The AntsCanada Ant Forum's

So i have just got into antkeeping recently and one of my tetramorium colonies have gotten their first ten workers. Is it ok to feed them pillbugs or sowbugs from my yard? If not what are some alternatives?

I've done it, they will eat it. Crush or cut them to help the ants get at the meat. Spiders will be appreciated. They have a broad palette..

Nope, nope, nope. These bugs are likely to be covered in pesticides and bacteria that your colony can't handle. People try to justify it by saying that wild colonies eat these insects, but i should remind you that most wild colonies end up dying prematurely. Only the luckiest survive. Go to a pet shop and buy a container of mealworms or crickets. Freeze them, and transfer them to a mason jar.

idahoantgirl wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 01, 2018 8:03 pm

Nope, nope, nope. These bugs are likely to be covered in pesticides and bacteria that your colony can't handle. People try to justify it by saying that wild colonies eat these insects, but i should remind you that most wild colonies end up dying prematurely. Only the luckiest survive. Go to a pet shop and buy a container of mealworms or crickets. Freeze them, and transfer them to a mason jar.

What if i boil or breed them so that i know what they are eating?

I expected the response above, take it with a grain of salt. It’s an often-repeated knee jerk reaction to the suggestion of feeding wild caught insects. It’s up to you on how you would like to raise your colonies.

I would actually argue that it is more rewarding to feed wild caught insects to your colonies. Here’s why:

• Wild caught are free. Why spend money on something you can pick up for free?
• Greater variety of food. If you buy, you are probably rotating between crickets, mealworms, and fruit fly’s. My colonies love spiders and house fly’s.
• Wild ants eat wild insects all the time and survive.
• Mites: It would be interesting to observe how a colony deals with a mites even if It required my intervention
• Disease: Ants know how to deal with disease in a colony. Another opportunity to observe their fascinating social behavior.
• Pesticides: Richmond BC is pesticide free, like many major cities now. Obviously only collect where you are pretty sure no one has been spraying pesticides.

Thank you for the info