Hello,
I'm considering starting an ant colony, but the idea of feeding the ants living insects (or killing them myself) is very unappealing to me. My local pet store says they sell dead mealworms. Would this, ***** by some meat/seeds be a decent protein source for a Tetramorium colony?
Thank you!
Can you feed your ants dead insects?
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- idahoantgirl
- Posts: 1521
- Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:52 am
- Location: Idaho, USA
Re: Can you feed your ants dead insects?
When they say dead, do they mean freeze dried? Ants don't escpecially like freeze dried meal worms. Here is my suggestion:
Buy a container of mealworms or crickets from the pet store and stick the whole thing in the freezer for a couple hours. This will kill them humanely. Then transfer them to a mason jar and store in the freezer. When your ants need protein take one out, cut it into a couple of pieces with a pair of dedicated ant scissors, and stick it in the outworld. No mess, smell, or watching anything suffer.
Buy a container of mealworms or crickets from the pet store and stick the whole thing in the freezer for a couple hours. This will kill them humanely. Then transfer them to a mason jar and store in the freezer. When your ants need protein take one out, cut it into a couple of pieces with a pair of dedicated ant scissors, and stick it in the outworld. No mess, smell, or watching anything suffer.
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
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
Re: Can you feed your ants dead insects?
Roughly how long does it take the crickets to thaw out?idahoantgirl wrote: ↑Tue Jul 31, 2018 2:50 pmWhen they say dead, do they mean freeze dried? Ants don't escpecially like freeze dried meal worms. Here is my suggestion:
Buy a container of mealworms or crickets from the pet store and stick the whole thing in the freezer for a couple hours. This will kill them humanely. Then transfer them to a mason jar and store in the freezer. When your ants need protein take one out, cut it into a couple of pieces with a pair of dedicated ant scissors, and stick it in the outworld. No mess, smell, or watching anything suffer.
Research is important before during and even after you have established a colony. There is always time to learn and to listen to others experiences. Live by this and your ants will thrive. Fail to do so and your experience may be brief.
- idahoantgirl
- Posts: 1521
- Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:52 am
- Location: Idaho, USA
Re: Can you feed your ants dead insects?
You don't need to thaw them. They cut easier when they are frozen solid they will thaw in the outworld probably within a half hourHunter36o wrote: ↑Tue Aug 07, 2018 3:45 amRoughly how long does it take the crickets to thaw out?idahoantgirl wrote: ↑Tue Jul 31, 2018 2:50 pmWhen they say dead, do they mean freeze dried? Ants don't escpecially like freeze dried meal worms. Here is my suggestion:
Buy a container of mealworms or crickets from the pet store and stick the whole thing in the freezer for a couple hours. This will kill them humanely. Then transfer them to a mason jar and store in the freezer. When your ants need protein take one out, cut it into a couple of pieces with a pair of dedicated ant scissors, and stick it in the outworld. No mess, smell, or watching anything suffer.
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
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
Re: Can you feed your ants dead insects?
All my ants like freeze dried bugs if they're rehydrated with spring water first. After all, ants can't eat solid stuff, just liquids or things that can be chewed into liquid. It's at least worth a test, because the freeze dried stuff from pet stores is super convenient if they like it.
Keeper of Camponotus:
C. pennsylvanicus, C. subbarbatus, C. nearcticus
C. pennsylvanicus, C. subbarbatus, C. nearcticus
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