6 replies to this topic

[N_BNZ]

I have a small colony of Camponotus Herculeanus and want to make sure they get a varied diet so got them some fruit flies and mealworms.

I've read many times its a good idea to freeze insects before feeding to reduce the risk of mites and it means you can buy a tub of something and store it, as clearly with only a handful of workers it's going to take a while to get through them.

However when I defrost the mealworms they turn black, is this normal? They don't look great will they eat them? Did I manage to mess up freezing Mealworms!?

Any help is gratefully received.

[YsTheAnt]

Instead of freezing them, dip them into boiling water for a few seconds, it'll kill them and all harmful organisms on them (mites, mold spores, etc.) It keeps the insides nice and mushy for the ants .

[sirjordanncurtis]

The ants shouldn’t be too picky about what color the worms are. How do you defrost your worms? I would put them in water for a few seconds first.

[N_BNZ]

Tried just letting them warm up and in hot water and both times turned black... Figured freezing would stop me having to deal with a big box of whatever mealworms turn into.

[AntKeeperNoob]

I typically boil mealworms for several minutes and actually cook them before freezing. When I thaw it to feed ants the mealworm flesh do not turn black.
The mealworm flesh is more solid but I have fed it to lasius, myrmica, crematogaster, apheanogaster and camponotus species. They all seemed happy to eat it up.

[CoolColJ]

I think they sometimes take on some black stuff inside due to waste or some defensive mechanism when they are about to die from the freezing.

I know Witchia grubs ooze some brown stuff in the same conditions

[Straywolf94]

I'll try flash freezing some in liquid nitrogen to see if that helps. Will post results later this week.