12 replies to this topic

[Mettcollsuss]

So my Aphaenogaster sp. queen now has three workers so it's time to start feeding them. I know Aphaenogaster love seeds. Does anyone know specifically what types of seed that they like?

[Batspiderfish]

MILTA says they love Trillium seeds. I haven't had luck offering them other kinds. My colonies have always really loved Tenebrio larvae, but Drosophila flies are also accepted by most ants. They also like sugary liquid.

Edited by Batspiderfish, September 17 2017 - 7:39 AM.

[Mettcollsuss]

MILTA says they love Trillium seeds. I haven't had luck offering them other kinds. My colonies have always really loved Tenebrio larvae, but Drosophila flies are also accepted by most ants. They also like sugary liquid.

 

I'll try giving them some mealworms. I tried to give them sugar water but they just acted freaked out by it. The only thing I've given them that they've accepted is a cricket leg.

[TheCrazyAntLady]

My Aphaenogaster sp. colony goes INSANE for sunflower seed pits. You can buy a whole bag of them without the shells at your local store!

[ITrapPlants]

MILTA says they love Trillium seeds. I haven't had luck offering them other kinds. My colonies have always really loved Tenebrio larvae, but Drosophila flies are also accepted by most ants. They also like sugary liquid.

 Where have you been buying your Trillum seeds for them?  Started raising a Aphaenogaster Picea colony and would like to offer them some!

[ANTdrew]

You could look at Praeriemoon nursery online, but I don’t think anybody sells Trillium seeds. Even if they did, the elaisome would be dried up, so they would not interest your ants. Elaisomes are fleshy, protein rich attachments that some seeds use to entice ants to gather and distribute them.

[justanotheramy]

My aphaenogaster longiceps will only accept flys, free-range mealworms 🙄 (from the garden, cut in half, not purchased ones), and *sometimes* the drumsticks of crickets.
Will have to try an organic pepita, see what they think!

[CheetoLord02]

I keep a fair bit of Aphaenogaster myself. Personally mine never go too crazy for seeds, but nuts are almost always a hit, specifically pecans, cashews, peanuts, and almonds. Those four exclusively make up their carbohydrates my colonies' diets. For protein, mine personally like fruit flies and mealworms the most, with crickets and roaches also being readily accepted. I recommend, once they get an outworld, to cut up the insects into small pieces, as even my 1.5k worker Aphaneogaster tennesseensis colony has trouble bringing large pieces back to the nest. As long as you test a variety of these food items to find what your colony prefers, you'll be fine.

[ITrapPlants]

Have been having success the last few weeks feeding my picea crushed almonds, crushed sunflower seed pits, sesame seeds, crickets (though they tend to have trouble moving them if not cut up in small pieces), small isopods, and they have accepted hummingbird nectar & honey soaked cotton.  Will try meal worms and fruit flies soon to see how they like them and vary their protein.

[Broncos]

My novomessor colony goes crazy for fruit flies. And I'm almost positive Aphaenogaster and novomessor are related.

[AntsDakota]

Most ants go crazy for fruit flies. Even picky ones like Ponera.

[Manitobant]

My aphaenogaster will eat almost anything. They're not picky at all.

[YsTheAnt]

My novomessor colony goes crazy for fruit flies. And I'm almost positive Aphaenogaster and novomessor are related.

Novomessor was actually classified under the genus Aphaenogaster for quite some time, so your not wrong .