How mutch protine

Posts and questions relating to ant diet & nutrition. Let us know what you’re feeding your ants.

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oOFutteOo
Posts: 67
Joined: Sat May 26, 2018 2:45 am
Location: Denmark

How mutch protine

Post: # 47987Post oOFutteOo
Mon Aug 20, 2018 1:29 am

Hey all

My colonies are up to about 10 workers the live in testubes connected to small outworlds for feeding.
I was wondring how mutch protine to feed them?
I have been feeding them fruit flies and house flies, the collenies that got fruit flies got 2 and they are gone, the collenie that got house flies have left them in the outworld.

i'm looking for an estimate of food to provide per 10 ants or something like that
eksampel:

2 fruit flies per 10 workers

bye the way it is Lasius Niger ants.

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idahoantgirl
Posts: 1521
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:52 am
Location: Idaho, USA

Re: How mutch protine

Post: # 48002Post idahoantgirl
Mon Aug 20, 2018 9:01 am

Never feed your ants house flies, or any insect from outside. They carry dangerous bacteria and chemicals. as far as how much protein goes, there isn't a formula. Every species and every colony is different with different needs at different times. You will be able to tell if they are uninterested in the amount of food you give them, or if they finish in hours and are frantically foraging again. It's part of the beauty of ant keeping.
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

oOFutteOo
Posts: 67
Joined: Sat May 26, 2018 2:45 am
Location: Denmark

Re: How mutch protine

Post: # 48102Post oOFutteOo
Tue Aug 21, 2018 1:13 am

i know all say that you should not feed outside insekets, but i live in denmark rules about pesticeides are pretty strickt and i live in a urban area so i'm not worried about pesticide on fruit flies living on my bio-dynamic bananas and appels. as far as bacteria an other illness it is a chance i'm running. I know a professional insect farmer and i seen his farm and i'm not convinced feed incekts are safer in the regard to Bactria and other illness.
This is not to disregard advice but i have considered my situation in my location and done as good as i can here. As i mention i live in Denmark and here pesticides are restricted heavily by law. i sure i would choose differently if i lived in the US.

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Ltislander
Posts: 221
Joined: Sun Jul 23, 2017 8:25 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Re: How mutch protine

Post: # 48381Post Ltislander
Thu Aug 23, 2018 12:35 pm

For the summer I live on an island with zero pesticides and I catch flies and freeze them. Just freeze them and you will be fine. (Unless there are pesticides)

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: How mutch protine

Post: # 48385Post AntsDakota
Thu Aug 23, 2018 12:47 pm

idahoantgirl wrote:
Mon Aug 20, 2018 9:01 am
Never feed your ants house flies, or any insect from outside. They carry dangerous bacteria and chemicals. as far as how much protein goes, there isn't a formula. Every species and every colony is different with different needs at different times. You will be able to tell if they are uninterested in the amount of food you give them, or if they finish in hours and are frantically foraging again. It's part of the beauty of ant keeping.
Most of my colonies love house flies.......
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

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antnest8
Posts: 1438
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2018 2:11 pm
Location: Detroit, MI

Re: How mutch protine

Post: # 48888Post antnest8
Thu Aug 30, 2018 4:08 pm

i once fed my colony a house fly and they loved it still, i have learned to not risk it.
oOFutteOo wrote:
Mon Aug 20, 2018 1:29 am
Hey all

My colonies are up to about 10 workers the live in testubes connected to small outworlds for feeding.
I was wondring how mutch protine to feed them?
I have been feeding them fruit flies and house flies, the collenies that got fruit flies got 2 and they are gone, the collenie that got house flies have left them in the outworld.

i'm looking for an estimate of food to provide per 10 ants or something like that
eksampel:

2 fruit flies per 10 workers

bye the way it is Lasius Niger ants.
i would say this mostly depends on the amount of larvae the colony has because they are the only things in the colony that are actually eating a considerable amount of protein other than the queen
Some of My Informative Sheets
https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=19099
Includes :
  • Ant Care Sheets
    Queen Hunting
    How To Identify Ants
Goal is to become #2 poster on the forum

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