is mostly fructose and glucose with a very small amount of sucrose (around 2%). They can still drink honey but it's no ideal.
There may be some ants that love honey but my experience is that if provided with an alternative like sugar water or maple syrup the ants will usually prefer it over the honey. My Camponotus even completely ignore any honey I offer them.
- Jadeninja9
- Posts: 732
- Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2017 9:00 pm
- Location: SF Bay Area, California
Re: can ants have maple syrup
I just use agave nectar lolSerafine wrote: ↑Sat Aug 19, 2017 5:18 amMost ant colonies will not see a single drop of honey in their entire lifetime. Ants cannot just invade a random bee nest, it needs a bear or a falling tree to crack a bee hive first.StormDancer wrote: ↑Fri Aug 18, 2017 9:23 pmWell, considering maple syrup doesn't occur in the wild and honey does, I would say they have the ability to come across it.
Also maple syrup is mostly sucrose which can be digested best by ants, while honey is mostly fructose and glucose with a very small amount of sucrose (around 2%). They can still drink honey but it's no ideal.
There may be some ants that love honey but my experience is that if provided with an alternative like sugar water or maple syrup the ants will usually prefer it over the honey. My Camponotus even completely ignore any honey I offer them.
Keeper of:
1x Camponotus Hyatti
1x Lasius alienus colonies
1x Tetramorium immigrans
1x Camponotus Hyatti
1x Lasius alienus colonies
1x Tetramorium immigrans
- Antsanyone
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Sat Jan 25, 2020 2:10 pm
- Location: Ohio, United States
Re: can ants have maple syrup
Huh, I never thought about that! This is a good point, though, and I'll have to try it with my ants. Maple syrup is coming up!
Wannabe entomologist
Current colonies:
Campnotus sp.
Dream ants:
Carebara castanea, Cephalotes, Atta texana
Calyptomyrmex, Discothyrea mixta, Melissotarsus spp.
Proatta, Rhytidoponera aspersa, Gigantiops ... actually, most ants.
Current colonies:
Campnotus sp.
Dream ants:
Carebara castanea, Cephalotes, Atta texana
Calyptomyrmex, Discothyrea mixta, Melissotarsus spp.
Proatta, Rhytidoponera aspersa, Gigantiops ... actually, most ants.
Re: can ants have maple syrup
Hey everyone,
First of all I agree that most ants in nature won't come across honey. As for the syrup / sap part of the discussion, I think there might be a third party involved that is being overlooked... Aphids
They dine on plant sap and then secrete what is basically a very concentrated sugar sollution (or syrup). Which is what makes it so attractive to ants. So I guess that means that ants will have access to maple syrup in nature?
First of all I agree that most ants in nature won't come across honey. As for the syrup / sap part of the discussion, I think there might be a third party involved that is being overlooked... Aphids
They dine on plant sap and then secrete what is basically a very concentrated sugar sollution (or syrup). Which is what makes it so attractive to ants. So I guess that means that ants will have access to maple syrup in nature?
Join our Camponotus Crew https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=15267
Interested in my designs? https://youtu.be/5SRjM9vNY5Y & https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=14842
Interested in my designs? https://youtu.be/5SRjM9vNY5Y & https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=14842
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests