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Can ants drink from moist dirt or sand?


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11 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Silq - Posted August 5 2019 - 3:29 PM

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I have a 20+ queens of pogonomyrmex californicus in 4 different setups. 3 of the 4 setups involve the original test tube connected to a formicarium and the 4th is a sand setup. I noticed one group was very organized as they had moved out all their seeds from their test tube as soon as I connected it to their mini formicarium. All the test tubes came with dirt and seeds and a good amount of dirt has been stuck on the cotton and most of the time, the queens are huddling around the cotton. I noticed the organized colony trying to escape in their formicarium and I took that as a sign that they need something whether food or water. I decided to put honey-water mix into a mini 3D printed feeding bowl and a few minutes later, they threw all their seeds into the honey-water. I read about them doing this to germinate the seeds to open and inadvertently in other test tubes, I had sprouted 1 or 2 seeds this way. I wondered why they wouldn't have done this on the cotton area but since it is covered in dirt, it maybe hard for water to pass through. I am not really sure since they seem to be ok.

 

My 4th setup which is different from the others is all sand formicarium. For the 2 of the 3 days, I moved them into a dirt setup that had a lot of water at the bottom. They had not dug any holes in 2 days so I tried moving them to a sand setup which they indeed started digging holes. Since the sand setup is not connected to a test tube, they do not have any water-cotton setup anywhere and the new sand formicarium is too small to fit one. I figure they can still get water from the test tube setup but the sand formicarium will need some source of water.


Ant Journal: http://www.formicult...-journal/<br> My colonies: C. Semitestaceus, P. Californicus, V. Pergandei, S. Xyloni.


#2 Offline ponerinecat - Posted August 5 2019 - 4:36 PM

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Yes.


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#3 Offline Derpy - Posted August 5 2019 - 4:52 PM

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Yes i've seen Pogonomyrmex queens multiple times drinking from moist dirt.


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-1x Parasitic Formica Sp. Colony

-1x Pogonomymrex Californicus Colony

-1x Camponotus Hyatti Colony

 


#4 Offline ANTdrew - Posted August 6 2019 - 3:24 AM

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Anorher thing to consider is that ants, especially desert species, can feel threatened by exposed, sticky liquids. They often try to cover up such liquids with debris like the seeds these had handy.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#5 Offline Silq - Posted August 6 2019 - 7:28 AM

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Anorher thing to consider is that ants, especially desert species, can feel threatened by exposed, sticky liquids. They often try to cover up such liquids with debris like the seeds these had handy.

Ah, I did not realize that. One of my camponotus did that and one of the Pogonomyrmex colonies did as well.


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Ant Journal: http://www.formicult...-journal/<br> My colonies: C. Semitestaceus, P. Californicus, V. Pergandei, S. Xyloni.


#6 Offline Acutus - Posted August 6 2019 - 10:08 AM

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My Camponotus all do it. not sure why? I thought it was so they wouldn't get stuck, then maybe to hide what they don't initially eat. The Aphaenogasters  do it as well but I think they need to soak it up as they don't have a social stomach. they take the honey soaked stuff back to the nest.


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Currently keeping:

Camponotus chromaiodes

Camponotus castaneus

Formica subsericea


#7 Offline Silq - Posted August 6 2019 - 10:29 AM

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My Camponotus all do it. not sure why? I thought it was so they wouldn't get stuck, then maybe to hide what they don't initially eat. The Aphaenogasters  do it as well but I think they need to soak it up as they don't have a social stomach. they take the honey soaked stuff back to the nest.

1 of 2 of my Camponotus colonies has done it. 1 of 3 of my Pogonomyrmex colonies has done it. So it seems to be a colony dependent thing from my tiny experience. My other camponotus colony has drank up half the honey already so they were definitely enjoying it and it is just 1 queen and 2 nanintics


Ant Journal: http://www.formicult...-journal/<br> My colonies: C. Semitestaceus, P. Californicus, V. Pergandei, S. Xyloni.


#8 Offline Canadant - Posted August 6 2019 - 1:40 PM

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WAit... that's not just collateral damage to the honey I put out for my camponotus? It always gets covered in dirt. Lol. So they're putting it over the honey and syrup. My novaeboracensis favor neither aand prefer sugar water instead. But yeah, they bury it. I thought it just happened naturally somehow.

Sincerely

Canadant
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"You don't get what you want. You get what you deserve".

#9 Offline Acutus - Posted August 6 2019 - 2:57 PM

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WAit... that's not just collateral damage to the honey I put out for my camponotus? It always gets covered in dirt. Lol. So they're putting it over the honey and syrup. My novaeboracensis favor neither aand prefer sugar water instead. But yeah, they bury it. I thought it just happened naturally somehow.
Sincerely
Canadant


Nope they're definitely doing it LOL!

Billy

 

Currently keeping:

Camponotus chromaiodes

Camponotus castaneus

Formica subsericea


#10 Offline ANTdrew - Posted August 6 2019 - 6:41 PM

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Tetramorium do this, too. My huge colony in a dirt tank straight up burries their liquid feeders. They would disappear if I didn’t keep digging them out.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#11 Offline Derpy - Posted August 6 2019 - 7:36 PM

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Yeah they usually do this if they are no longer interested in the sugars


-1x Parasitic Formica Sp. Colony

-1x Pogonomymrex Californicus Colony

-1x Camponotus Hyatti Colony

 


#12 Offline Silq - Posted August 6 2019 - 8:43 PM

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I figure they do this to conserve it too? I guess it might mold after some time, idk.


Ant Journal: http://www.formicult...-journal/<br> My colonies: C. Semitestaceus, P. Californicus, V. Pergandei, S. Xyloni.





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