Alternative sources of protein

[carrotants]

Hi,
I am preparing to start a colony (I haven't caught a queen yet) and I've been looking for sources of protein. I can't get feeder insects like mealworms/crickets/cockroaches.
Is it possible for ants to eat other pests like weevils? I collected a few and tried feeding them to a wild colony but they did not seem too interested.
Is it only the protein the ants are looking for in meat and would they accept beans as a meat substitute if they reject cooked meat? Also, is it safe for ants to eat raw eggs without any chances of a disease outbreak and would they also accept cooked eggs?
Thanks.

[SolenopsisKeeper]

Hi,
I am preparing to start a colony (I haven't caught a queen yet) and I've been looking for sources of protein. I can't get feeder insects like mealworms/crickets/cockroaches.
Is it possible for ants to eat other pests like weevils? I collected a few and tried feeding them to a wild colony but they did not seem too interested.
Is it only the protein the ants are looking for in meat and would they accept beans as a meat substitute if they reject cooked meat? Also, is it safe for ants to eat raw eggs without any chances of a disease outbreak and would they also accept cooked eggs?
Thanks.

I bet they were not interested in the weevil Becuase it is very hard to kill Beatles when you are the same or half their size due to the exoskeleton. I also think weevils probably have some sort of deterrent system. Also, some lest you could catch are grubs or termites. I would suggest termites from woods, as they usually do not have pesticides Unless they are in an urban area.

Some people find ants except scrambled eggs,(I have heard egg whites), and some even say hard boiled eggs if they are split open. As for raw eggs, I would say try to stay away as the eggs could have some sort of disease or virus, (have never tried) and I suggest you try protein jelly. Also, some ants can go off nuts and seeds and only need occasionally protein. As for raw meet, it depends on the colony, my ants(raised in test tubes) will never accept raw or cooked meat, unless it is fish. I don’t suggest fish though unless absolutely nessecary, unless it is cooked.

Also, what species are you planning to keep?

[carrotants]

Hi,
I am preparing to start a colony (I haven't caught a queen yet) and I've been looking for sources of protein. I can't get feeder insects like mealworms/crickets/cockroaches.
Is it possible for ants to eat other pests like weevils? I collected a few and tried feeding them to a wild colony but they did not seem too interested.
Is it only the protein the ants are looking for in meat and would they accept beans as a meat substitute if they reject cooked meat? Also, is it safe for ants to eat raw eggs without any chances of a disease outbreak and would they also accept cooked eggs?
Thanks.

I bet they were not interested in the weevil Becuase it is very hard to kill Beatles when you are the same or half their size due to the exoskeleton. I also think weevils probably have some sort of deterrent system. Also, some lest you could catch are grubs or termites. I would suggest termites from woods, as they usually do not have pesticides Unless they are in an urban area.

Some people find ants except scrambled eggs,(I have heard egg whites), and some even say hard boiled eggs if they are split open. As for raw eggs, I would say try to stay away as the eggs could have some sort of disease or virus, (have never tried) and I suggest you try protein jelly. Also, some ants can go off nuts and seeds and only need occasionally protein. As for raw meet, it depends on the colony, my ants(raised in test tubes) will never accept raw or cooked meat, unless it is fish. I don’t suggest fish though unless absolutely nessecary, unless it is cooked.

Also, what species are you planning to keep?

Thanks for the advice!
I am new to antkeeping and can't really differentiate between species. If I find a queen I'll be sure to post it on the forums for identification.

[AntsLuxembourg]

Some people find ants except scrambled eggs,(I have heard egg whites), and some even say hard boiled eggs if they are split open. As for raw eggs, I would say try to stay away as the eggs could have some sort of disease or virus, (have never tried) and I suggest you try protein jelly. Also, some ants can go off nuts and seeds and only need occasionally protein. As for raw meet, it depends on the colony, my ants(raised in test tubes) will never accept raw or cooked meat, unless it is fish. I don’t suggest fish though unless absolutely nessecary, unless it is cooked.

I can confirm that some ants, will eat eggs. Yet scrambled might be unhealthy due to spices or cooking oils.
Here a video of my colony eating some soft boiled egg white.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqpH9aN3oaM

Shortly after I offered both egg white and yolk and the took both.

But it really depends on your colony species that you are keeping. Messor Barbarus can do with a full seed only and some water diet. They will also accept mealworms and fruit flies (never tried myself).

Other species require some variation as they will stop accepting the same insects after some time but it's somewhat uncommon.

[SolenopsisKeeper]

Some people find ants except scrambled eggs,(I have heard egg whites), and some even say hard boiled eggs if they are split open. As for raw eggs, I would say try to stay away as the eggs could have some sort of disease or virus, (have never tried) and I suggest you try protein jelly. Also, some ants can go off nuts and seeds and only need occasionally protein. As for raw meet, it depends on the colony, my ants(raised in test tubes) will never accept raw or cooked meat, unless it is fish. I don’t suggest fish though unless absolutely nessecary, unless it is cooked.

I can confirm that some ants, will eat eggs. Yet scrambled might be unhealthy due to spices or cooking oils.
Here a video of my colony eating some soft boiled egg white.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqpH9aN3oaM

Shortly after I offered both egg white and yolk and the took both.

But it really depends on your colony species that you are keeping. Messor Barbarus can do with a full seed only and some water diet. They will also accept mealworms and fruit flies (never tried myself).

Other species require some variation as they will stop accepting the same insects after some time but it's somewhat uncommon.

Tips for new antkeepers: Don’t keep picky trap jaw ants lol. They want me to constantly switch foods, so now I go one day springtails, the next mealworm parts, the next flies, the ext eggs(if available) otherwise, I give them a “skip” day, and I finally feed them protein jelly again. Complicated and slow growing species, to say the least.