18 replies to this topic

[Tpro4]

I think termites queens would be extremely useful to feed ants with. They are easy to keep and can reproduce faster. What do you think? I recently caught a couple of termite altars so far only two died.

[Mercutia]

I know a few people who keep termite farms as feeder colonies for their ants. Definitely the perfect protein source for them. Most ants go crazy for termites.

[Tpro4]

I heard that termite excremental contains sugar from the cellulose from the bark, to bad I don't have a colony

[123LordOfAnts123]

Raising a large number of termites from a single pair of sexuals will take a long time. Although their reproductive output is usually higher than ants, it can take them much longer to found colonies.

 

Ideally, you will want to start a culture using a large number (1,000 or more) of subterranean termite workers. After separated from a queen for some time, nymphs will molt into secondary reproductives and things will continue from there. There's a good guide on arachnoboards that I can't seem to link, just google "culturing termites".

 

Also, I doubt termite feces is of any worth to ants. The termites themselves often use it as a defense mechanism; often smearing it on assailants when grabbed.

[DesertAntz]

 often smearing it on assailants when grabbed.

:sick2: 

[Gregory2455]

Also, I doubt termite feces is of any worth to ants. The termites themselves often use it as a defense mechanism; often smearing it on assailants when grabbed.

 

Gotta be good for a Cyphomyrmex colony.

[dean_k]

I know it's off topic but kinda goes with the theme of the topic.

 

If one's brave enough to culture termites for ants, why not culture aphids as well?

[dspdrew]

I have a couple of termite colonies I started from a king and queen, but they are still very small. The colonies seem to grow very slowly.

[Mercutia]

People have but using aphids as herding insects for ants, they are hard to maintain because you need to put the live plant and aphids in the actual outworld which means soil the ants might choose to move into

[Tpro4]

 
Also, I doubt termite feces is of any worth to ants. The termites themselves often use it as a defense mechanism; often smearing it on assailants when grabbed.

[Mercutia]

Looks like more a defense mechanism than anything else. Not that their poop has nutritional value to ants.

[123LordOfAnts123]

Solenopsis will literally eat ANYTHING.

[DesertAntz]

I have a couple of termite colonies I started from a king and queen, but they are still very small. The colonies seem to grow very slowly.

So basically they have no value as feeders, unless you get a lot of reproductive termites, due to their slow colony growth? 

[Gregory2455]

Just come here, during summer I catch anything from 10-50 drywood termite alates daily. They seem to have stopped flying for this year though.

[Tpro4]

Today I checked in the termite altae, they're all in The same container, the have two workers and some larvae and bunch of eggs. I'm probably gonna make a dirt formicariums for them and move them all

[Gregory2455]

Nymphs already? When did you catch them?

[Tpro4]

About two months ago
I dropped in pieces of Togo chopsticks for them, they seem to like it.

[Gregory2455]

Nice, the little white guys that you may be calling workers are actually called nymphs. There is no larva or pupa stage in termites, they go from eggs straight to nymphs, which then become either workers, soldiers, or alates.

[Tpro4]

Today two termite queens or kings were found dead I got a third worker today.