Non-Bug Protein Sources?

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

Moderator: ooper01

Hunter36o
Posts: 376
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:57 am
Location: Dublin, Ireland

Re: Non-Bug Protein Sources?

Post: # 54733Post Hunter36o
Wed Dec 12, 2018 4:43 am

Ecksters wrote:
Sat Jul 15, 2017 4:35 pm
I'm sure many people have asked this, but the requirement of regularly purchasing, or breeding another species of bug in order to keep ants is perhaps the biggest annoyance for me when it comes to taking care of them. Has anyone experimented with alternative protein sources to see if an Ant Colony can thrive on them?

If Dairy(whey) protein, for example, was sufficient, this would make ant keeping super cheap and super easy. Any experience with this? Do ants simply not recognize it as a protein source?
My least favourite words when it come to keeping any pet. "Super cheap and super easy" my advice is give your ants to someone who is willing to go the extra mile and go buy your self a stuffed dog. Super cheap and super easy. Maybe wash every now and then if that is not too much for you.

How can you even think like that. These are not toys, these are not part time pets (excluding hibernation times) no pet is. Would you go super cheap and super easy for a dog? If so give the dog to someone who cares because these are.living creatures who have been taken out of the wild to be cared for by a human so they deserve nothing to the best of the best from someone who is willing to go a buy fresh food or breed fresh food. Btw when you do your research correctly. Breed is super easy and cheap once you know what to do.

How would you like it if you are someone care for you and they only gave you the bare minimum because it's cheap and easy and your not worth their effort? Like how would that make you feel.
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.

Hunter36o
Posts: 376
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:57 am
Location: Dublin, Ireland

Re: Non-Bug Protein Sources?

Post: # 54734Post Hunter36o
Wed Dec 12, 2018 5:02 am

antnest8 wrote:
Thu Aug 30, 2018 4:03 pm
i've heard that ants can eat meats its just mostly i've heard only cooked meat...

it probably would be ok. but still just to be safe i would cook it.
Raw meat is okay as long as it is not chicken.
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.

Hunter36o
Posts: 376
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:57 am
Location: Dublin, Ireland

Re: Non-Bug Protein Sources?

Post: # 54735Post Hunter36o
Wed Dec 12, 2018 6:34 am

Actually while I am active. First excuse me rage. I just cannot stand the idea of a living creature not getting the best of the best. For example, my feeder crickets have a fish tank to them selves. No water of course except for drinking water.

Mad Vampy found some jelly protein he has a thread somewhere here about them. A solid protein source will well cooked scrambled eggs, there are some exodic fruits with protein but you may have to have a solid look for fresh ones and of course the ants may not like it.
Also look up some good protein food for humans. Ants will eat our food too but do your research first.
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.

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

Re: Non-Bug Protein Sources?

Post: # 54766Post antnest8
Thu Dec 13, 2018 4:43 pm

I do sort of agree with hunter36o. I get it if you are not allowed to breed or keep feeder insects or you just can't kill them or it disgusts you. (even by freezing them) but if you can why don't you do it?
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

Hunter36o
Posts: 376
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:57 am
Location: Dublin, Ireland

Re: Non-Bug Protein Sources?

Post: # 54832Post Hunter36o
Mon Dec 17, 2018 11:21 am

Thank you. Also if it kinda helps. I do not feel comfortable pre killing my ants food. I hate it infact but I have to do what is required of me to keep them healthy.
I much preferred giving live food to my old lizards way back when. Least they did the hard part. I just had to watch. And crickets are no small creatures if you think about. Feeding a live one to a stable colony would still result in the crickets demize but not without beheading a few ants on its way out. And that alone is the reason I prekill even tho I hate it so.
By all means no one here is telling you to enjoy it. We just advice that the best should be taken into consideration.

Remember you can hate something but that does not always mean we always have the choice to not do it. I hate picking up dog poo. Still I have to clean up after bear just so my son can play in the gardens.
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.

Civilization
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2020 2:39 pm
Location: California, CA

Re: Non-Bug Protein Sources?

Post: # 72053Post Civilization
Fri Jul 03, 2020 2:42 pm

Will earwigs do well for a main food source?
I just have too much in my backyard (California)

Civilization
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2020 2:39 pm
Location: California, CA

Re: Non-Bug Protein Sources?

Post: # 72060Post Civilization
Fri Jul 03, 2020 6:14 pm

Civilization wrote:
Fri Jul 03, 2020 2:42 pm
Will earwigs do well for a main food source?
I just have too much in my backyard (California)

Also how is it possible that when I was collecting some camponotus workers with queen, there under the bark were around 10 queens all together??? The colony thrived at the time and had around 300 workers.

Locked

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests